L-R: Rose Velecina, Msgr. Tony Dumaual, Sr. Frances Mangabat, SDS, Tang Catangcatang, Mayee Abear-Marzan, Ben Cruz and Sr. Mila SIngap, FLP

The Task Force SOS of SPI held their regular meeting last February 1 to 2 in Hermosa, Bataan. The venue was hosted by Msgr. Tony Dumaual of St. Peter Verona, Diocese of Balanga. The meeting focused on the election modules that could be offered to parishes to complement the Voter’s Education modules available from PPCRV. The modules are designed to reflect the principle of stewardship that every voter should be guided by in participating meaningfully in the coming election.

The TF members were also able to meet with the BEC leaders of the parish when Msgr. Dumaual arranged for a dinner with them in one of the remote barangays. It was a meaningful sharing of their struggles and successes in gradually building BECs or KRISMA. Msgr. Tony was very instrumental in the direction and phase of the organizing because of his long experience of establishing BECs in other parishes since the 70s.

Kuya Ben leading the opening prayer

Msgr. Tony Dumaual

Sr. Mila Singap, FLP

the delightful dishes prepared for us

meeting the BEC leaders

dinner together

the Level 1 and Level 2 graduates with Richard Vergara, Sr. Sally Alagon,CB and & Sr. Agnes Suarin, CB

For the third time, SPI’s Adult Literacy Program has produced a new batch of graduates. Twenty-three Muslim women completed the four-month course on literacy facilitated by Sr. Agnes Suarin, CB. The graduation was held on January 28 at the Sabakan Function Hall, San Jose District, Pagadian City. Merriam Cantillo, organizer and second liners Julie Hawani and Laling Aliyan all contributed to making this a significant event for the women.

The Adult Literacy Program is part of SPI’s Interfaith Program–Building Peace Communities in Pagadian City in partnership with Ummah Fi Salam.

Sultan Maguid Maruhom gives an inspiring message

Sr. Agnes Suarin, CB

with Ms. Vicky of DSWD

volunteers Rasma & Julie with Sr. Agnes, CB

L-R: Sr. Agnes, CB, Rasma, Merriam Cantillo (organizer for Leon Kilat), Leah (UFS and Pagadian Press Club), Sr. Sally, CB

SHEC (Saint Hannibal Empowerment Center), Malibay, Pasay

Founded by the Rogationists, the SHEC aims to empower the poorest of the poor in collaboration with the local Church by addressing issues housing, livelihood, education, health, environment and sanitation, justice and peace, youth formation and values formation. Fr. Dexter Prudenciano, RCJ, Executive Director and Fr. Orville Cajigal, RCJ together with some leaders welcomed the seminarians in the communities they are orgnaizing. The seminarians witnessed the different programs, as well as the housing projects for the people they are now enjoying and taking care of.  At the end of the visits around the areas, Fr. Orville gave them a short input on the Third Look at Jesus by the late Fr. Carlos Abesamis, SJ to contextualize the work of the church with the poorest of the poor.

www.shecrog.org

Fr. Orville Cajigan, RCJ

After this final exposure, the seminarians headed back to the seminary for the processing of their experiences, insights and feelings of the whole week.

COPE (Community Organization of Philippines Enterprise Foundation, Inc.)

On the morning of the third day, the seminarians visited the office of COPE in Cubao, Quezon City. They were given an overview of the urban poor situation in the Philippines and what projects this NGO, headed by Ms. Jocelyn Vicente-Angeles are implementing. In the afternoon, the seminarians proceeded to some communities in Maricaban, Pasay City which are currently organized by COPE for possible relocation.

cope.org.ph

Saint Dominic Savio Parish, Mandaluyong City

In the parish, the seminarians were given an overview of the key thrusts and programs which are Spirituality of stewardship and BEC (Basic Ecclesial Communities). They went around the communities where BECs are organized and met with the key leaders there. Fr. Monch Aldana, SDB, Parish Priest and the BEC workers hosted them for an overnight stay with the families.

the seminarians with their Formator, Fr. Joey Martin (1st from left)

Fr. Monch Aldana, SDB, Parish Priest

The SPI facilitated the 5-day exposure program of the St. Jean Marie Vianney Class of San Carlos Seminary in Guadalupe, Makati City last January 18 to 22. The exposure, which is part of their Pastoral-Spiritual Integration Year aims to make them aware of the social realities and how the church and the Catholic faith interact and responds to these situations.

The program includes visits to urban poor communities, introduction to parish and BEC and socio-pastoral programs and orientations on the programs and activities of NGOs and religious groups. The last day concludes with a final processing of their experiences.

Christ, King of the Universe Parish, Bagbag, Novaliches

The seminarians visited some communities that were badly affected by Typhoon Ondoy. They met the families whose houses have been damaged by the tragedy. These households are curently assisted by the parish, headed by Fr. Jun de Peralta, Parish Priest in reconstructing their homes using light materials donated by DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee ) through SPI, COPE and Christian Aid London. At the moment of their visit, the families were attending a seminar-workshop on the Spirituality of  Stewardship as part of the formation component of the aid given them.

to the community with Fr. Jun de Peralta, Parish Priest

www.cope.org.ph

www.dec.org.uk

www.christianaid.org.uk

the participants in a focus group discussion

On January 18, 20 and 21, parishioners of Christ, King of the Universe Parish (CKUP) in Bagbag, Novaliches attended  half-day workshops on Spirituality of Stewardship. This is part of the formation-seminar intended for the victims of the typhoon Ondoy who received housing assistance from DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee) through the partnership with Christian Aid, COPE and SPI. The seminars focused on their strengths and challenges as they continually surpass the effects of the tragedy. Fr. Jun de Peralta, CKUP’s parish priest, emphasized the significance of formation programs to complement the assistance extended to these communities. Sessions like these provide venues for people to reflect and to look into their faiths especially right after a very difficult period.

Some of the participants reminisced the tragic event with tears and remorse, while most shared the human spirit within themselves and in their communities as they went beyond the ordinary to overcome fear and help others survive. For them, it was a turning point for appreciating life, for strengthening their faith in God and for reflecting on the ways people have treated the environment.

To date, a total of 350 households from the communities of Dona Tomasa, California Riverside, Oro Compound, Bicol Compound and Francisco Compound were given light housing materials by DEC. About 429 more households are expected to receive their materials in the coming weeks.  The Habitat for Humanity also assisted 100 beneficiaries from California Riverside and California Riverside Extension.

www.dec.org.uk

www.christianaid.org.uk

the participants in a focus group discussion

Our very dear Board Member, Fr. Luciano “Nonong” Pili celebrated his 61st birthday last January 7 at the St. Joseph Formation House where he is currently the rector. Close friends came and shared their memories and significant experiences about their friendships with Fr. Nonong and Fr. Froilan Rivera, the spiritual director who also celebrated his birthday on January 6.  It was indeed a night of gratitude and celebration of life.

Pads with Leny Lopez-Dee and family

L-R: Fr. Froilan, Fr. Aye, Fr. Nonong and Fr. Andy

Jose Clemente and Maguid Maruhom attended in December 2009, an interfaith conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia organized by Georgetown University’s Berkley Center and the World Faiths Development Dialogue.  This workshop-consultation was to discover “the role of faith-inspired practitioners and organizations on issues of global development and equity in Southeast Asia.”

After the conference Joey and Maguid visited the Genocide Museum, S21. In the link below, please read Joey’s personal account of  his visit there.

Go to Genocide Museum, Phnom Penh

December 17. Christmas is being with.

Before the date, I was planning to give the Adult Literacy women students something for Christmas though I know that they are Muslims.  Deep in my heart, I know that Christmas is not only an exclusive celebration for Christians.  So, with the help of some sponsors, I managed to gather some gifts and gave them to the women, at the same time conducted a  feeding activity for their children. It was a wonderful day with the mothers helping cook the food for the children and afterward eating lunch together!

December 18. The Joy of Innocence.

After the exposure of some students from the Immaculate Heart Academy, Dumalinao (see earlier post), and the insights on how limited playing is for the children at Leon Kilat, my superior suggested to invite some of the children to join the Christmas party. It was amazing how the students from IHA accommodated the Muslim children just to make them feel at home. It was my dream to see the children play, run and jump as much as they want without fear or danger as they have in their bamboo stilt bridges back home. As the time came for them to go home, the students waved to them from the school gate, and hopefully, young as they are, waved their biases goodbye and opened the doors for peaceful understanding as sisters and brothers as well.

Sr. Agnes Suarin, CB is an SPI staff based in Pagadian City. She is in charge of the Adult Literacy Program for the Muslim Women.

“Be conscious of the environmental situation and cooperate in every activity that protect nature.” is one of the deep insights that students for the Immaculate Heart Academy in Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur shared after their exposure on December 2 at Leon Kilat, a Muslim Community in Pagadian City. As it was feeding day in the community when they arrived, they were able to experience assisting the women volunteers as well as interacting with the children. Heading towards the classroom by walking and crawling on the narrow bamboo bridges proved to be a challenge. The amount of garbage they saw was equally disturbing. The whole experience became an opportunity for the students to reflect on how the urban poor live, where they get their livelihood, where the children play and basically, how the families survive. But they also felt the warm accommodation of the people despite their poverty.

In class the following morning, they shared more reflections:

• the exposure was an eye opener on the situation of other people outside and beyond their own communities
• they should lessen their complaints in their own families because the situation of the people in Leon Kilat is much worse
• they should be more sensitive when they demand from their parents and think of those children who have nothing even playgrounds
• they should be aware of how their parents strive and work hard to make them comfortable and satisfied
• they are very thankful for the experiencing the short but challenging exposure

December 1, 2009, Pagadian City. A Forum for Peace was conducted by Ummah Fi Salam and the Interfaith Forum in partnership with the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society at Camila Hotel. The forum aimed to:

• ventilate apprehensions and doubts on the peace negotiation process;
• instill consciousness on the comprehensive peace initiatives;
• develop critical analysis on Mindanao situation;
• draw sensible ideas on the current issues; and
• appreciate the Tri-people’s aspirations for peace in Mindanao.

Speakers include Prof. Rudy Rodil for the MOA-AD controversy. He was a former member of the GRP Peace Negotiating Panel. Prof. Aboud Syed Lingga, Executive director of the Institute of Bangsamoro Studies discussed “Alternatives to MOA-AD.” Guiamel Alim, Chairperson of the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil society talked about  “Bangsamoro Development Agenda.”

The activity which was part of the celebration of the Mindanao Week of Peace was attended by people from different sectors, academe, military, PNP, civil society groups, church, moro communities, human rights defenders among others.

As part of the celebration of the Mindanao Week of Peace, the coastal communities of Ummah Fi Salam initiated a clean-up drive in Barangays Dumagoc, Sta. Lucia, Santiago and San Pedro. The different schools, military, local police, the barangay workers and members of the religious groups and civil society organizations participated in this event.

With black shirts and white candles, the Interfaith Forum for Solidarity and Peace expressed solidarity with the journalists in Pagadian City in condemning the brutal massacre in Maguindanao last November 23 which claimed more than 50 lives.

by Leah Agonoy, PRO Ummah Fi Salam, Pagadian City

In a candle lighting conducted by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Zamboaga del Sur and Pagadian City Press Club, Inc. and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas last November 30, priests headed by Fr. Felix Tigoy and Fr. Dan O’Malley together with Muslims headed by Sultan Maguid Maruhom and members of the interfaith forum lighted candles with the local journalists in the city in front of the City Hall.

“The civil society groups and the interfaith forum is in solidarity with the media in condemning this act and in crying for justice,” says Sultan Maguid Maruhom, Muslim convener of the Interfaith Forum.

He added that with the international pressure on the government right now, claiming justice for the victims is visible. Maruhom also said that “there must be a conspiracy in the conduct of the massacre as this could not be done by a single person and I think that we have to demand that all those involved be arrested.”

KBP Regional Chairperson Alejandro Gesta in his talk said that the incident in Maguindanao shocked the whole media industry, but the same tragedy made the media even stronger to stand for truth and justice.

“Let us all pray that here in Pagadian no incident such as that in Maguindanao would happen here,” Gesta added.

In the said activity which is part of the celebration of Mindanao Week of Peace , student-journalists from the different high schools in the city also attended the event.

A welcome and thanksgiving activity was organized on November 26, the scheduled arrival in Pagadian City of Fr. Mick Sinnot. The activity was well attended by different groups. Governor Aurora Cerilles attended in behalf of the Crisis Management Committee. Different Muslims organizations in the province, church groups, NGOs and POs and students from various schools also participated. Experiences that deepened the relationship between Christians and Muslims were shared.

The special children of Hangop Kabataan Foundation, also founded by Fr. Mick shared a dance number. Though Fr. Mick failed to arrive, due to a prohibition by his medical doctor, he was able to deliver his message to the crowd via phone.