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A Mercedes Story For Oparr Sept 2014
A Mercedes Story For Oparr Sept 2014
Samar
A MERCEDES STORY
A project of
ASSUMPTION ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION INC.
A MERCEDES STORY
A project of
ASSUMPTION ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION INC.
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
Affected people
16 million
People displaced
4.3 million
Damaged Houses
1.2 million
Reported Dead
6,183
Reported Missing
1,785
Reported Injured
28,626
PROLOGUE
We waited for our leaders, waited for their words of reassurance, for
some vision to be articulated. We wondered at their silence. We needed
words to make sense of the images filtering in from Tacloban and
Samar and all the familiar and not so familiar places Yolanda claimed
for its own. For days there would only be silence.
AnAssumption girl is moved by the plight of neighbor and friend. The
call for help was sounded and the response from alumnae here and
around the world, most specially Spain, was immediate and generous.
Archbishop Soc Villegas in Dagupan gave us a signpost when he
announced his archdiocese was adopting Guiuan in Eastern Samar, the
site of Yolanda's first landfall. We followed the Archbishop in our
search for a community to help. Through the Internet we found the
municipality of Mercedes, 8 kms. away from Guiuan whose parish was
dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi. The parish name coincidentally , like
our beloved Holy Father's name Pope Francis, affirmed our choice.
It was no small miracle that in the terrible aftermath of the storm, we
were able to contact the parish priest on his cell phone. Fr Moises
Campo had never met an Assumption girl in his life, but there in the
midst of a blackout came a promise, a promise not only for immediate
relief but also a promise to rebuild and rehabilitate Mercedes.
ASSUMPTION CARES
PLAN OF ACTION
AAA RESPONSE TIMELINE
November 9 AAA CALL FOR HELP was sent through social
media
November 10 Alumnae abroad and in the Philippines
responded generously with cash donations
November 15 - detailed ACTION PLAN was laid out
(relief, rebuild and rehabilitate)
AAA RESPONSE TIMELINE
RELIEF
DECISION:
ASSUMPTION CARES ADOPTS MERCEDES,
EASTERN SAMAR, TO REBUILD AND
REHABILITATE 16 BARANGAYS
MISSION STATEMENT
Assumption Cares, through our Assumption
Alumnae, endeavors to rebuild the Mercedes
Community. In partnership with the government,
church and local community, we aim to provide
them with their basic needs: shelter, education
and evacuation/community/health centers; and
we hope to enable the rehabilitation of the town
by giving opportunities for alternative livelihood,
for self-sufficiency and sustainability.
DECISION:
ASSUMPTION CARES
ADOPTS
MERCEDES, E. SAMAR TO
REBUILD AND REHABILITATE
6 BARANGAYS
12 CATHOLIC CHAPELS
BUILD 6 COMMUNITY
CENTERS/EVACUATION CENTERS
BUILD ONE PARISH HALL
Livelihood Assistance for 1, 400
households
ASSUMPTION
CARES
Witnessed by Members of AAA Board of Trustees Dida Salita & Mely Diaz and
Assumption Cares Alumnae Core Group and Donor Gina Aboitiz
ASSUMPTION
CARES
REBUILD
IOM
BGY. BUSAY
ONE COMMUNITY/
EVACUATION CENTER=
COST P2 MILLION PESOS
BGY. BUYAYAWON
ONE COMMUNITY/
EVACUATION CENTER=
COST P2 MILLION PESOS
HOUSES
PARISH HALL
COMMUNITY/EVACUATION
CENTER
MAY 1, 2014
PARTNERSHIP WITH
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY PHILIPPINES
Check presentation for purchase of 11,000 sqm land in
Buyayawon. Owner of land is a retired school teacher. Cost
of property P450,000.
Habitat for Humanity Phils. Will build 49 houses on the land AAA
purchased in Buyayawon for resettled families.
ASSUMPTION
CARES
HABITAT FOR
HUMANITY
PHILIPPINES
IOM work area in Busay where coconut lumber are prepared, sorted and sent to main warehouse for distribution to
beneficiaries. Pre fabricated materials are given and the Cash for Work component is applied. Beneficiaries are taught how to
construct according to BUILD BACK BETTER standards. IOM engineers are on hand to see to it they abide by the rules of
construction.
MARILY
LEDESMAAAA
PRESIDENT
SIGNING
CERTICATES
Barangay
Captain
Barangay
Captain
REHABILITATE
PHASE THREE OF
PLANNING...cont.
REHABILITATE
Hillside
Elementary
School
EPILOGUE
We are more than a script and an accent. We are more than just the
virtues and sins of one politician. Our Foundress St Marie Eugenie
said "every duty God requires of us is a mark of his love and mercy".
Mercedes is our act of fidelity to duty. Mercedes is a mark of God's
love and mercy.