Tag Archives: Philippines

Super Typhoon Maysak Weakens

The Philippines are still on alert for the weakening once-Super Typhoon Maysak. Its course is still set to make landfall on Luzon Island this weekend.  Maysak will either be a tropical storm or on the verge of becoming one by the time it hits early Saturday.

This storm was at its peak intensity with 160 mph Category 5 Hurricane Winds on April 1st but is weakening slowly with strong wind shear as it makes its way to the Philippines.  Power Outages and flooding are still a concern with this storm through Sunday evening.

Once exiting the Philippines, Typhoon Maysak which by then should only be a tropical storm system is not expected to strengthen as it enters the China Sea.

Tropical Cyclone Pam Reaches Category 5

The South Pacific island of Vanuatu has been hammered by Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Pam.

The Island has faced 165 m.p.h. winds from one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded east of Australia.  The eye of the storm passed over Vanuatu on March 13th around 4:05 a.m., the first category 5 to make landfall since the devastating Super Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines in November 2013.

Reports say that Efate Island, the most populated in Vanuatu, has suffered extreme damage from the storm.  There has been no confirmed reports of deaths, injuries, or missing.

Port Vila, located on the southwest part of the island, did not get hit by the storm’s eye and was able to stay online throughout most of the storm’s move over the Island.  The last recording sent by a weather station at the port showed almost 4.7 inches of rain from the storm.

Four tropical cyclones are currently spinning in the Pacific including one just off the western coast of Australia.

6.0 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Philippines

The capital of the Philippines was rocked Saturday by a 6.0 earthquake that struck in the early hours of the morning.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the quake was centered 27 miles southwest of San Antonio, Zambales at 3:31 a.m.

A reporter for the Philippine Daily Inquirer said the quake was so strong it shook him and his son out of bed.

“The bed shook, the speaker fell and dogs barked,” Dennis Eroa wrote.  “That was the first time I experienced that kind of quake here in Olongapo.”

Officials reported only minor structural damage throughout the region.

Seismologists say that the residents of the area were lucky that the quake struck so far underneath the sea bed that a tsunami was not created and damage on land would be minimal.

Tropical Storm Leaves 31 Dead In Philippines

Tropical Storm Jangmi slammed into the Philippines leaving at least 31 people dead and seven people missing.

Jangmi made landfall with winds of 40 miles per hour and gusts of 50 miles per hour.  Heavy rain fell on the southern part of the nation where the flooding took out bridges and highways.

Officials say most of the deaths took place on Tuesday when the rain created landslides and flash flooding.

Officials in Catbalogan City said that a dozen people were killed when a landslide buried two vans and six houses in the eastern part of the city.  They said that voices are being heard in the vans and that rescue efforts are progressing.

A regional civil defense official told Fox News that 10 members of a family died when their creekside house was washed into the river by flash flooding.

Taxi Drivers In Filipino City Required To Post Bible Verses

In what is being called a new initiative to fight crime, all taxis in the Filipino city of Tagbilaran will be carrying Bible verses.

The law had been on the books for over 20 years but now the city is enforcing the law in an attempt to curb a wave of violence that was impacting commuters.

“This is the only city in the Philippines that has such an ordinance,” Samuel Belderol, who issues taxi licenses at city hall, told reporters. “We want the world to know that we are a God-fearing city and that these Bible verses help us draw closer to God.  We only issue 3,000 licenses every year and each one must have a unique verse on it, no duplicate verses allowed.”

If a taxi driver fails or refuses to post the verse, they could lose their license.

City Council member Lucile Lagunay says the action has already shown a positive impact on the crime rate.

“With a Biblical message at the back of the units, commuters get to see the message every day and it helps in way to preserve the peace in our city,” she stated. “Everyday commuters get to see the biblical message on the tricycles and who want to think of crime when they see biblical passages everywhere.”

Former Football Star Announces Opening of Children’s Hospital

Former football star Tim Tebow, roundly attacked by anti-Christianists for the open displays of his faith in his life, has announced that a children’s hospital is opening in the Philippines.

The Tim Tebow Foundation said that the former quarterback has been working since 2011 to build and obtain the operating license from the Philippine Health Department.  The hospital is already working to help impoverished children but will officially have a “grand opening” in spring 2015.

The five-story hospital was built in conjunction with CURE International, a non-profit that works to provide medical care for impoverished children.  The hospital will have 30 beds, three operating rooms and a staff of over 50.

“I have always had a great love and passion for the Filipino people,” Tebow, the founder of the foundation, said in a statement. “It is so exciting to be able to provide healing and care for these incredibly deserving children halfway around the world.”

With the opening of the Tebow CARE Hospital, the group will now have 12 hospitals around the world to help children in need.

4 Dead From Typhoon Hagupit

Officials are praising the fact only four people lost their lives from Typhoon Hagupit.

Over a million residents of the Philippines were evacuated ahead of the storm as officials put into place protocols created after the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan.

“We saw that with preparation and being alert we prevented tragedy and harm, we took our countrymen away from harm,” added Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas. “It is sad to hear news of deaths, but this is very low, way below what the potential was.”

Gwendolyn Pang, the secretary general of the Philippine Red Cross, said that it’s obvious people learned lessons and put them into practice.

Over 7,300 people were confirmed dead or are still missing from 2013’s Typhoon Haiyan.

Jipapad mayor Delia Monleon revealed that floodwaters are preventing people from getting to their homes.

“Our problem is power, food is a problem because boats cannot leave,” Monleon told Christian Post. “It was flooded yesterday so we can’t leave to look for food.”

Twelve Dead In Philippine Typhoon

A major typhoon roared into the Philippines, leaving a dozen dead in its wake.

Typhoon Ramassun struck land with sustained winds of 93 miles per hour with gusts that topped 115 miles per hour.  The storm knocked out power to most of the nation, flattened buildings and brought massive flooding to areas outside the nation’s capital, Manila.

Government officials said that the death toll is likely to rise because hundreds are missing in the wake of the storm.  A family of four died when their home collapsed on top of them.  A woman died when she was fleeing down the street and an electric pole fell on her.

Officials say the death toll will likely be lower because after last year’s devastating Typhoon Haiyan, residents took the warnings of a typhoon much more serious than in previous storms.

The storm moved through the country and headed toward Vietnam as a weakened storm.  However, forecasters say the storm could strengthen again and cause major problems to southwest Asia.

Jim Bakker Show Helps Victims of Natural Disasters

Dr. Paul Williams is an amazing, unusual medical doctor. He is like an emergency room doctor, only the world is his emergency room. He goes to where there is crisis and does what is needed to alleviate suffering. He represents the Jim Bakker Show and Morningside Church many, many times like in Haiti and in the Philippines. “I love having somebody out there I trust when we’re sending money or we’re sending food, or when we send water bottles for purification,” said Pastor Jim Bakker.

Dr. Williams was on the scene in the Philippines after the catastrophic typhoon Haiyan in November of 2013. He stated, “hundreds of thousands of people were displaced and 7,000 people died…” All of the electricity was down, and without electricity, nothing works including water pumps.

Dr. Williams turned to the Jim Bakker Show for help.

He needed pumps for water, but they couldn’t be electrical pumps. They had to be operable without electricity. So, the Jim Bakker Show and Morningside Church provided Dr. Williams with the non-electric Divvy unit, which provides about 2,500 gallons of fresh, safe water per day and works by manual pumping.

The Divvy water pump unit was provided to Dr. Williams from a portion of the funds supplied by the friends and partners of the Jim Bakker Show and Morningside Church when they ordered their own water purification products. “Some people don’t understand what happens when the wells go dry,” said Pastor Jim during a recent show taping with Dr. Williams.

divvy pump philippines“The eye of the storm actually went over this particular island, and so all their water sources were contaminated. They had to buy water and it was costing them several dollars per gallon. With this particular Divvy unit, the cost was down to about 2 cents per gallon for the people. So they were able to afford the water and have safe water to drink,” said Dr. Williams.

A message from a local missionary, Glenn Garrison, stated that hundreds of people daily are being serviced with this one pump.

Dr. Williams is out there in the crises representing the Lord Jesus, and he is also representing the Jim Bakker Show and Morningside Chruch and all of our partners and friends. He was on the scene down in Haiti with Seychelle water bottles sent to him from the Jim Bakker Show family.

During the show taping, Dr. Williams told of another situation in the Philippines where there is a dire need of a water pump. Little children are actually dipping water from a spring near a garbage dump to drink, which is their only water source. This horrendous situation actually caused Dr. Williams to physically break down crying.

Pastor Jim immediately answered the need and directed the ministry to release funds for another Divvy unit to be sent to this particular region. “Dr. Williams has been there, he is overseeing it, and he is working with missionaries,” Pastor Jim said.

Dr. Williams also noted that the Jim Bakker Show had answered the need for food supplies in these crisis situations as well. Over 40,000 servings of emergency food were sent to the Philippines during the typhoon. Frank Davis of Food for Health matched that amount and sent another 40,000 packets!

“I’m committed to what you do. When you see it, you’re our eyes out there,” Pastor Jim said to Dr. Williams.

“I felt like I was walking in the divine purposes of God,” said Dr. Williams about his trip to the Philippines.

The Jim Bakker Show and Morningside Church, along with our friends and partners, feel that way too.

Matthew 25:34,35,40 NIV

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink… Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

For every Extreme Sport Water Bottle ordered through the Jim Bakker Show, a portion goes to help Dr. Williams in his endeavors to help suffering people world-wide.

Operation Christmas Child Sends 60,000 Gifts To Children In Philippines

The annual Operation Christmas Child drive to provide gifts and necessities for children in need around the world is sending over 60,000 boxes to children in areas hit hard by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

Franklin Graham, head of Samaritan’s Purse, spoke of the importance of these gifts to those children.

“Do you know what these gifts are going to mean to these kids? It means that somebody loves them, it means they haven’t been forgotten. It will mean everything in the world. It will give these little kids hope,” Graham said at an event in New York.

The New York event included families impacted by Hurricane Sandy last year.

“I packed stuffed animals, which I think they will hold at night and fear for nothing and know that God will be in control,” 11-year-old Diana Barbacena told the Christian Post. Barbacena had to be evacuated last year from her home when Hurricane Sandy struck the Atlantic Coast.

Overall, Operation Christmas Child celebrated its 20th anniversary by collecting around 9.8 million shoeboxes full of gifts and supplies for children in over 100 countries on six continents.