The Department of charity and social service of the diocese of the Philippines and Vietnam, with its center in Tagaytay, publishes almost daily reports on its activities on the Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/ROC.Charity.Philippines/

Under quarantine, it’s difficult but very topical to assure the work of feeding programs for poor people in every parish, especially in Mindanao. Thanks to donations, we were able to restart children’s programs that also feed poor mothers and the elderly. In addition, donations were used to pay for medical expenses for parishioners.
Assistance is also being provided for the construction of a school for mountain tribes on Mindoro island.
In October and November, several powerful typhoons hit the Northern Philippines, injuring tens of thousands of people. The Department provided material assistance to victims in the provinces of Batangas, Quezon and Cavite.

There are many interesting people among us with a good set of useful knowledge. I’m sure that children would be interested in talking to them and learning something about the country where they have lived most of their lives (Vietnam); how to give first aid to themselves and each other; how to drive ships; how to make interesting videos; about music, mathematics, physics, chemistry, Russian, English and Vietnamese, plants, nutrition, maybe even honey!
Yesterday, November 13, a meeting was held in the refectory of our church for children and everyone. It was conducted by our parishioner – Maxim Chekmarev, translator of the office of JV Vietsovpetro.
Everyone listened with interest, asked questions, ate fruit and drank tea!

On November, 12, in the midst of the strongest for 11 years rainfall, in the Christ the Saviour parish in Tagaytay the blessing of the chapel bell was performed. The bell had been brought earlier from Russia.

The ceremony was held by the Secretary of the Philippino- Vietnamese diocese hieromonk Korniliy (Molev) who is paying a visit to the parish, and the rector of the parish priest David Grubbs.

Let every breath praise the Lord!

November 4 is the feast of the Kazan icon of the Mother of God. In Vietnam, Vung Tau is a patronal holiday.
On the eve of the holiday, a all-night vigil was served, and a Liturgy in the morning. In the evening – the akathist to the most Holy Theotokos. After the evening service, the parish celebrated its patronal holiday with a tea party.

Today, the Iveron parish in Manila celebrated the Patronal feast, moved from October 26. The history of the Iveron icon of the Mother of God is connected with the history of iconoclasm, condemned by the 7th Ecumenical Council, whose memory is also celebrated today.
With the Philippines now second in Southeast Asia in terms of coronavirus infections, the quarantine in Manila is still quite strict: temple occupancy is allowed at 30%, and children are still prohibited to attend services.
After the Divine Liturgy, the parishioners prayed for the safe journey of our regent Roman to the Jordanville monastery (ROCOR, USA). We pray that the Lord will grant him the kind of spiritual experience that can only be obtained in the most famous Orthodox monastery in America.