‘Make Easter a national prayer day’

ANGELES CITY — A Christian movement which claims to have averted lahar devastation in this city years ago through prayers, has called for a national day of prayer and fasting this Easter Sunday to "save" the Philippines from natural calamities amid unusual worldwide weather, as well as from terrorist threats.

The Philippines Prayer Movement (PPM), launched by local businesswoman Ma. Teresa Magtoto, appealed to various religious groups nationwide to hold simultaneous prayers on Easter Sunday with similar intentions.

Magtoto said her movement, which has at least 23,000 members nationwide, has started prayers and fasting as early as last Monday.

She said her movement has dubbed the coming Easter Sunday as "God save the Philippines, prayer for the nation" day.

"We are enjoining the whole nation to join the day of prayer and fasting for national repentance and the healing of our nation. Let us dedicate our nation once again to God on Easter Sunday," she said.

Magtoto has authored a book detailing how the prayers of her movement have spared Pampanga from various calamities since the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. — Ding Cervantes