MANILA, Philippines—Jehovah’s Witnesses launched a massive construction effort following Super Typhoon Haiyan to repair or rebuild almost 750 homes in less than one year.

Dean Jacek, a spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Philippines, explains: “We set a goal of completing the work by September 2014. Building work began early in the first part of the year and, with the help of so many volunteers, the construction was completed before the end of August.”

The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses allocated donations sent by fellow worshippers from around the world to fund the relief project. The Witnesses’ branch office in Manila established relief committees to organize the rebuilding work in the affected areas. This included the repair or complete reconstruction of 167 homes in Tacloban City, 256 homes in Ormoc City, 101 homes in Cebu City, and 218 homes in Roxas City. A volunteer workforce, made up of 522 Witnesses from the Philippines and 90 Witnesses from other countries, participated in the work.

Mr. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, representative of the First District of Leyte, observed: “The Jehovah’s Witnesses were one of the first non-government groups to undertake a house-rebuilding initiative. . . . Words cannot fully express the appreciation and gratitude of my family and our people.”

Media Contact(s):

International: J. R. Brown, Office of Public Information, tel. +1 718 560 5000

Philippines: Dean Jacek, tel. +63 2 411 6090