Concerned leaders of Hawai'i's Filipino community gathered last night to discuss ways to help those devastated by the massive mudslide that buried a Philippine village.

Philippine Consul General Ariel Abadilla said his office has received many calls and e-mails from residents here, but no one has said that a relative is among the victims.

Abadilla used last night's meeting, which he set up weeks ago to introduce himself to local Filipino leaders, to tap their expertise on how to best aid the mudslide victims. Abadilla took over as consul general on Dec. 8 and hosted the meeting at the Philippines consulate in Nu'uanu.

He said he was shocked when he heard of the latest natural disaster to hit the Philippines.

"The burden on the Philippine people and the Filipino economy, when we are having and surviving and overcoming certain economic problems, and this adds to the concerns of the government," Abadilla said.

O'ahu resident Glicerio Goo is from the island of Leyte and still has family there, but he said that he didn't believe any of his relatives were in the devastated part of the island.

Goo said, however, that he is concerned because he has not heard from anyone since the mudslide hit.

Like Goo, Ben Sanchez has family that came from Leyte and he also doesn't believe any relative was affected. Regardless, Sanchez said he went to last night's meeting to provide as much help as he could.

Sanchez is the past president of the Congress of Visayan Organizations, which represents people from the Visayas, one of the three island groups in the Philippines and the one that includes Leyte island.

"We all should help out. We should share our resources (with) the less fortunate people," Sanchez said.

"It doesn't matter what region you came from, we are all Filipino and we are all human beings and we should help each other," he said.

Abadilla said aid from the U.S. military will be welcomed by the Manila government. Some U.S. forces were already in the Philippines participating in a training exercise with Philippine forces when the disaster happened.

"This is another fortunate coincidence in an unlucky event," Abadilla said.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.