Bishop urges Filipinos to pray as 'Yolanda' approaches

MANILA, Philippines - Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines president Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma called on Filipinos to pray as the state weather bureau declared that super typhoon "Yolanda" will make landfall on Friday morning.

"Nanawagan po tayo una sa lahat ng mga kapatid natin na mga Obispo na sana po they will exhort out priest to lead in a prayer against impending calamities," Palma said.

Palma said that Filipinos should pray the Oratio Imperata for deliverance from calamities.

The prelate said Filipinos should pray that the country be spared from the strong winds of the super typhoon, which has been predicted as the strongest cyclone to hit the country this year.

"Alam po natin na napakalakas ng typhoon Yolanda and we pray that it would not really hit us or bring havoc to the country. We have had enough calamities through earthquake last Oct.15. You know with God’s help hindi po masyadong malalala yung epekto nitong typhoon Yolanda," the prelate said.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said earlier that the super typhoon will make landfall over Guiuan, Eastern Samar between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Friday.

The cyclone was forecast to cross other Visayas provinces and exit through Palawan province on Saturday morning.

More than 40 areas in the country have been placed under storm warning signals as the super typhoon approaches Eastern Samar before noon Thursday.

The Naitonal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has placed all its units nationwide on full alert.

Meanwhile, officials of the Diocese in Northern Samar ordered the opening of all churches in the province to people who may be displaced by the super typhoon.

Fr. Cesar Aculan, Social Action Center director of Calbayog Diocese, said in an interview with Church-run Radyo Veritas that the churches will complement the evacuation centers of the local government units.

"Nag-meeting na ang local government units kasama ang municipal disaster preparedness teams at mga barangay officials, in-identify ang mga evacuation centers at mga pamilya, mga barangay na vulnerable sa sakuna," the prelate said.

"Ipinatutupad na rin ang preemptive evacuation sa mga barangay, at nagbigay ng pondo paunang pondo sa bawat barangay ng P20,000 na gagamitin sakaling lumala ang sitwasyon," he added.