ItalianoMany times the Philippines have suffered grave damages from typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, but in November 2013, first the earthquake and then the typhoon Halyan struck 11 million people (of the 92 million inhabitants of the country) and forced 673 thousand Filipinos to flee from their homes.
The Order of Saint Augustine responded to the call for help from the island and launched a campaign to gather funds from all of the Augustinian circumscriptions, thanks to which 400.000 € were gathered together in a few weeks.
Thanks to the contribution that thousands of people entrusted to the Augustinian friars, homes and schools were rebuilt and roads were repaired. A fund was created to help the local people purchase equipment and seeds, and they distributed thousands of meals to many, many people at the time of the greatest emergency.
The Augustinians have demonstrated yet another time a great sensitivity united with professionalism and they have succeeded in intervening in a timely way without losing themselves in delaying bureaucracy and guaranteeing a cautious and transparent management of the funds.
The Project
The project that the Foundation is proposing, together with the Order of Saint Augustine and the Augustinian Province of Cebu in the Philippines, is to create an emergency fund that can be used immediately in case of emergency. The Fund would be managed by an international staff formed by the Provincial and the Treasurer of the Augustinian Province of Cebu, by the Assistant of the Order of Saint Augustine responsible for Asia and Oceania, and by an expert from the Foundation.
With respect to the management and administrative procedures that have been worked out, the three organizations will be able to intervene with timeliness, professionalism and a profound knowledge of the country, given that the Augustinians have been present in the Philippines for 450 years.
