Organizers of the 12 Association of Southeast Asian Nations an East Asian Summits are lavishing nuns in Cebu City, Philippines with eggs and other goodies to ask them to pray to heaven for good weather this week.

The Philippines abruptly canceled the twin summits last month and blamed the approaching typhoon, which eventually missed the venue, for the postponement. Now local officials do not want a repeat of the cancellation and are asking nuns to pray for divine intervention for a good weather.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, whose province will host the summits starting Thursday, said it was local tradition to offer eggs to the Carmelite Sisters to seek their intercession.

Garcia said, "If you have a special petition, you go to the Carmelites. There were a lot of people who offered eggs. We sent them some groceries and goodies, fun food to pray."

Intermittent heavy rains have been pelting Cebu this week, forcing local officials to turn to the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, an order founded in the 12th century whose special focus is on contemplative prayer.

The Carmelites has a special place in the nation's history as former president Corazon Aquino sought sanctuary at a Carmelite monastery in Cebu in 1986 before she was swept to power through a People Power revolt.

But officials admit that they gave the nuns some eggs last month, too, and the summits were still postponed.

The governor said, "God answers our prayers in the ways that He sees fit."