"Our faith is stronger than any problem or any calamities," he said.
CBCP News reported that bishops were coordinating with government agencies in disaster relief, and quoted Archbishop John Du of Palo as saying Nov. 7 that he had reminded his flock to take practical measures, such as "to secure candles, flashlights, water and non-perishable food products."
Bishop Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon had "declared 'safe areas' to serve as evacuation centers and already prepared food items for relief operations," and required his priests to reinforce their parish buildings.
Catholic Relief Services is in the Philippines to assist with disaster response, mobilizing resources to help the government in the most affected areas. Greg Auberry, the organization's regional director, said Nov. 7 they were moving tarps to Cebu to provide shelter for 8,000 families.
Typhoon Haiyan could be the strongest storm in recorded history, CNN reported. The typhoon is the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane, with sustained winds of 195 miles per hour and gusts as strong as 235 miles per hour. Four people have been reported killed by the storm already.
The strong winds have led to flash flooding and landslides, and destroyed many homes and other buildings. Some areas saw 45-foot floods and more than 15 inches of rain, according to the BBC, which also reported that this was the 25th tropical storm to hit the Philippines in just this year.
The country is still recovering from a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.2, which hit the central islands of Cebu and Bohol on Oct. 15, causing more than 100 deaths and reducing local churches and houses to rubble.
"The pain of another disaster is devastating," Auberry said.
Kevin J. Jones is a senior staff writer with Catholic News Agency. He was a recipient of a 2014 Catholic Relief Services' Egan Journalism Fellowship.