Emergency Response

February 21, 2006

The mudslide that swamped the town of St. Bernard in Southern Leyte, Philippines, on February 17, 2006, buried the entire village of Guinsaugon, including the church building of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) and the houses of all its members.

Sixty-five men, women, and children of Baranggay Guinsaugon have been confirmed dead and 1,484 others may be buried in the 30-metre-deep mud. According to an alert released by Bishop Elmer Bolocon of UCCP's Office of the General Secretary, the Rev. Niel Toyhacao (the pastor of UCCP Guinsaugon) and his six-month-old son are among those confirmed dead. Out of the almost 70 members of UCCP Guinsaugon, only nine are on the list of survivors. After four days of rescue efforts, hopes for survivors are fading. The deep mud and continuing rain have made rescue efforts difficult and slow. Rescue efforts have been focused on the site of the elementary school, which is buried along with about 250 students and teachers. Aside from Guinsaugon, 15 other villages were also affected by the landslide.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said the mudslide was triggered by days of heavy and continuous rainfall. An entire mountainside collapsed onto Guinsaugon, covering an area of nine square kilometres with mud and boulders. Landslides of one kind or another have become a regular feature of the rainy season that begins in October. Commercial logging, which has stripped the mountainside for decades leaving its topsoil vulnerable, has been blamed for the landslides. Over the past two decades, the island of Leyte has seen one environmental catastrophe after another. In December 2003, some 300 hundred people were killed after a massive landslide in Southern Leyte. In 1991, more than 5,000 were killed in flash floods and mudslides in nearby Ormoc City.

United Church partner The United Church of Christ in the Philippines immediately created a task group to respond to the emergency. The UCCP St. Bernard Task Force has been actively involved in the multi-agency search and rescue operation. The UCCP church in St. Bernard opened its sanctuary and kindergarten school for evacuees now numbering 150. UCCP is involved in relief efforts, providing water, clothing, cooking utensils, blankets, and temporary shelters. It will also support long-term rehabilitation and recovery work, such as the building of houses and livelihood assistance.

As an immediate response, The United Church of Canada is sending a grant of $8,000 from the Mission and Service to the United Church of Christ in the Philippines to assist in their response to the emergency.

For more information, contact:

Bern Jagunos
Program Coordinator, East Asia and the Philippines
Justice, Global and Ecumenical Relations Unit (JGER)
Tel: 416-231-5931 ext. 4077
Toll-free: 1-800-268-3781 ext. 4077
E-mail: Bern Jagunos