As Christian relief groups have continued working in the mud-stricken village of Guinsaugon, helping rescue workers dig through the unstable mud and distributing aid to survivors, officials announced that they might have found the roof of the elementary school with some 253 people inside.

|PIC1|"This is the first time we've seen the green roof of a building that resembles very much the green roof of the elementary school that we've been looking for," Rosette Lerias told a news conference according to the Associated Press.

"It moved some 300 yards away. It's the same place that they found some notebooks, religious texts and also some pictures."

Rescuers detected “signs of life” Monday near the site that they had suspected to be the elementary school buried under mud from the massive mudslide triggered by heavy rains over the last two weeks. The disaster, which struck last Friday, swept away hundreds of houses and schools in the Philippine farming village of Guinsaugon, 420 miles southeast of Manila.

Following unconfirmed reports that some of the trapped children and teachers may have sent cell phone text messages to relatives soon after the mudslide, rescuers focused on finding the school.

Hope, however, was lost after continuous searches resulted in no further survivors, but rather only more dead bodies.

|TOP|Christian and relief groups, meanwhile, have been coordinating with partners in the areas to provide immediate relief and support for long term recovery. According to reports, the disaster is not over for those who survived the deadly landslide. Survivors are contracting chickenpox and other infectious diseases that broke out in packed evacuation centres.

Action by Churches Together (ACT) – Switzerland reported that a church of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) is being used as one of the evacuation centers. According to the UCCP St. Bernard Task Force, only 9 of the 70 members of UCCP Guinsaugon are on the survivor’s list.

The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), meanwhile, is coordinating with the UCCP local church for emergency response according to an ACT report on Tuesday. A team will also be dispatched to conduct a needs assessment, particularly rehabilitation assistance and an ACT appeal may be forthcoming.

Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) reported on Tuesday that two parish centers and an elementary school building are being used to house the evacuees, comprising of 576 families (about 3,000 individuals).

|AD|In addition, church workers and parish volunteers are coordinating with NASSA-Caritas Philippines to compile an inventory and list of family profiles of the evacuees in order to better define the needs and response.

Sr. Rosanne Mallillin, executive secretary of CAFOD sister agency NASSA-Caritas Philippines, said, “Times like these never fail to demonstrate the best treasures of the human heart: compassion, generosity, unconditional giving and joyful sharing.

“Do continue to pray for those who have been left behind and for those still locked in the insecurities of evacuation centres.”

Stephanie O’Connell, CAFOD’S Asia Program officer, reported that the Philippines emergency response teams went into action immediately and the local response to the disaster has been well coordinated. She said teams will continue to monitor the situation “extremely closely” and respond to any changes.

The Salvation Army responded to the mudslide starting on Feb. 19, providing spiritual ministry and beginning the process to obtain needed items. One day prior, World Vision International released a report indicating that three of its relief teams were preparing to deliver aid to more than 600 people as an initial response to the massive mudslide. They began distribution of aid along with partners last Sunday.







Michelle Vu
Christian Today Correspondent