By Gideon C. Corgue
Thus
disclosed San Jose assistant parish priest Father Elvin Sabandal of Dumingag,
Zamboanga del Sur in an interview with Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-9
after the two truckloads of relief goods were unloaded at said office, the
designated drop-off center of the 1st Infantry Tabak division’s
“Oplan Tabang Visayas.”
Sabandal
said super typhoon Yolanda’s (international name, Haiyan) fury prompted the
parishioners to donate relief goods for the victims in Tacloban City,
Leyte.
Sabandal
said the San Jose Parish through parish priest June Nilo Vics, in his homily,
appealed to the parishioners to donate relief goods such as rice, bottled
water, canned goods, and noodles to support the relief operations for the
victims.
“We
are impressed with the overwhelming support of the community on our appeal for
donations to the victims,” Sabandal said adding that a total of 770 packs of in-kind
donations arrived at San Jose Parish church an hour after the mass.
The
donation, Sabandal said, was meant to convey the parishioner’s deepest
sympathies to those affected by this great tragedy.
“With this, we are sincerely grateful to the
parishioners, the schools and other generous donors. It is heartwarming that at
this time of tragedy, we are seeing the deep concern of our people,” Sabandal
stressed.
Christian
Padayhag, a senior student of San Jose Academy said he had volunteered in repacking
the relief items as a way of helping the typhoon victims. And he never felt
tired.
When
asked what motivated him to volunteer, Padayhag answered that he pitied the
victims every time he sees them on TV begging for food, water and other relief
goods.
Sabandal
also expressed his thanks to the parishioners and student-volunteers who
assisted in repacking the relief goods so they could quickly transport the
goods to Tacloban City. (PIA9)