The Rubble of Old San Rafael the Archangel Church

The sad event that pulverized most of the centuries-old churches in Bohol and Cebu last Tuesday, October 15, 2013 calls to mind the collapse of San Rafael Parish Church on June 14, 1990. Not to be taken as of equal weight with those declared National Cultural Treasures, the total destruction of the Balete Church by a 6.3 earthquake that jolted the Panay Island more than a decade ago has afforded the faithful of Balete a new face for their Catholicity.

The rubble of a ruined Balete Church, June 1990

With the new structure forming as part of the facade of the Baleten-on community, the younger generations are without clue of the rubble underneath the modernized plaza of the Balete Church. Children of today are robbed of the pastime of pulverizing chips of bricks that toddlers of old used to polish their nails. Blocks of bricks and broken coral stones were everywhere in the vicinity of the St. Rafael Church and the convent. Old folks used to tell that they were remnants of the older St. Rafael Church that was destroyed by a strong earthquake or (by burning--the town of Balete was laid to waste during the Filipino-American War) during the American time. The ruins were eventually demolished on the order of the local ordinary when the Church of Kalibo was rebuilt with the supplemental blocks of bricks and coral stones from Balete forming an integral part thereof.

The Church of Balete in 1890, with belfry and convento all in light materials.

Without a church, a broken community farther besieged by pockets of skirmished was more of a burden to the new masters. The authorities so decided that the religious and civil affairs thereto were routed back to Batan. Only sometime in 1939 when a concrete church was constructed that the parish of St. Rafael the Archangel was reestablished with then Rev. Fr. Paterno Valguna as its parish priest. Precisely that the parish archive holds records of baptismal, wedding and death only beginning November 1939 up to present. Beyond that, one has to refer to Batan Parish or that of Banga for those proximate to that particular parish.

The new church stands (Photo, courtesy of Charms Dear)

The new church building now stands silently witnessing the multi-faceted activities taking place in a fast changing Baleten-on community. At its appointed time as in days of old, it tolls its bells to invite the parishioners to cease awhile and turn their attention to the divine. It tolls its bells to convey solemnly that a faithful has gone ahead to join the venerable dead in a new heaven and a new earth beyond the now congested public cemetery.

In Memoriam: Rodolfo M. Arreza, OSA and the Revisiting of the History of Balete

My mentor and confessor, Fr. Rudy Arreza, OSA woke me up early today. Don't get me wrong. Fr. Rudy is long dead. As a matter of fact, today (October 11) is his second death anniversary. But it is true that he woke me up around three o'clock in the morning today.

Here lies the remains of Fr. Rudy
Rolling Hills Memorial Park, Bacolod City
(Photo, courtesy of Fr. Pederito Aparece, OSA)

I went to sleep early last night. I was tired of the long day that passed. Yet I managed to say the Compline before I hit the bed. Now that thing is unusual. (But that is going out of the topic) My sleep was however deep and restful, at least, initially. For by three o'clock, the slumber was interrupted by the barking of my dogs. Perhaps some fisherfolks are passing by, I reasoned out, or perhaps, some bearcats are on the prowl again, hunting for ripe Rambutan. So I tried to go back to sleep. Then, slowly, he wandered into my mind--Fr. Rudy.   

I have maintained that it was no coincident that I found my way to Bacolod City on October 11, 2011. As I was riding the bus early on that day, I was already wondering of the whereabouts of my dear Fr. Arreza. I had lost contact with my Augustinian brethren since the time I left the seminary in 1993. But Fr. Rudy and Fr. Raymond (Alcayaga) managed to contact me through my parish priest (Msgr. Pedro Frac) when they stayed at Aklan College (now Aklan Catholic College) for the Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) West Visayan Collegiate Games sometime in February of 2008.  In July of 1998, Fr. Rudy was gracious in assisting me at the University of San Agustin in doing research about local history. He was aware that Balete had no credible history that can stand scholarship. He vouched for me before the suspicious librarian who was reluctant in lending me those rare books (Perez' Catalogo Bio-Bibliografico [1901] and Hipoloto's Estados de los Pueblos [1919]). He was happy to give me some advice on how to do about my research and which libraries I have to consult. Back in the seminary, he was my el terrible Latin and Spanish instructor. More importantly, he was my confessor. Precisely that as he lay dying on October 11, 2011, our thoughts and spirits were in communion and his guided mine to be present during the funeral mass in his honor at the Colegio de San Agustin Chapel in Bacolod City a couple of days later.

A tarpaulin along the hallway besides CSA Chapel, thanking Fr. Rudy.
The caption below was said to be the words of Fr. Rudy upon realizing that he
was confined at the hospital.

Two years after, he reminded me again of his legacy. So I spend this day in silence and recollection and of paying a visit to the dead in my neighborhood. Later today, I hope to set foot in the cemetery to light some candles and pay homage to forgotten dead. Yes, I remember you well, my dear Fr. Arreza. Remember me too in our Father's kingdom. 

Ro Tag-dapit sa Hae-o: A Prologue

Ro pilapil paadto sa Matalinhaga nga Daean

Ano pa ron ha.  

Bago pa man naka-obog rong mga conquestadores sa suba it Hae-o, rong katunggan nga makaron hay kilaea sa tawag nga Anao,  hay dati eon nga katilingban. Kato nga tiempo, ro katunggan hay baeay para sa mga nanari-sari nga tinuga, makita man o di makita it atong tawohanon mata. Para sa ratong mga tinuga, rong katunggan hay bukon eang it andang ueoli-an, bukon eang it andang daeangpan. Ro katunggan hay tawaya, bugana para sa pang-adlaw adlaw nga kinahang-ean, matawhay nga paeahuwayan, bunayag nga katilingban it tanan nga tinuga kung Makaako nga Kagamhanan.

Sa ratong may mga galing—mga pinasahi nga nakig-angot sa Tuburan it Makaako, sayod nanda rong himaya nga nakatago sa katunggan. Naka-intiende sanda ko matalinhaga nga pagsinaeayo ku tanang bagay nga una sa tawaya. Ro tanan, makita man o indi, nagahueag man o nakatanum, tag-lugar man o mortal, sanda ron hay may bugay nga kina-iya para sa padayon nga pagbilog it Kabuhi sa ginsakpan kung tubi it Hae-o.  Responsibilidad ko kada isaea nga patigayunon nana rong anang kina-iya kumo ruyon rong rason kon ham-an miembro imaw kung katilingban it matalinhaga rona sa Katunggan. Kamana ku Tag-dapit nga si Mang-it ag Nana Ambit. Ginbugayan sanda it galing pinasahi sa ibang tinuga, may kataas eabaw pa sa kahoy nga Danguea, mabaeahibo nga panit ag kahilig sa pinilipit nga abano.

Suma ay maaeam rong Makaako ngani nga si Mang-it ag Nana Ambit hay kapas magbulig sa ratong maintok nga mga tinuga sa pagtabok sa madaeum nga Hae-o. Sa andang pag-obog sa masueog nga tubi, natus-on nanda rong istuyuti daea eon rong andang pagkabutang agod indi mabasa o mahalitan ku iba unang tinuga sa suba. Daea man ku andang kabahoe ag pinasahi nga baeahibo ag kahilig sa abano, kargo nanda rong pagbantay sa kagab-ihon ku Daean nga Matalinhaga pasueod ag pagwa sa likod nga tawaya rona sa katunggan. 

Para sa tag-lugar, ro Daean nga Matalinhaga hay ordinaryo gid lang nga daean. Ogaling, para sa mortal, matalinhaga gid man ron ay sa pagbutlak it adlaw, indi ron makita. Sa tawohanong mata, ro puertahan kon tan-awon hay isaeang ka Nonok o puno it Tugop. Sa taglugar nga may kina-iya nga manguryoso sa bagay-bagay nga hamuea-in, ro Daean hay bukon it makakaeangay kumo ordinaryo.  Ideya ra ku Makaako eamang nga maproteheran rong kada isaea, taglugar man o mortal.  Ag para sigurado gid, ana nga gintugyan kay Mang-it ag Nana Ambit rong responsibilidad sa pagbantay kara.

Ugaling may mga bes nga masaku ro daywang ka Tag-dapit kapin pa kon gabaha ro Hae-o ag ru tubi hay eatob eon hasta sa mga katipusuan una sa katunggan. Tiempo ra nga nahueat ku mga Tag-suba nga magpuka-puka ag magminalit sa mga ibang tinuga rona sa katunggan. Kumo angid sa mga tawo, madali sanda makig-impon sa mga mortal nga nahanaeang rona sa suba. Kay Mang-it ag Nana Ambit, nagakinahang-ean ra nga sindihan nana rong andang abano para matabog ro mga malit pa-uli sa andang buho sa idaeum it mga tipuso. Ro napaslawan una sa andang buho, nagapanangison eon lang, ro andang owang bati-on sa katunggan, “Koh!, Koh!, Koh!”

Tiempo man ra ku mausisang Tag-lugar nga magwarang pagwa sa Daean nga Matalinhaga paadto sa hil-o it mga tawo. Masaku ro Tag-dapit. Owa it bantay ro Daean. Libre ro Ma-usisa sa pagdiskobre ku hamuea-in nga kalibutan.

Sa hamuea-ing kalibutan, sa katunggan it Anao, ro dalagitang unga it maninikop nga si Kagiyaw hay nag-apas sa pangpang it suba agud hatdan si tatay na it ihapon. Gasalikaeom eon ro hapon ag ro tubi amat-amat nga nagaawas. Sa daeanon, solohanon si Kahamungaya nga nagpanikangon.

Ro payag ku maninikop nga si Kagiyaw

Sa makarang sitwasyon, ro katalinhagaan hay nabaeay. Sa Daean nga Matalinhaga, sa tanang tinuga, nagsub-eang rong kabuhi it Mausisang Tag-lugar ag Kahamungayang Mortal. Rong tanan sa hinali hay nagbalhin. Naghinugyaw rong mga agagangis, nagsiga rong mga aninipot, nagpahumot rong mga saliyaw.  Dayon, rong sugilanon nahanungod sa paghigugmaanan it Tawo ag Engkanto hay nag-umpisa. 

Ano pa ron ha.

Towards New Evangelization

The Call for a Culture of Encounter

   The clergy in the Diocese is responding to the call of Pope Francis to proclaim the Gospel and promote a culture of encounter in their pastoral works. Such call requires a new approach to make all things new.

A New Pastoral Orientation

A new way of doing pastoral works in the parishes is being proposed by no less than than the chairman on Pastoral Ministry, Msgr. Pedro C. Frac. In a schema above, basic ecclesial communities (BEC) take central prominence suggesting a movement originating from the bottom struggling to live up to the promises of a new heaven and a new earth. The movement is focused on new catechism as a new way of doing evangelization.

A New Catechism

  The monsignor has pioneered in the Diocese of Kalibo a community-owned school-based catechetical program. The program, like a mustard seed, is silently thriving and gaining strong support among small communities in the whole municipality of Batan. Without wishing to, it is fast becoming part of the mainstream society that policy makers are giving it a second look. It started small. The parish priest and his coadjutors simply and consistently celebrated the Eucharist in the barrio chapels monthly. Then slowly, they encouraged parents and ordinary teachers to hear masses in schools too. Soon enough the team of three priests finds themselves busy saying masses and attending community and PTA meetings.  At present, each of them has more or less 13 masses a week.

    The communities became articulate. They demanded that the local schools afford their children their right to religious instruction as provided for in the Philippine Constitution. Equally, the ordinary government teachers heeded the call and volunteered themselves as instant catechists. Thus begin the community-initiated school-based catechetical program that the Diocese is now gearing up to replicate in other parishes. At present, the teachers who responded to the call number to about 200 more or less. They have received specialized training from the Institute of Religion of the University of Sto. Tomas (UST-IR) and had been certified by it as professional catechists. They catechized their pupils and students voluntarily as their token of gratitude to the community that have supported them all along and as a response to the call they heard on the "Road to Damascus." 

Its Core Values

• Christ-centric - Jesus of Nazareth inspires us to lead a life of encounter with our fellow human being, giving preference to the least among us. He is our Way, our Truth and our Life. We give witness to his life-message in our day-to-day encounters by constantly reflecting on the Word and meeting him in the market place of life by bearing with one another. BEC is a way of life, our theology of life (cf. Fr. Tito's) where in our brotherhood with Christ Jesus, we encounter each other in our sinfulness and godliness.
• Process oriented - While we hope and pray for a successful implementation of the program, we always maintained that the dynamics of Christian encounter cannot be shortcut. The various ministries are relevant in sustaining the struggles and strengthening the resolve of the members of Ecclesial communities either personally or collectively towards witnessing their vocations. Their pastoral care thus become life-giving, indeed, a sacrament of life initiated both to heal or sustain and to set the human person in service of communion to give witness to the Gospel in the society at large. 
• Community-owned - When communities start owning the things that rightly theirs by the grace of God, the little that we have can be transformed into ordinary yet wonderful miracles of bread multiplying a hundredfold. Generosity flows, that pastors will be comfortable receiving "offerings" or "pledges" from the faithful instead of the typical commercial-like Arancel system of old. The communities pray that God the Father will give them their daily bread and are thankful for receiving such. In return, they open up to be God's instrument in the continuance of his works. 

Simply Grand: My Life on the Zip Line

Be Forewarned: Ride at Your Own Risk!

Diving into a zip line is like getting married. Once you took off, there is no getting back. You have to take the plunge, attend to your fears and leave the rest to the line. Like the married life, the zip line enables you to experience all-in-one, both attraction and dread, the challenge, the excitement, glory, ecstasy, regret, fulfillment.

THE ATTRACTION

Zip line always attracts, just like a pretty face is. But the zip line in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato is an irresistible elfin lady. It towers the Seven Falls that emptied from the lake at an elevation of almost 600 meters. It consists of two stations, the first extends to 700 meters (from Falls No. 1 to Falls No. 5) while the other is 400 meters (from Falls No. 5 to Falls No. 2). The lush vegetation, the panoramic scenery and the enthusiasms of those who queue to take its challenge are more than enough to enchant a restlesshiker like me to try giving into its seduction. So impulsively I decided to dive, attracted at the prospect of having to zip over a breathtaking elevation of more than 1,900 ft.

THE DREAD

The package consisting of two zip lines costs one rider Php. 250.00, cheaper by more than a haft than that in Boracay (Mr. Loho). That one is encouraging. The harness were on and I was positioned for the plunge. Then one of the staff gave a push and I was zooming down fast. I am used to sprinting my bike at 110 km/hr. but not this kind. I seemed to zip at more than 150 km/hr here. My mind was slow to react. It wanted to say stop. It bargained with the zip line, "Hey, I've decided early and impulsively. Can we put a hold on this?" But the line was impervious. My palms were wet and the mind struggled, forced at last to confront its fear.

Wingless though I am, I fly like the eagle

A LEAP OF FAITH

After the dread, came the doubt. My mind wrestled with those unfounded fears. It overcame them only to be assailed by more doubts. What if all hell broke loose? What if the harness or the line itself gave off. Then again, the line beckoned me to be present to the moment. "Hey, you are an eagle now. Use your eyes to see yonder the things only those gifted with flight can behold. Feel the apparent wind caressing your face and allow it to dry your perspiring hands. Spread them out as if your wings. Give in to momentariness by letting go of your dread and doubts. You are on an eagle's wing now."

ALIVE

Giving in to the present moment is a difficult task to achieve. The many distractions technology has gifted mankind make it almost a Sisyphean task to accomplish. But zip line liberated me out of my preoccupations even for a brief passing moment. Having confronted my fears, my angst and doubts, the experience opened up my senses and perceptions to see the world in a brand new light. Suddenly, I felt so much alive. Zipping across the crevice that separates Falls No. 5 to Falls No. 2 was so grand that I heard myself laughing out loud, wowing and howling like an honorable drunk. The air was cool, the canopy of trees below was gaping at my passage. The waterfalls cascaded in symphonic jubilation and a few birds joined me in surveying a vision pure and fair.

FORGETTING, REGRETTING AND WORRYING: THE TOUCHDOWN

As I approached the end of the line, I noticed a photographer framing my expected touchdown. My attention was diverted from the present to that proximate end. The approach was faster than the initial takeoff. Again, I was seized by a frantic dread, a panic it seemed. "How am I to touchdown at this speed?", my mind questioned the line. "I should have not taken this flight in the first place. But here I am, a stupid mule wanting to be an eagle. When will I ever accept my facticity?

I remember a koan. The master asked his disciple, "What is the sound of the clap of one hand?" The unperceptive disciple was unable to answer and got slapped in the process. I got slapped in the process. At 5 meters to the end of the line, something on the pulley atop my harness held my approached all of a sudden. I landed on my legs, now wobbling and shaking exactly at the landing area of Falls No. 2. My mind wondered how did I abruptly stopped and I noticed a rope attached to   the line that served as arrester pulled by a staff positioned about 8 meters immediately before the end of the zip line.

AFTERTHOUGHT: A CELEBRATION

When have I celebrated life? Was giving off birthday bash a celebration of it? Can we qualify our attendance to a christening event, to a graduation ceremony, to a wedding, to an oathtaking a celebration of life?  What about attending a funeral, or a necrological ceremony? Can we say that we are affirming life when we visit the sick in a hospital?

Life in the zip line is a celebration. It is a personal celebration only because I was fully aware of being fully alive for that brief passing moment. It was a wedding and a birthday celebration, a christening, a graduation, an oathtaking. It was funeral as well as a necrological ceremony, even a visitation of the sick, simply because of that awareness to the precious present moment that comes only to but once for a mortal man like me.

The zip line tells me: YOU ARE NOT SUPERMAN. NEEDLESS TO SAY, YOU ARE ALIVE.

Seduced to be God

This piece is also posted in my other blog, "Our Restless Journey"

Pope Francis' commentary on Mark 9:38-40 last Wednesday, May 22, 2013 during the Feast of St. Rita de Casia, OSA, the patron of impossible things, draws much attention in a society that is fast becoming secular. His words were headlines and the next most shared item in social media. Why is that? Sermo humilis? 

The other day, he was talking about the possibility of all men of goodwill entering the Kingdom of God, and he means, "all" including even those who refuse to believe in the existence of God. Yes, my friend! Even if you're an atheist or an agnostic, you can inherit New Heaven and New Earth. The proviso is simple. Do good works. Be good and shun evil. 

Now, this reminds me of a youthful desire brought by an "entanglement" with Sartrean Existentialism. Human reality desires to be God. To Sartre, this is bad faith. Man is deluded to believe that he can be happy in the afterlife. He refused to accept the fact that he is thrown into a world bereft of meaning. Ours, Sartre asserted, is an absurd world, and our existence a nauseating facticity. 

Sartre's Ontological Dilemma

Man is invited to return to freedom. He is asked to be responsible for himself, not to desire to be God but to accept that he is his own god. He must be honest to see things as they are. They are nauseating because they are "de trop", superfluous and meaningless.When, after undergoing "existential psychoanalysis", he starts his journey as a forlorn being-for-itself, man gains lucidity and assume a "positive existence". He now creates meaning where originally there was none. He begins to be responsible for himself, for his actions. He begins to be good, to be his god. 

Such was the seduction Sartre was offering man as an alternative. Yet as a young man, how can he carry the responsibility of being his own god? How can he endure the loneliness of worshiping himself without a community to belong to? How can he meet others and start doing good together? 

The Possibility of Good in Sartrean Philosophy

Atheism is always a lonely path, reserved for the strong and the courageous who care less to be deviant. The believers on the other hand are the lowly, the weak, the fearful, the marginalized, the humble, the contrite of heart, the common man who choose to walk along with his fellowman in the hope of returning home together to the House of the Father. Redemption is indeed offered to all at the cost of the blood of the Lamb. But even then, each and all is asked to choose to inherit Heaven or to be condemned into Hell, be it existential or otherwise. By our standards, this seems impossible. Precisely that Pope Francis prays for the impossible things to happen:

"Today is [the feast of] Santa Rita, Patron Saint of impossible things – but this seems impossible: let us ask of her this grace, this grace that all, all, all people would do good and that we would encounter one another in this work, which is a work of creation, like the creation of the Father. A work of the family, because we are all children of God, all of us, all of us! And God loves us, all of us! May Santa Rita grant us this grace, which seems almost impossible. Amen.”

The Neighbor I Never Met

We could have talked extensively about Martin Heidegger's Being and Time over several cups of coffee and later on exhaust ourselves on Sartre's Existentialism is Humanism over glasses of brandies. We could have philosophized about the quiet flow of the Jal-o River and collected common memories of its songs composed throughout the ages. But our roads were not meant to cross--even if our houses were only a few meters apart.

I knew my neighbor only from third party. And that knowledge came only later when we were no longer neighbors. I befriended some of his brothers and cousins. I was particularly close to his grandmother, Lola Mabing (Mabina Pareñas Feliciano-Cortes). In my childhood, I had the privilege of turning her orchard into my playground with the perks of having to pick up fallen Rambutan and Chicos--in a time when Rambutan was still an exotic tropical fruit. When she and Lola Pining (Crispina Pareñas Feliciano) died in the 70's, La Mabing's daughter, Nay Inday Ida (Ida Feliciano Cortes-delos Reyes) and her family moved into the vacant Cortes ancestral house besides the Rural Health Center. From then on, I got acquainted with the Cortes family but not the philosopher-journalist.

The cloister of San Agustin Center of Studies in Quezon City (Photo, courtesy
of Marcial Barrios)

The late Joy Cortes delos Reyes is one of the few Baleten-ons who have made it into the mainstream society. He was the current Editor-in-Chief of Malaya Business Insight when he succumbed to death on May 4, 2013 in Roxas City at the age of 59. He suffered for a number of years from lung cancer. As ironies would have it, his remains is interned at the Columbary inside the San Agustin Center of Studies at Fisheries St., Visayas Ave. Quezon City, the very seminary I used to call home at one time in my journey. His remains now rest in peace amid the presence of Augustinian friars I used to break bread with while I wander still, restless, along the path I am now treading.

______
Relevant reads concerning my neighbor:

• Vera Files : http://verafiles.org/the-joy-in-the-hearts-and-minds-of-friends/
• http://www.malaya.com.ph/index.php/business/business-news/30212-joy-de-los-reyes-malaya-business-insight-editor-in-chief-59

Those Principales of Balete

By the time Miguel Lopez de Legazpi declared the Philippine islands as a colony of the kingdom of Spain, the barangay or pockets of kingdom throughout the archipelago were assimilated and their datus and families granted the privilege of continuing to govern their respective barangays. Those nobles became the cabezas de barangay (later called Teniente del Barrios) of the barangays and the gobernadorcillos (presidente municipales) of the pueblos or towns and were known then as the principalia.

The principalia were a privilege class as consequence of their nobility. They were exempted from paying tributes (taxes) even as they were allowed to have real property. They were distinguished by the titles they carry, i.e., the Dons and Doñas of the Spanish Philippines and the only ones who can vote or be voted upon as officials of the pueblos as in the case of a local election in May 8, 1893. 

Yet, it can be noted in the later time, the principalias were limited to only those first born males who at one time had served as officials of the pueblos. In Balete for instance, only those with titles "Capitan Pasado" or "Cabeza Actual" participated in the election for gobernadorcillo of May 8, 1893. It seems that they elected from among themselves their new leader in a manner akin to the Cardinals on conclave electing the new pope as can be gleaned from the ballot hereunder. 

Don Nicolas Guanco, a former capitan nominated for the position Gobernadorcillo
Don Eulalio Feliciano as his first choice and Don Romulo Legaspi

The rank of principalias were the easily accessible as they were often mentioned in the manuscripts that have been handed to us. When historian Renato Constantino bewailed about the dearth of written history about the remondatos, he was just stating a fact that the reality about the Philippine history is a history of those principales who later on were referred to as the illustrados. Balete is but a microcosm of this reality of Philippine history. 

Uninspired

Something inside urges me to write something today. I refused on many occasions. I argued that I am not inclined of writing something worthwhile befitting of this journal--err, blog. I prefer reading these days. Yesterday, I grabbed a label of an olive oil and tried hard reading the minute printouts written therein. Today, I visited this site hoping to read something that would interest me. It failed. So I decided to surf from the list in my dashboard and I managed to engage my mind into the gibberish that my fellow ghostwriters were trying to advertise.

Then again, I got tired of tiring myself in indulging into those promotions. What the heck! Why not try Facebook instead, whispered an inner voice. "¿Para que?", my rational mind responded readily. I realized later, I was back at square one as if an automaton writing this hallow words with nothing in mind but the desire of tinkering the keyboard of my computer.

At the back of my mind, something tells me that I have a lot of stories to write for others to read. But it is maybe for lack of discipline and focus or for just having a thought disorder that I got entangled into this frivolity. However you may put it, to the common man, I am just being uninspired to-day.

Counting Numbers: Interpreting the SWS Survey on the State of the Roman Catholic Church in the Baleten-on Context

A storm in a tea cup. That's the impression of most of my priest-friends concerning the release of the 2003 SWS Survey about the present state of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines as the latter tries to come up with its so called Catholic Vote in time for the May 13, 2013 elections. The good Archbishop emeritus of Lingayen-Dagupan however sees it differently. But then that is his opinion.

The Roman Catholic chapel in Sitio Duduemon, Calizo, Balete

In my interactions with the clergy, I have maintained that the 37% attendance during Sunday masses is almost realistic and questioned the basis in claiming the 64% turnout recorded in 1991. As we all know, the survey registered among others the following data:

• 81% of the Philippine Population are Roman Catholics
• 80% are of majority age (18 years old and above)
• 29% consider themselves very religious
• 37% go to church to hear mass at least once a week compared to the 64% in 1991
• 9.2% think seriously of leaving the Church 

Why is that then that I averred on claiming that it is almost realistic and the other highly questionable? Let me put it in the local context. Balete today has an estimated population of 28,560 (26,360 per 2007 PopCen @ 1.35 AGR). Basing on the trends culled by SWS, Roman Catholics would total to 23,113 while adult Catholics are around 18,506. If we assume that 37% of those adult Catholics go to church on Sunday masses, they numbered to about 6,847, give or take.

The church of Balete has only two masses on Sunday and an anticipated mass on Saturday afternoon. A couple of mass is being said also in the chapels in Aranas and Feliciano during Sunday afternoon. Now, let us just divide 6,847 into 5 to have a better picture of the situation. That would give us 1,369 attendees for every mass being said at St. Rafael Parish Church and in the chapels of Aranas and Feliciano. Bear in mind that the figures include only the probable adult hearers. The church would really swell if we are to consider the minors. So we pause and consider these trends. Is this the real scenario? Are these figures reflective of the realities happening in the local church of Balete?

The last time I witnessed the church in Balete enjoyed sustained attendees was from the period 1993 to 2007. The apex of collections for monthly pledges alone reached to 60 Thousand Pesos plus sometime in 2007 and then suffered a dramatic decline afterwards prompting the current pastor to revert to the Arancel System. And yet in those days, a full packed church could only muster about a thousand souls. A lot of observers wondered why and the shepherds argued which patch of grass is greener for them to pasture their sheep. While they argued, 9.2% of the flock are straying off outside of the corral.

Yet we hope that with a dynamic Diocesan Pastoral Council (peopled by those with long experienced in community organizing), the arguing could be channeled to proactive formulation of a contextualized even if not common programs that are reflective of our Christian brotherhood in Christ Jesus.

Road Maps of the LGU for that Better Balete than Yesterdays

My town, by local standards, has marked milestones over the years. The most prominent of which is when it was included among the 15 elite municipalities throughout the entire country to receive the much desired Seal of Good Housekeeping Award way back in 2010. Such feat it has maintained since then. Other towns in Aklan look at us in revered admiration whenever we are gathered together in certain occasion. Some, perhaps out of curiosity or of resolve to elevate theirs into our league, voiced out in wonder: Why is it that despite your poverty, you've done so much for your people? Responding to it, I simply state a fact: it is so because we are one. 

The baffled sophisticated inquirer however would not settle for such a simple answer. He wants complicated yet verifiable systems or approaches that brought us into such pedestal. So perhaps, the following "road maps" could satiate his curiosity and inspire him to replicate the same in his area of jurisdiction:

  & Balete  Citizen’s Charter (2010)

The Citizen’s Charter is a guidebook of key local government services.  Balete LGU subscribes to promoting integrity, accountability, proper management of public affairs and public property as well as to establish effective practices aimed at the prevention of graft and corruption in government. Thus it has enacted the Balete Citizen’s Charter with the hope of maintaining honesty and responsibility among its public officials and employees, and to promote transparency in each agency with regard to the manner of transacting with the public, which shall encompass a program for the adoption of simplified procedures that will reduce red tape and expedite transactions in government.

       Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) –CY 2004-2014

The CLUP and its corresponding Zoning Ordinance is popularly called “the People’s Plan”. It is a 10-year plan to manage the local territory; a skeletal-circulatory framework of the territory’s physical development that identifies areas where development can and cannot be located and directs public and private investments accordingly. Balete is the first in Aklan to have a CLUP.

       Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) for CYs 2010-2016

The CDP is a six-year term multi-sectoral plan primarily based on the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) of the local government unit to develop and implement priority sectoral and cross-sectoral programs and projects in the proper locations. Balete is the first in Aklan to have a CDP.

       Executive and Legislative Agenda (ELA) for CYs 2010-2013

ELA is a planning document, covering a 3-year period corresponding to the term of local elective officials that is mutually developed and agreed upon by both the executive and legislative departments of an LGU. Balete is the first in Aklan to have an ELA (2004).

       Annual Investment Program

The AIP covers the priority projects and programs to be budgeted and eventually implemented on a particular calendar year to approximate the ELA, the CDP and the CLUP. It also constitutes the annual slice of the Local Development Investment Program (LDIP) both of which are implementation instruments, referring to the indicative yearly expenditure requirements of the LGUs’ programs, projects and activities (PPAs) to be integrated into the annual budget.

       Environment Code (2004)

This is a codified instrument of all pertinent ordinances on Environmental Protection. It predates the Environmental Code of the Province of Aklan which was only enacted in 2007.

       Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP)

SWMP is a 10-year system plan of the LGU. It is a document that establishes goals and programs for the handling of solid waste in a manner that meets local needs and is consistent with the national government’s solid waste management priorities. It details the municipality’s waste management practices. In the plan, the LGU establishes waste reduction goals and identifies programs and policies necessary to meet them. The plan also describes the methods used to collect and transport solid waste and recyclables to disposal and processing facilities in an environmentally sound manner. 

       Local Poverty Reduction Action Plan

LPRAP is multi-sector thematic plan formulated in 2012 and for implementation starting 2013 until 2016. It employs bottoms-up planning to meet Millennium Development Goal in reducing poverty incidence in the community.

       Gender and Development Code (2006)

This covers all the local ordinances that supports/enables national and international laws concerning gender and development

       Children and Youth Welfare Code (2010)

The CYWC is the LGU’s testament in recognizing the importance of effectively promoting, fully enhancing, and institutionalizing the survival, development, participation and protection rights of children within the framework of advancing general welfare in furtherance of integrated, sustainable and equitable development. This code covers all the local ordinances that advances and protects the interest and rights of children and the youth.

       Code of General Ordinances (2011)

This instrument codifies all the relevant general ordinances of the LGU.

       Local Investment Incentive Code (2009)

LIIC is a policy document that covers all the local government investment policies and programs, Investments Priority Areas (IPAs), local incentives (fiscal or non-fiscal) available to domestic and foreign investors and the mechanics for availing them.

       Revenue Code (Revised 2008)

The Code of Revenue Ordinances of the Municipality of Balete is one of the oldest support documents as it serves as its basis in revenue generation. It has been revised in full in 2008 and the Sanggunian has from time-to-time made amendments on it in accord with the signs of the time.

       Compliance on Full Disclosure of Local Budget and Finances and Bids and Public Offerings

In support to the principles of Good Governance, Transparency and Accountability, the LGU sees to it that there is a method of full disclosure of all its financial and other fiscal activities readily accessible to the viewing public.

       Ecological Profile

The LGU has come up with an ecological profile, a document containing information about its immediate environment. It contains relevant data about the present flora and fauna (plants and animals) in the vicinity, the problems arising regarding these living things, the present and past state of the area's environment and other things.

A development model akin to the one adopted by the LGU in approximating that Better Balete than yesterdays. 

Baleten-on Surnames circa 1800's

Back at the National Archives of the Philippines in 2010, I was tempted of scanning the renowned Catálogo alfabético de apellidos of Governor General Narciso Claveria (©1849). The limited time and the objectives of my visit however prevented me from taking that detour. 

For those who are not familiar with it, the Catálogo is a book published in 1849 that covers all the surnames used in the Philippines. It was published as an effort to address the complexity of collecting taxes by mandatory assigning surnames to those who until that time were still without one . The way it was implemented was however compelling as it was strictly imposed by the local authorities. Thus, the offshoot is noticeable in many a community, take for instance in our town, Balete. 

Balete, Capiz was established in 1804 according to the book, Historia Geografica, Geologica y Estadistica con Datos Geograficos, Geologicos y Estadisticas de las Islas de Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao y Jolo, y los que Corresponden a las Islas Batanes, Calamianes, Balabac, Mindoro, Masbate, Tigao y Burias, situadas al n.so. y s. de Luzon published in 1876 by Imprinta de Ramirez y Giraudier for Don Agustin de la Cavada y Mendez de Vigo. It had a population of 3,089 by the time of the Philippine Census of 1870 of which the author was the officer tasked of administering the census. At that time, Balete had eleven barrios spread out in its land area of 15,525 hectares. The typical Baleten-on apellidos in the barrios were noticeable and one can readily discern which part of Balete a soul came from by the mere knowledge of his surname.

• Aranas, Ambrocio, 
• Bantigue, Bautista, Borromeo,
• Calizo, Casong, Celestino, Concepcion, Cortes, de la Cruz, Cuadernal, Cual, Cuare, Cuasto, Cuaterno, Cuatriz, 
• Dandoy, Dimo, Dominguez,
• Eliserio,  
• Felipe, Feliciano, Fernandez, 
• Gallardez, Garmino, Guanco, 
• Juanico, 
• Lachica, Legaspi, Lumio, 
• Morales, Morio, Murillo,
• Ocampo, Oquendo,
• Pariñas, Pastrana, Peres, Prado,  
• Quitong,
• Rebenito, Recidoro, Rodriguez, del Rosario, Ruiz
• Tambong, Tafalla, Tullo,
• Villones,

Just One Movie to Watch this Holy Week

Silence and solitude. Those are the things I wish to have for the long "idle" Holy Week ahead. But I need a fulcrum to leapfrog into that difficult encounter, having accustomed myself to the busyness and voices in my day-to-day quest for relevance. The Desert Fathers' device for this is the Jesus Prayer while their oriental counterpart referred to it as either a koan or a mantra. I think, in my contemporary setting, I can make use of the current technology as my device to come into the quiet.

What I have in mind is that as I begin my Holy Week retreat, I will indulge myself into watching a movie to set an ambiance of reflection. What particular movie then I am to watch? Methinks it appropriate for the time being to watch a 1991 film entitled, "The Doctor" starred by William Hurt. I have watched it during my seminary years when Megamall was still safe and less crowded. Considering that YouTube has an embedded stream of it, it would be easy for me to refer to it once in a while in the day as I go about my active meditation on the meaning of life. 

Now if you care to watch it by yourself and follow me in this journey into the quiet, just click on this frame below:

 The frame shows Part I of the film. In YouTube, you can watch it in its entirety. Just click on the YouTube icon on the lower part of the frame to lead you there. 

Buy Me a Tobleron, Please

A batch of local officials from the constituent barangays of the municipality went to Subic for a three-day seminar on risk reduction management. A day before the culmination of the seminar, the wife of one of the barangay officials sent her husband a text message: "Ga, bak-ie ko't Tobleron ha." (My dear, buy me some Tobleron, please.) 

The husband replied in the affirmative--that he did even if he was on a quandary what on earth a Tobleron is all about. He leaned forward to ask a colleague in front of him: "Pare, anu do Tobleron ngara, brand it sapatos?" (Friend, is Tobleron some kind of brand name for a shoes?) 

"No." replied the colleague. "Methinks, it is a local delicacy sold here in Subic." 

"I see. Much like a pinipig, eh."

Lowly And Yet Chosen

My sleep was restless. Something at the back of my tired mind is the thought, no, a proclamation: "Habemus Papam!" At daybreak (Philippine time) my lovely wife woke me up gladly announcing: "Gang, may Santo Papa eon kita! Taga-Argentina!" That was the news I was expecting to hear. It sent me scurrying for a seat in our family room and watched the progressing news on TV even as I was removing those specks in my eyelids.

Somebody from Argentina. Was he a Liberation Theologian? He is to be called Pope Francis. After St. Francis of Assisi? Are we to journey together as Church of the Poor then?

There are lots of questions playing in my mind. The coffee came in late but even then, I was already wide awake.

As I surfed the net later in the day, most of my questions where answered. As I heard him addressed the crowd in genial Italian seeking for the faithful's prayer before giving off his blessings, I knew in my heart that the Church is graced again with a good shepherd to guide the faithful in their journey of love and brotherhood.

Lowly and yet chosen -- the motto of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, now elected as the 266th successor of St. Peter and is to be known as Pope Francis I 

In my journey of encountering Pope Francis today I am grateful for the information I gathered in the followings sites:

• First Things
• Deacon's Bench 
• Yahoo News Philippines
• God and Machine

Of Tub'ing and Anita

 Up beyond the bend of the Jal‑o, at Takasan ni Ambit, the river carved its own truths into the land. Life there was not measured by maps or decrees, but by the pulse of water against stone, by the way mist clung to skin, by the quiet communion of clans who lived along its banks.

Among them was Anita, granddaughter of Tub’ing. She was tall, her hair long enough to weigh down her curls, her eyes round and luminous—so white they seemed to hold a secret light. In Grade Two at Uphill, she was both shy and strong, invisible in play yet suddenly present when courage was needed. Mrs. Abello treated her as she treated us all: scolding when our restlessness broke the room’s rhythm, assigning her to sweep the dust from the Magsaysay building with our group.

But Anita carried a silence that was not emptiness. It was a boundary, dense and alive, a quiet reminder that difference can dwell among us without fracture. And then, one January day in 1975, she announced she would leave. No reason was spoken, but we knew: she was engaged to a fellow Ati from another clan.

I remember her farewell—the pale palm raised against her dark skin, a gesture etched into memory—as she descended the Uphill path. With her departure, her clan moved too, merging with another, dissolving old divisions and weaving a greater communion.

Her absence was not only hers. It was the river reshaping its banks, two currents flowing into one. We did not need words to understand the gravity of her leaving. We felt it in the silence of the classroom, in the sudden emptiness of our sweeping group, in the way the Jal‑o seemed to carry her presence downstream.

Even now, when I think of the bend at Takasan ni Ambit, I see Anita’s hand raised in farewell. I hear the river’s unending song. And I know that childhood is never untouched by history—it is the place where memory and water meet, where absence becomes part of the landscape.

 

For a Reflective Lenten Journey

I am posting hereunder some relevant quotes which I have personally edited in Photoshop that might be useful for the Christian's 40-day Lenten journey. I am assuming that you are already familiar with the basics of this life-event of our quest in returning home to the House of the Father. I take advantage of the contemporary tools to approximate my so called personal legend.

The season of Lent will start on Ash Wednesday (February 13), but I am posting this note early this year as I am aware of those in search for devices they will be needing for the forthcoming 40-day intramural in the desert of life.

Our perspective for reflection is geared towards our celebration of the Year of Faith. The Pope has already released his Annual Lenten Message last February 1, 2013 and I took the initiative of highlighting the gist of that message. "Faith is knowing the truth and adhering to it (cf. 1 Tim 2:4); charity is 'walking' in the truth (cf. Eph. 4:15)...(F)aith is genuine only if crowned by charity."

The sign of the ashen cross on our forehead which we don on Ash Wednesday is a reminder not so much of our humanity as popularized in the quote, "You are dust and to dust you shall return" (Gen. 3:19). Rather, it is an acknowledgement of our unfaithfulness and at the same time our desire to make amend of our sins, much akin to the act of devotees of Sto. Niño who rubbed their faces and body with soot as a sign of repentance. The practice of rubbing ashes as an outward gesture of repentance predates Christian tradition as the Israelites of old were already into it. The internet now affords us an easy and faster means of searching the Bible for relevant quotations about this matter.   Take this link for instance: http://www.biblegateway.com and enter into the search box the phrase "sackcloth and ashes".

Finally, let me end this brief reflection with a closing hymn by my favorite Gospel troubadour, John Michael Talbot.

The Parable of Two Shepherds

       The landlord planned of leaving for a far off place. But before doing so, he saw to it that everything in his ranch are well taken cared of.

For his flock, he hired a couple of shepherd. He called them by their name and entrusted to them his beloved sheep. "Please take care of my sheep until my return", he implored each one of them. Then he set forth on a journey into that far off place.

On their first day alone with the flock, the elder of the two called for a meeting. He informed the other shepherd of his plan. The younger one however found the plan too conservative and presented what he thought was a better, radical and contemporary way of pasturing the flock. The discussion progressed for hours without the two reaching a consensus. A recess was agreed upon and the two shepherds have their lunch--separately, I should tell you, for even in such thing as lunch they could not agree what meals to have. After their siesta, the meeting resumed and their arguments became heated and loud that the hungry sheep below became restless and agitated. By vespers, the two were already resolved of dividing the flock into two groups so to show off to each other that he is the better man to do the job. The evening was cold and they were too tired for the night prayer so they called it a day. Their first day.

On the next day, each of the shepherds was up and about to lead the starving sheep into the greener pasture. The elder of the two declared that he will will guide his flock into the lush field by the river and suggested to the younger that the other flock shall be led up into the hill. The younger protested and suggested the other way around. The squabble progressed for hours without the two reaching a consensus. A recess was agreed upon and the two shepherds have their lunch--again separately, I should tell you, for even in such thing as lunch they could not agree what meals to have. After their siesta, the meeting resumed and soon, another heated and loud argument broke out and the starving sheep scattered everywhere, restless and agitated. By vespers, the two were ready to resolve the disagreement through a toss coin, but a coin they do not have. So they left their famished sheep in the corral and went down to the town to borrow from the sole merchant a coin. The evening was cold and they were exhausted for the night prayer so they called it a day. Their second day.

The bleating of the famished animals woke the two shepherd up. It was their third day. Both realized that their flocks have not eaten for two days and so hurriedly went down. One after the other, they opened the gates of the corrals widely for a quick passage of the flocks. The sheep were already ravenous and all rushed out into the opening where they bottleneck. A stampede ensued which resulted into the death of a large number of lambs, some ewes and a few rams, the injury of many and the destruction of the corrals.  The two shepherds blamed each other for the mishap. Their bickering  progressed for hours without the two reaching a consensus. A recess was agreed upon and the two shepherds have their lunch--separately, I should tell you, for even in such thing as lunch they could not agree what meals to have. After their siesta, the meeting resumed and a more intense, heated and loud argument broke out and the ravenous sheep scampered everywhere, restless agitated and yet too exhausted to tend for themselves. By vespers, the two were ready to resolve the bickering by slaughtering the injured and to donate the mutton of the animals to bystanders and in return thereof, solicit their help in repairing the corrals. So they collected the dead sheep, slaughtered the injured and distributed the mutton among the bystanders in the neighborhood while at the same time solicited their help in repairing the rundown corrals. But the evening was cold and the bystanders managed only to salvage the broken wood while the two were worn out for the night prayer so they called it a day. Their third day.

Early on the fourth day, the landlord returned home and found the now small yet ravenous flock wandering warts and all beyond the broken corrals with no shepherd to be seen nearby. Now, what do you think will he say and do to those egotistical irresponsible pastors he hired?

Song of the Jal-o

KANTA KU JAE-O Naga-eumpat ako sa bueogsukan kung Aeatubang Sa ilaya nga akon ginhalinan Sa kabukiran sa unhan pa it Benitinan Kun siin may maberde pang kagueangan. Iba eon ako makaron Ilig ko bukon eon it masueog Kon amat matin-aw pero eaban hay maeobog Bisan pa ako mat a ra sa gihapon. Naga-ilig ako sa dagasanan sa Kipot Sub-eangon ku rong sili pati sa kahoy rong siga ku mga aninipot Iya eon lang sanda mapabilin kumo ginahingabot Sa ilawod nga anay anda man nga palibot. Iba eon ako makaron Ilig ko bukon eon it masueog Kon amat matin-aw pero eaban hay maeobog Bisan pa ako mat a ra sa gihapon. Padayon rong haganas bisan pa sa tig-ilinit Sa kurbada sa may Takasan ni Ambit Sa balsa makaron ag ku baroto anay ni ‘lo Pantit Sa akon nga sueog naga-eupsi ro imo nga panit. Iba eon ako makaron Ilig ko bukon eon it masueog Kon amat matin-aw pero eaban hay maeobog Bisan pa ako mat a ra sa gihapon. Dag-onan ku nga ginadagsaan rong siyam nga katilingban Eay-on ag dagutdot halin sa kalbo nga kabukiran Pati eon rong rong hilo sa kaeanasan Nagahangla sa tangke ro sugpo ag pasayan. Iba eon ako makaron Ilig ko bukon eon it masueog Kon amat matin-aw pero eaban hay maeobog Bisan pa ako mat a ra sa gihapon. Iba eon ako makaron Ilig ko bukon eon it masueog Kon amat matin-aw pero eaban hay maeobog Bisan pa ako mat a ra sa gihapon. Manugpatigayon ku bukid ag ku eawod Eatayan ku taga Ilaya ag ku taga ilawod. Iba eon ako makaron Bisan pa ako mat a ra sa gihapon.

SONG OF THE JAL-O I drop into the Falls of Aeatubang Upstream where I came from In the mountain ranges beyond Benitinan Under lush of green of the last forest I become. I have changed from what I had been For my current are no longer that strong Sometimes I am crystal clear but typically wrong Even then, I am still who I am. I flow  along the rapids of Kipot Where I encounter the freshwater eel and the luminescence of fireflies I reflect In here they opted to stay so as not to be caught Away from the downstream where they are checked I have changed from what I had been For my current are no longer that strong Sometimes I am crystal clear but typically wrong Even then, I am still who I am. I keep running my course even in arid days Take along the bend at Takasan ni Ambit That through my surge your skin turned pale and blasé Under the bamboo raft of today just as in the wooden boat of Old Pantit. I have changed from what I had been For my current are no longer that strong Sometimes I am crystal clear but typically wrong Even then, I am still who I am. Annually I inundate the nine communities With silt and debris from the balding hills And even the sticky pesticides from the factories To maledict in the ponds the prawns and the shrimps to chills I have changed from what I had been For my current are no longer that strong Sometimes I am crystal clear but typically wrong Even then, I am still who I am. I have changed from what I had been For my current are no longer that strong Sometimes I am crystal clear but typically wrong Even then, I am still who I am. Matchmaker of the mountain and the sea The bridge of the Ilayanhon and the  dweller by the Balete tree I have changed from what I had been Even then, I am still who I am.