MANILA, Philippines - The social action arm of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will be sending assistance to the thousands of families affected by the magnitude 8.3 earthquake in Chile, an official said on Friday.
Caceres Archbishop Rolando Tria Tirona, CBCP-NASSA/Caritas Philippines executive director, said the Catholic Church in the country condoles with the families of the casualties of the strong quake that hit Chile's coastal area of Santiago.
"We express our solidarity and our sympathy for those who lost their love ones… Ang Caritas Philippines sisikapin na makapag-reach out sa kanila… In the meantime, we express our solidarity and prayers to them, for concrete measure we try to see what we can offer," Tirona told Radyo Veritas.
The prelate also called on the faithful to pray for the victims of the Chile earthquake, urging the Filipinos to be prepared for similar natural calamities.
"What is important is to express our solidarity prayers to the victims of earthquake in Chile and also it is a wake up call for us para maghanda-handa na din tayo sa ano mang mga ganun uri ng sakuna," he said.
Initial reports said that at least 10 persons were killed while around a million individuals had to evacuate the coastal areas in Chile for fear of tsunami or tidal wave.
Meanwhile, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, chair of CBCP Permanent Committee on Public Affairs, appealed to the Philippine government to ensure the safety of Filipinos who may be affected by the Chile earthquake.