Makati Medical Center holds Medical Mission in San Fabian

30 October 2009 – San Fabian. The medical team of the Makati Medical Center held a medical mission for the people of San Fabian last 30 October 2009. The whole day medical mission was held at the Archdiocesan School of San Fabian. San Fabian was one of the hardest hit towns by Typhoon Pepeng. Typhoon Pepeng inundated several barangays and displaced thousands of residents. There were two (2) casualties reported in San Fabian during the Great Flood.

The Makati Medical Center team was composed of 80 medical personnel including 40 doctors. The medical mission started at 8:00 in the morning and ended at around 4:00 in the afternoon.

There were more than a thousand patients treated and given free medicines by the medical team. Patients came as early as 6 o’clock in the morning.

The parish provided free food and drinks to the patients during lunch break and while waiting for their turn to be treated by the doctors.

The medical mission was a gift to the people of San Fabian by Msgr. Socrates B. Villegas, DD, the new archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan. He coordinated with the Makati Medical Center for the much appreciated and valued medical mission.

The Parish ANTABAY Team (the Social Action Apostolate of the Parish) coordinated with the medical team.

To the Makati Medical Center Medical MissionTeam: Mabuhay po kayong lahat! Balbaleg ya salamet ed sikayon amin!

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To see more pictures of the Makati Medical Center medical mission in San Fabian, please click HERE and HERE.

Continuing Relief Operations

18 October – San Fabian. Relief operations and services have been going on for the past days since the Great Flood struck San Fabian last 9 October. Ten of the hardest barangays have been visited by the Social Action Apostolate (ASAP) team of the parish. As of today, almost 2,000 families have received help from the ASAP of the parish. Eight thousand individuals have been given relief goods.

The Parish of San Juan Bautista, Pinaglabanan, San Juan City sent a truckload of relief goods, including rice, canned goods, noodles, clothes and medicine. They also gave school materials to replace the writing paper, pencils and ballpens that many of our school children lost during the flood.

The convent and the garage were transformed into relief operations center of the parish.

The relief goods being handed to those affected and displaced by the flood of 10/9.

(Pictures courtesy of Sem. Estephen Espinoza)

“Pasasalamat kay San Juan Bautista”

15 October 2009 –San Fabian.

It was on October 9, Friday dawn when floodwaters in 32 towns and three cities in Pangasinan were initially seen rising fast due to the swelling of major rivers, notably the Agno River, initially from the continuous rains unleashed by Typhoon Pepeng. It was aggravated when the San Roque Multi-purpose Project (SRMP), reputed to be highest rock-fill dam in the south east Asian region and the second highest in Asia, began spilling its excess water at the lower stream of the Agno River through its six spillway gates by 26 meters at 3 a.m. (from the Sunday Punch) By the end of the day the 90% of the province was inundated by flood waters causing untold pain and suffering to our people.

The Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, (San Fabian, Pangasinan), of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan was not spared by the calamity that devastated Pangasinan. The Bued River rampaged through San Fabian and eroded large tracks of land, including 25 houses erected in Barangay Binday. The floodwaters submerged houses in some barangays, particularly in Brgys. Lekep-Butao, Taculit, Angio, Longos Central, Parac-Parac and Proper. Many did not expect the waters to rise so fast. In some areas, their houses were inundated in less than thirty minutes. Many had to spend more than 24 hours, without food and rest, on the rooftops of their houses. The rampaging waters made rescue efforts more difficult.

About 60% of San Fabian was underwater. There were thousands who were affected, that the Evacuation Center of the town was filled. It could not accommodate all of them. The woes of the evacuees were compounded when floodwaters reached the only evacuation center of the town. The parish opened and welcomed the hundreds of evacuees who filled up the parish Church, the Parish Center and the Catholic School.

We have been struck by a calamity, and wounded by the onslaught of devastating floodwaters. But we also have been loved much by so many people who have gone out of their way to help us in our need. We believe we are blessed, in spite of this tragedy that had befallen us. We are blessed because there are people who have shown so much love and generosity. You are here in our hearts, and with you we will rise. We will prevail. We shall overcome.

To the Parish of St. John the Baptist, Pinaglabanan, San Juan City, our heartfelt and sincere gratitude to you all. To Fr. Frank Ungria, Jr., the parish priest, a native son of San Fabian, to his Parochial vicar, Fr. Mike Kalaw, to the members of the PPC and to all of you: MARAMING SALAMAT PO sa TULONG at PAGMAMAHAL! We believe that God in His unfathomable mercy will reward you a hundredfold!

Fr. Mike Kalaw, the Parochial Vicar of St. John the Baptist with the brother of Fr. Frank Ungria, Jr., the parish priest.

The members of the Mother Butler Guild of San Fabian Parish helped in repacking the truckload of relief goods.

Relief Operations under way

14 October 2009. Five days after the Great Flood that inundated 90% of the province of Pangasinan, including the 28 parishes and chaplaincies of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, the Archdiocesan Social Action (ASAP) has started its relief operations. The Mary Help of Christians College Seminary in Bonuan Gueset, Dagupan City has been transformed into its Center for Relief Operations.

Since 10 October 2009, Sunday, relief goods have been pouring in for the relief operations in the Archdiocese. They have not yet stopped. Most of these relief goods and packages came from individuals and groups from Manila, and from Bataan. Msgr. Socrates B. Villegas, DD, the in-coming Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, has issued an appeal for the relief needs of the parishes that were greatly affected by the floodwaters which submerged Pangasinan for four days.

Generous and Selfless Donors

The Community of the Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA) or more popularly called as the EDSA Shrine, was one of the very first groups to give to the Archdiocese. The EDSA shrine community responded very generously and selflessly to the appeal of Archbishop Socrates Villegas. They sent in four truckloads of relief goods which included rice, canned goods, bottled water, clothes and slippers, noodles and more than a thousand pieces of bread.

Other groups who sent are the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan of Ateneo, the Order of Malta, Ms. Mila Drilon and Mr. Larry Murillo who sent in 200 sacks of rice.

The Diocese of Balanga where Msgr. Socrates B. Villegas is presently the ordinary donated one truck load of relief goods. Ms. Elvira Go and company sent in their relief goods on 11 October, Sunday. She personally accompanied the truck that brought in the goods and made a personal visit to the flooded areas especially in the Parish of St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr.

“Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan Calamity Fund”

Msgr. Socrates B. Villegas, DD, has opened an account where donations can be sent in for the relief and rehabilitation of the most distressed areas in the archdiocese. Cash donations can be deposited with Bank of Philippine Islands (BPI) Account No. 8081-0001-32 under the account name “Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan Calamity Fund” for peso deposits only. The Archdiocesan Social Action Apostolate is already making plans and programs to help the farmers whose crops were destroyed by the flood waters as well as for the rehabilitation of those who lost their houses.

10,000 Families

The Archdiocesan Social Action Apostolate (ASAP) through the different ASAP parishes has reached out to almost 10,000 afflicted families of the Archdiocese. These massive relief efforts would not have been possible without the selfless and generous hearts of donors. Truly, God cares! And He cares through people with loving and caring hearts!

San Fabian underwater!

10 October 2009 – San Fabian. The waters have receded in the church and in the poblacion. Floodwaters have also receded in Brgy. Lekep one of the 18 barangays of San Fabian which was under water since 8 October 2009. Waters in the area reached the rooftops of houses. Many of the residents who could not be rescued had to stay on the rooftops until the waters receded. Those who were able to leave stayed in the evacuation areas. Several families went to the Parish Church. They came back to Brgy. Lekep only in the morning of Saturday, 10 October. They found their houses covered with mud; their palays, ready for harvesting, still underwater, and properties buried in mud.

San Fabian was one of the towns in Pangasinan devastated by Typhoon Pepeng. Incessant rains and the waters from San Roque dams contributed to the unprecedented flood in the town. The town was completely isolated as roads going to the north were flooded especially in Brgy. Tocok. The Cayanga Bridge overflowed and the roads going to Mangaldan and Dagupan City were made impassable by the flood waters.

The parish church, the Parish Center and the Archdiocesan School of San Fabian became emergency evacuation centers when the Sports Center, the town’s evacuation center, became overcrowded. The place was reached by waters at the height of the flood.

The parish welcomed about 50 families during the first night of the flood. More came the day after especially residents from Longos Central, Longos Parac-Parac and Brgy. Lekep-Butao started to arrive after they were rescued. Brgy. Sagud-Bahley also experienced flooding as deep as five feet. The waters at the Public Market was chest deep.

Twenty houses were washed away by the rampaging waters of the Bued River in Brgy. Binday on Thursday night. The waters started to erode the river banks at around 11 o’clock in the evening. In one hour, twenty houses were lost in the river. Binday South has lost to the furious current, given more force and power by the unregulated and continued illegal quarrying operations in the area.

Binday South. The road that leads to the rampaging river. (Picture by Bro. Estephen Espinoza)

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To read more of the San Fabian Flood in pictures, please click HERE.