Bishop shares ingredients to disaster-proof communities

For the bishop of Sorsogon, a proactive response will help in mitigating the risk of disasters. He shared three ingredients to disaster-proof communities.

“First, preparedness for material things must be considered. As early as July, the diocese must gather and prepare the necessary materials for quick response like food items and other material items needed to respond to the basic needs of typhoon victims,” says Bishop Jose Alan Dialogo of the Diocese of Sorsogon. He said that months before the arrival of typhoons, the social action ministry must be prepared.

For the second ingredient, faith in God must be strengthened. Bishop Dialogo said the Church must accompany the people to have strong faith in facing calamities so that hope in God will not be extinguished. Hope will help people not to fall into despair. Hope will inspire people to rise up because of faith in God. For Bishop Dialogo, bringing quick response relief items to respond to their basic needs, assures the people of the presence of the Church amidst their struggles and pain. He also said that it is important that priests and bishops visit the people especially those whose houses were severely damaged and whose means of livelihood were washed out.

To care for God’s creation is the third ingredient. Bishop Dialogo said that the Church must be responsible stewards of God’s creation here on earth. The next generation, the youth, must embrace the responsibility of caring, not abusing God’s creation, he emphasized.

Bishop Jose Alan Dialogo, a bishop who bakes bread, said it is important to have these essential ingredients including the value of patience. He compares this with baking bread where one must be patient in waiting for the dough to rise. He baked bread for typhoon victims in his diocese and neighboring dioceses in Bikol.