TACLOBAN CITY-At least 3,210 houses destroyed during the onslaught of supertyphoon Yolanda were completely built by the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, popularly known as the Mormon. The houses were repaired by about 620 Church members who were trained in basic carpentry who were later given certification by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The newly-trained carpenters have their graduation on May 29 with top officials of the Church witnessing the occasion held at the Mormons Chapel at Fatima area, this city. “This is quite different, pioneering for us. We haven’t done this kind of project before. We learned a lot. And in fact as we came up with other organizations including Catholic charities, they are asking us to teach what we learn,” Elder Craig Christensen, a member of the Presidency of Seventy of the Church, said. He was referring to the Catholic Relief Services(CRS) which is conducting a relief mission in Yolanda-hit areas which hired about 200 Mormons members who were trained the basic carpentry program. During the graduation rites, Elder Christensen was joined by Elder Ian Ardern, current Church leader in the Philippines, among other officials of the Church. According to Elder Christensen, funds used for their relief for the victims are coming from donations of their local members throughout the world. On its shelter program for storm victims, the Church provided the construction materials and tools while labor was provided by the beneficiaries. Following the Church’s principle of self-reliance, shelter recipients were required to construct their houses as well us building another four shelters for other victims. This way, the house recipient not only learned a skill but also livelihood as carpenters are in demand to rehabilitate houses and buildings in the affected communities. Ian Carel, 23, a shelter recipient in Tacloban said he is grateful for the help he received from the Mormon Church. “They gave our family a new house after ours was destroyed by Yolanda. What I can only say is I am happy and thankful,” Carel said. Carel, however, hoped that families who are still in the tents and temporary shelters will have their own house the soonest time especially after hearing on the fire incident on May 28 which killed a family of seven members in the “Tent City” located in Barangay 88, Costa Brava, San Jose district. Beth Moore, an American volunteer and a Mormon who has been helping storm victims in carpentry works for five months already in the city, said she was impressed by how the storm victims are trying to recover from the disaster. “It’s great. They are wonderful and very positive,” Moore said on how was it to be volunteering here for the victims, adding she is hopeful that all the carpentry graduates will get employment and build more buildings. Ricardo Aban, local leader of the Mormon Church in the city, also expressed thanks to the help they received from the Church all over the world particularly on livelihood, shelter, and food and health assistance, among others. (RONALD O.REYES)
