28 RP nuns seek help from quake-torn Italy
By Cynthia Balana
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 07:03:00 04/20/2009
MANILA, Philippines—For most of their lives, the 28 Filipino nuns who survived the 6.3-magnitude earthquake in L’Aquila in central Italy had attended to people who needed help, alleviating their pain and suffering.
Now it’s their turn. While they escaped the quake that devastated both ancient and modern buildings in the medieval city of L’Aquila on April 6, they lost all their belongings as well as the roof over their heads.
Before the tragedy, the nuns lived in different houses of their religious congregation, Zelatrix Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was located in L’Aquila. They cared for women and children in need and aged couples in nursing homes.
When the earthquake struck, their houses crumbled and the Filipino nuns scampered for safety, taking with them the children and old people they were caring for. Two Italian members were not as lucky and were instantly killed.
The nuns left all their belongings, running barefoot in their sleepwear to escape the quake whose epicenter was L’Aquila, 110 kilometers northeast of Rome.
The earthquake, which was followed by more than a dozen aftershocks, killed more than 150 people, injured 1,500 and left tens of thousands homeless. At least 114 Filipino workers were left homeless while one Filipino construction worker was killed.
To the rescue
Living up to their missionary work, the nuns insisted on taking their wards with them when they were moved to tents set up by relief and rescue teams in Giulianova, Teramo province.
They are now staying at the Immaculate House Hospitality Center, thanks to the assistance of Unitalsi, an Italian volunteer organization.
“The nuns are still Filipino citizens. They have been in Italy from one to 18 years,” Emil Fernandez, director at the European Affairs desk at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in an interview.
After hearing about their plight, Lilibeth Pono, the embassy’s chargé d’affaires, and two other staff members immediately traveled to Giulianova City on April 11, Fernandez said. They brought basic necessities for the nuns and provided them with facilities to call their families in the Philippines.
Overjoyed
Quoting Pono, Fernandez said the nuns were overjoyed with expressions of concern from home and hoped that gentle souls from the Philippines would send help.
“The nuns said they would appreciate clothes (including nuns’ habit), undergarments and footwear. Food, medicine and shelter are already being provided by relief groups,” he said.
The congregation, which was based in L’Aquila, lost most of its resources as all their properties had been destroyed by the quake.
The Philippine Embassy to the Holy See, in its report to the DFA early this week, said the Filipino nuns had decided to share donated clothes and provisions with their Indonesian congregation members, as the Indonesian ambassador had given clothes to all 60 of them, including the Filipinos.
Safe and relocated
The DFA is preparing to give government assistance and is appealing to the public and private sector for donations to the nuns and other overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the quake in L’Aquila.
Already, labor attaché Manuel Roldan and welfare officer Andrelyn Gregorio had gone to L’Aquila to deliver relief provisions to affected OFWs, donated by the Filipino community in Rome.
Fernandez said affected OFWs had been relocated and were staying at the evacuation center in Campo Sportivo.
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) administrator Carmelita Dimzon was scheduled to fly to Rome this week to provide assistance to the OFWs and to repatriate those who would like to go back to the Philippines.
“All are safe and in healthy condition as the center has food and is equipped with modern health facilities. Their tents are visited five times a day by volunteer medical teams to ascertain health conditions,” Fernandez said.
Issue documents
The embassy team also recommended that the DFA issue documents to OFWs and their children who had lost their papers in the quake. The embassy also requested the DFA to waive consular/passport fees of affected OFWs.
The team also made representations with the Italian government to facilitate the reconstruction of documents such as permits to stay and residence cards of OFWs.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 07:03:00 04/20/2009
MANILA, Philippines—For most of their lives, the 28 Filipino nuns who survived the 6.3-magnitude earthquake in L’Aquila in central Italy had attended to people who needed help, alleviating their pain and suffering.
Now it’s their turn. While they escaped the quake that devastated both ancient and modern buildings in the medieval city of L’Aquila on April 6, they lost all their belongings as well as the roof over their heads.
Before the tragedy, the nuns lived in different houses of their religious congregation, Zelatrix Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was located in L’Aquila. They cared for women and children in need and aged couples in nursing homes.
When the earthquake struck, their houses crumbled and the Filipino nuns scampered for safety, taking with them the children and old people they were caring for. Two Italian members were not as lucky and were instantly killed.
The nuns left all their belongings, running barefoot in their sleepwear to escape the quake whose epicenter was L’Aquila, 110 kilometers northeast of Rome.
The earthquake, which was followed by more than a dozen aftershocks, killed more than 150 people, injured 1,500 and left tens of thousands homeless. At least 114 Filipino workers were left homeless while one Filipino construction worker was killed.
To the rescue
Living up to their missionary work, the nuns insisted on taking their wards with them when they were moved to tents set up by relief and rescue teams in Giulianova, Teramo province.
They are now staying at the Immaculate House Hospitality Center, thanks to the assistance of Unitalsi, an Italian volunteer organization.
“The nuns are still Filipino citizens. They have been in Italy from one to 18 years,” Emil Fernandez, director at the European Affairs desk at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in an interview.
After hearing about their plight, Lilibeth Pono, the embassy’s chargé d’affaires, and two other staff members immediately traveled to Giulianova City on April 11, Fernandez said. They brought basic necessities for the nuns and provided them with facilities to call their families in the Philippines.
Overjoyed
Quoting Pono, Fernandez said the nuns were overjoyed with expressions of concern from home and hoped that gentle souls from the Philippines would send help.
“The nuns said they would appreciate clothes (including nuns’ habit), undergarments and footwear. Food, medicine and shelter are already being provided by relief groups,” he said.
The congregation, which was based in L’Aquila, lost most of its resources as all their properties had been destroyed by the quake.
The Philippine Embassy to the Holy See, in its report to the DFA early this week, said the Filipino nuns had decided to share donated clothes and provisions with their Indonesian congregation members, as the Indonesian ambassador had given clothes to all 60 of them, including the Filipinos.
Safe and relocated
The DFA is preparing to give government assistance and is appealing to the public and private sector for donations to the nuns and other overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the quake in L’Aquila.
Already, labor attaché Manuel Roldan and welfare officer Andrelyn Gregorio had gone to L’Aquila to deliver relief provisions to affected OFWs, donated by the Filipino community in Rome.
Fernandez said affected OFWs had been relocated and were staying at the evacuation center in Campo Sportivo.
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) administrator Carmelita Dimzon was scheduled to fly to Rome this week to provide assistance to the OFWs and to repatriate those who would like to go back to the Philippines.
“All are safe and in healthy condition as the center has food and is equipped with modern health facilities. Their tents are visited five times a day by volunteer medical teams to ascertain health conditions,” Fernandez said.
Issue documents
The embassy team also recommended that the DFA issue documents to OFWs and their children who had lost their papers in the quake. The embassy also requested the DFA to waive consular/passport fees of affected OFWs.
The team also made representations with the Italian government to facilitate the reconstruction of documents such as permits to stay and residence cards of OFWs.
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