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.

Quarrying Activities cause Massive Erosion in San Fabian

What was once a road. A road in Brgy. Binday was destroyed after it was washed away by the rampaging waters of the Bued River lat 3 October 2009. The above photo shows the concrete wall washed out by the river. It shows where the river was before the erosion of the road and farm lands.

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5 October 2009 – San Fabian. The irrigation canal that is bringing the much needed water for the several hundred hectares of Barangays Anong, including Baraoas, Cabaruan, Binday, Aramal and Angio was finally destroyed by the strong current of Bued River. The strong current also destroyed some rice lands ready for harvesting. The massive erosion also moved the river bed about 20 meters inland.

An officer of the National Irrigation Administration who were at the scene of the destroyed and eroded irrigation canal said unless the quarrying activities being done at the Bued River be stopped, erosions of agricultural lands and houses will continue. In a statement made by the Municipal Agriculturist of San Fabian during the 10 September 2009, forum on the quarrying activities sponsored by the Parish, around 30 hectares of arable lands have already been lost due to erosion precipitated by the continuous quarrying activities.

The result of the September 10 forum was the signing of a petition addressed to the Governor Amado T. Espino to stop the unregulated quarrying activities in San Fabian. The letter was signed by hundreds of parishioners and concerned citizens. The letter was handed over to the provincial government last 28 September. It was received by Mr. Raffy Baraan, the provincial Administrator.

It was also learned that the Sangguniang Bayan of San Fabian passed a resolution (Res. No. 60-S-2009) requesting the provincial Environment and Natural Resources (PENRO) to temporarily stop the quarrying activities. The resolution also affirmed that the quarrying activities have caused heavy damages on farm lands and properties. The resolution was authored by Kgd. Saturnino C. Distor, and approved by all the members of the council.

The farmers affected by the destruction of the irrigation canals were now very worried. Their palays are in a stage when they need more water. But with the destruction of the canals, they do not know how they can salvage their harvest this year. Last year, these farmers were not able to plant because of the lack of irrigated water. Binday Dam collapsed at the height of Typhoon Cosme. Binday Dam is providing irrigated water to more than 1,000 hectares in San Fabian and the nearby townS of San Jacinto and Manaoag. Around 2,701 famers benefit from Binday Dam. It was found out that the destruction of the dam was caused by the continuous quarrying activities at the Bued River.

A Statement of Concern was issued by Rev. Fr. Oliver E. Mendoza, the parish priest, regarding the quarrying activities. It was ready in all the masses last 20 September 2009.
The famers are afraid that they will face another difficult year. They are crying for one thing: Stop the quarrying activities!

No more flowing water. The irrigation canal which used to be overflowing with water at this time of the year has dried up. Famers from four barangays of San Fabian are facing the destruction of their palays because of the continued quarrying activities.
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To see more pictures of the erosion caused by the quarrying activities, please click HERE.