The Salesians of the Southern Philippines Province (FIS) report that the "Don Bosco Technical College" school in Cebu was severely damaged. The same fate befell the Pasil Youth Center, which is located near the sea. Here, the building was damaged by wind and waves and the structural integrity of the perimeter fence has already been compromised. They fear that, should the entire perimeter collapse, the Salesians would be exposed to both bad weather and the risk of looting.
Meanwhile, many families have lost their homes, especially those built with lighter materials. Added to this is the water emergency. In fact, there is a lack of drinking water, given that the water district has cut the supply. The government is trying to deliver water to communities through trucks made available by firefighters.
Furthermore, internet services are scarce, as many transmission lines have been damaged. The people affected by the disaster are therefore crowding gas stations and hardware stores and are suffering. For this reason, the Salesians of the FIS Province ask to pray for them, remembering that despite everything, the Cebuans are strong and resistant people.
Unfortunately, Typhoon Rai is also an opportunity to reflect on climate change. “For generations, we have lived with this type of climate,” writes Fr Keith Amodia, Delegate for Social Communication of the FIS Province, “but now the storms are getting stronger and more devastating, due to climate change.”
