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Religious Group Appeals Aid for Typhoon Victims CAGAYAN DE ORO City, Dec. 18, 2011—With thousands of people huddled in evacuation centers displaced by typhoon “Sendong”, the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines in Northern Mindanao are appealing for relief items to be sent to the victims. Typhoon Sendong (international codename: Washi) made a landfall on several provinces of Northern Mindanao, Friday. The storm, packing winds of 60-100 kph/hour battered with heavy rains the provinces of Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and Zamboanga Provinces, causing massive flooding that displaced thousands. News reports pegged death tally to almost 500 with hundreds still missing, especially in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, and in some towns of Misamis Oriental which were hardest hit by flashfloods. “Thousands are in the evacuation centers, many are women and childen—hungry, chilling, crying,” the RMP-NMR reported in its website. Generous individuals are asked to ...

MANILA, Dec. 5, 2011— A Catholic bishop has lashed out those who continue to stigmatize AIDS, as he called for an intensive information campaign to prevent the spread of the disease. Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said the country needs to solve the AIDS stigma which continue to grip the country and for other people to be able to take care of the victims. “Many of those who discriminate (AIDS victims) are afraid they might get it of casual contact… it’s not like that,” said Pabillo, chairman of the National Secretariat for Social Action of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. “We have to help those who are in need. We don’t prejudge them even if it’s their fault or not. There’s always a time for change. Let’s always give people a chance to come back again,” he said. AIDS stigma, he cited, includes ostracism, rejection, discrimination and avoidance of HIV infected people. Among the worst cases, he added, is violence against HIV infected individuals whic...