Fil-Ams in Washington offer prayers for victims of Yolanda

Filipino-Americans over the weekend offered prayers for the victims of super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) as they marked the first anniversary of the tragedy in Washington D.C.
 
The Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. said some 150 Filipino-Americans gathered at the Embassy’s Romulo Hall on Sunday (PHL time) for the prayers.
 
"It was the biggest gathering of the Filipino-American Community in the Embassy in recent memory," the embassy said.
 
Yolanda tore through the Visayas and parts of southern Luzon on Nov. 8 last year. It left at least 6,300 dead.
 
Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr. urged the Filipino-American community to "continue to pray for the people affected by Haiyan, and to pay our respects to all those who passed away by learning from this tragedy and building back better, more resilient communities.”
 
He reiterated "our immense gratitude for the generosity of those who have and continue to contribute in meaningful ways to the ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts.”
 
Cuisia cited the US-Philippines Society and the Philippine Humanitarian Coalition for their "tireless work, selfless commitment, and solidarity" in helping those affected.
 
He also thanked the US government and the American people for their response along with contributions of the Vietnamese-American and Taiwanese-American communities. —Joel Locsin/NB, GMA News

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