Caritas Manila led the rebuilding project. "The people were really happy and others became emotional that after some months, their churches were rebuilt again".

Manila (AsiaNews/CBCP) - More than 30 places of worship that were severely damaged by typhoon Yolanda last year are now ready to offer services again. Most of the churches and chapels are located in Samar and Leyte, the islands most affected by the natural disaster.

 "The people were really happy and others became emotional that after some months, their churches were rebuilt again," Fr Emerson Luego, Caritas Manila in-charge for Visayas and Mindanao said.

Planned by Caritas Manila, the rebuilding project started in early 2014 and sought to restore at least 38 damaged churches and chapels for community use.

Fr Luego said the target is to finish repair of churches in the archdiocese of Palo and the dioceses of Borongan and Calbayog before November this year.

The funding for the project, he said, came from the Bahay Pari Cooperative, plus P20 million (US$ 450,000) in proceeds from the 'Rise! Rebuilding from the Ruins Concert' held last June.

• philippines
• church
• reconstruction
• yolande
• typhoon