Christian icon to be placed under water in 'Yolanda'-hit Leyte

TACLOBAN CITY, Oct. 13  -- A proposal has been made to give the annual commemoration of Super Typhoon Yolanda’s devastation a more spiritual and environmental meaning by placing images of St. Medard along the coasts where the typhoon wreaked the most havoc in 2013.

St. Medard of Noyon, a sixth-century bishop in France, is the patron saint for protection from bad storms. Legend has it that as a child, he was sheltered from the rain by an eagle hovering over him.

Leyte Vice Governor Carlo Loreto said on Thursday the plan is to place the icons under water where a storm surge occurred during the Nov. 8, 2013 disaster.

“Divers are due to come next week to pinpoint a good location for these (icons),” Loreto disclosed.

Proposed areas for the project are the coastal towns of Palo, Tanauan, Tolosa and other areas flattened by the typhoon.

However, for Tanauan town, the icon shall be put up in a town junction facing the sea, the vice governor said.

He added that while many natural disasters are unavoidable, some of them are linked to human activities, and hence to environmental stewardship.

He said extreme natural disasters continue to occur nowadays and these devastating events always take a toll on human life, whether through immediate devastation and destruction or through their crippling impact on food production and ecological systems.

“The yearly commemoration of the ‘Yolanda’ devastation should have more meaning, impact in that we should take care of our environment and strengthen our spiritual faith,” Loreto said.

While efforts for the commemoration are more on the “physical side”, he said strength of spirit and prayers are far more essential.

In the long run, these areas where the icons of St. Medard will be placed can be promoted for pilgrimage tourism, according to the vice governor. (ACR/PNA)