According to news from Manila, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared on Monday that Friday , January will be a National Day of Mourning for the thousands of victims. Christians and Muslims will gather on that day to pray for the tsunami victims. After tsunami disaster, thousands of refugees are homeless. Those who escaped unharmed are living without electricity, drinking water, and food. The death toll is expected to approach 150,000.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stated that she will lead the day of prayer in solidarity with neighboring Asian countries affected by the tsunami disaster.
In the meanwhile, dioceses across the Philippines have been collecting money and supplies for the disaster areas. The contributions will be channeled through the Bishops Conference of the Philippines (BCP)National Secretariat for Social Justice and Peace. Through the organization, the aid relief will send to the different Asian dioceses tsunami affected areas.
The president will attend the donors' conference in Jakarta on Thursday. For this special conference, many world leaders will attend, including heads of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). She will meet to coordinate the massive relief operations for the tsunami-ravaged countries.
