THE Catholic Church has launched a nationwide fund drive to help families displaced by the ongoing clashes between the government and the Maute rebel group in Marawi City.
The National Secretariat for Social Action (Nassa)/Caritas Philippines, the social-action arm of the Catholic Church, launched a “solidarity appeal” to all the 85 dioceses nationwide to support relief operations for the families who fled their homes.
Nassa/Caritas Philippines National Director Archbishop Rolando J. Tria Tirona sent a letter to all bishops and social-action directors to appeal for assistance for those affected by the armed conflict in Marawi City.
“The national Caritas is now appealing to your generosity for any assistance to augment the needs of the internally displaced persons affected by the Marawi siege,” Tria Tirona said.
The Nassa/Caritas Philippines initially released P300,000 to support the relief operations of the social-action center of the Diocese of Iligan.
Other Mindanao dioceses also started helping the Prelature of Marawi in assisting displaced families.
Tirona said an assessment team from Nassa/Caritas Philippines has been deployed in Mindanao this week to check the needs of those affected.
Data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development showed more than 55,000 families have already fled their homes following the crisis in Marawi.
There are no updates yet on the status of Prelature of Marawi Vicar General Fr. Chiro Suganob and 15 other civilians, who were abducted by the Maute Group last week from the Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Marawi City.
In the face of the crisis, the Catholic bishops in Mindanao prayed and encouraged
everyone to pursue peace, citing the martial rule recently declared in the whole of Mindanao “must be temporary”.