Government awards Jehovah’s Witnesses for relief efforts following fire in Lapasan, CDO

Where the ashes and burnt wood still jut out from many houses razed by the big fire in Puntod, Lapasan, a religious group quickly organized to provide disaster relief—Jehovah’s Witnesses. Their efforts to provide immediate relief supplies and rebuild homes was recognized and awarded by local officials.

On February 12, this year, a massive fire broke out in this seaside settlement of St. John, Barangay Puntod. By the time the Bureau of Fire declared the conflagration under control 41 minutes later, 64 families with 222 persons were rendered homeless.

Arnel Salape, spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses in North Mindanao, explains “disasters afford Jehovah’s Witnesses the opportunity to show Christian love to others by means of their relief ministry.”

A disaster relief committee (DRC), an organized relief movement of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was formed on Feb. 14 to care for the fire victims. The DRC arranged hundreds of fellow congregants to volunteer in this relief work, which including providing relief supplies and repairing and rebuilding homes.

Witness relief volunteers stand in front of a duplex they are rebuilding.

Recognizing the relief efforts of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the barangay council presented the volunteers with a plaque. In a simple ceremony, Hon. Alexis Dacer, Barangay Chairman of Puntod, spoke to the families and presented the plaque. It read: “the unconditional benevolent act in helping the families of fire victims for rebuilding the houses with the spirit of volunteerism and likewise for actively responding to the call of the local government of barangay Puntod to extend flexible assistance thereat.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses are recognized by their house-to-house evangelizing and portable cart displays in public areas. Yet, when disasters strike, part of their worship is to participate in the “relief ministry.” The free Bible education work and the relief work are just a few of the ways they contribute to the communities in which they live. Their official website, jw.org, provides more information about who they are and what they do.