I wish our Phippino friends are OK. I am very sorry for the people that lost their lives in this disaster.

I concur, I hope our members and their families are safe.

I've been to the P-I many many times, I pray that the people I've met and love are safe. I also pray that the people that I haven't met are safe as well, its a wonderfull culture and the people there are so important to our global communinty.

God Bless you all, and be safe will ya?

John

Hello,

There was indeed a massage landslide in the Philippines. It buried an entire farming village named Guinsaugon. Around 1,500 to 2,000 are missing, hundreds are dead. There were only 117 survivors found as of present and rescue teams are hoping that they would find more. Local officials say that up to 3,000 people may be buried in the landslide.

The landslide occured in the southern part of Leyte, one of the major islands in the Philippines.

Geologists say that the landslide was caused by the heavy accumulation of rainwater. It has been raining non-stop in the Philippines for a week.

An entire school of children are buried because it was a class day. There was also a celebration...I think it was an anniversary or an opening of a health center. They never knew what hit them.

Those who were alive under the ground and who have cellphones are trying to send SMS messages to rescuers. So far, the SMS messages have stopped.

REscue workers found it very difficult to dig the people out. The ground is so soft that digging must be done by hand. Heavy equipment cannot be used. The mountainside and the ground itself is still very unstable. According to recent reports, they can only dig near the surface. Going further might create a cave-in.

This is a very sad event in our country. I'm praying for them.

Please pray for the safety of the rescue workers, for the lives of those who are still alive but trapped, and for internal peace of those who have perished.

Angela