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Super Typhoon Kammuri Ravaged the Philippines, Operation Blessing Brings Relief and Hope This Christmas Season

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LUZON, Philippines - Super Typhoon Kammuri slammed into the Philippines' biggest island of Luzon bringing torrential rains and fierce winds, uprooting trees, knocking down electric posts and destroying many houses.

Ruel Paunil was inside their house when cyclone winds ripped the roof off their house and swept the rest of it into the flooded rice fields. 

"I was also swept away with our house in the gushing floodwaters. It is painful to see that everything that my wife and I worked for from the little we earn, all disappeared in an instant," Paunil told CBN News

Paunil's wife, Melanie, says she is concerned that they do not have enough food to eat because their crops were also damaged. 

"My husband does not have work now because all his crops were damaged by the floodwaters," she said. "There are days when we only eat rice and soy sauce.  I just laugh it out because I don't want my children to feel sad too."

Paunil said that they have accepted what happened to them. He gathered materials from the debris that are still useful and patched them together to give shelter for his family. 

Typhoon Kammuri also lashed the nearby island of Capul. Twenty-fiver percent of the houses were totally damaged. Yolanda Magdaraog can't hold back her tears as she narrated how the typhoon flattened their house. 

"I was so frightened I didn't know what to do when the typhoon struck. I was shocked to see our house totally destroyed. And all the merchandise in my convenience store scattered all over the place," she said.

Despite the long distance, CBN's Operation Blessing brought much-needed food and encouragement to the Paunil family, Magdaraog and thousands of other typhoon victims.  

Sacks of rice were loaded on a boat to bring to the island of Capul where they distributed relief goods to about 700 families who were affected by the typhoon."

"I was really surprised by what Operation Blessing gave us because now we have food to eat. And my children can drink milk. Thank you very much. You have reminded us that in the midst of the hardships we face, we can still be happy and celebrate Christmas," Melanie said.   

If you would like to help Operation Blessing in its efforts to help those in need, click here.

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About The Author

Lucille
Talusan

Lucille Talusan is the Asia Correspondent for CBN News.