Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish – Real St., Tacloban City

The Perpetual Help Parish, otherwise known as the Redemptorist Parish, was erected on August 16, 1967. The first Parish Priest was Fr. Flan Daffy with Fr. Thomas Falkner as his assistant. The parish consisted of the present area plus the territory covered by San Jose and V&G areas.

The first major undertaking of the new parish was a socio-economic survey conducted by the Asian Social Institute under the abled leadership of Fr. Seden, OFM. The survey report was submitted in May, 1968.

The report indicated that Tacloban City lacks the social basis for community building. there are divisive factors that inhibit the establishment of genuine Christian communities. One is the cultural differences between the Cebuanos of Western Leyte and the Warays of Eastern Leyte. There was also a vivid manifestation of individualism starting in the family and extending itself to various community organizations. An absence of the service motive to the community.

The survey indicated the existence of a vicious circle of socio-economic insecurity and individualism. Socio-economic insecurity breeds individualism on both the individual and social levels, which in turn prevents the geographical community from becoming a true and viable community. In this way, poverty and individualism are marked features of the community.

The survey recommended that the new parish can best contribute to the development of Tacloban City and its people by integrating Evangelization, Social Action and traditional religious practices. The parish then set as its objective: to build a Christian community whose oneness is clearly manifested in worship, service and education.

Since then, programs embodying this vision were initiated to combat poverty and individualism. Thus, the Credit Union and the Consumer’s Cooperative were set up. Class sessions were held for mothers, giving them instruction on child-rearing and family  care. This program branched out into cottage industries and health services. All of these were integrated through liturgical celebrations, catechetical instructions and Family Life seminars.

Later, these activities were merged into the Archdiocesan MAKAPAWA program. And since many illnesses were found to be the result of poverty, the parish set up, as its most recent effort, and Income Generating Program. This program provides money, on a loan basis, for people who have skills but lack the necessary capital. In this way the parish is trying to help some 200 families to get more income and so have a better life.

Over the years a spacious Social Hall was constructed. It is home to all parish organizations, activities and programs. This facility had been a big help in continuing the pastoral programs and activities of thee parish.

Perpetual Help Parish is proud to have given birth to two daughter parishes: Our Lady of Lourdes (V&G) in 1983, and San Jose in 1986. The present Catholic Directory gives the population of Perpetual Help Parish as 17,480. The new parish of San Jose takes to over 7,000 of these, so that the present population of Perpetual Help Parish is around 10,000.