CBCP
Page 3Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 16
CICM:
November 20, 100
Years of
2006 NYD 2006: Taking a
Missionary Presence in the Stand for Life… for Love
Philippines
Southville: from
‘Danger Zone’ to
‘‘Death Zone”
CHURCH officials have expressed
frustration with the pace of actions
being undertaken by authorities and
urged them to accelerate efforts to
solve problems faced by residents at
the Southville relocation site in
Cabuyao, Laguna.
Southville / P4
Bishop Sued for Libel After
Exposing Mining Anomalies
By Roy Lagarde
SOME Catholic bishops deplored the
filing of a string of defamation suits
by a Canadian mining company
against a bishop and a priest, say-
ing that such action is meant to ma-
liciously muzzle the exposes made
by environment advocates.
The prelates and clergies of the
Archdiocese of Ozamis denounced
the criminal libel charges against
Dipolog bishop Jose Maguiran and
Fr. Albert Bael after exposing alleged
anomalies and irregularities commit-
ted by the TVI Resource Develop-
ment Philippines.
The archdiocese covers the
suffragan dioceses of Dipolog,
Pagadian, Iligan and the Prelature of
Marawi (DOPIM) located in the
Northwest and Central part of
Mindanao.
Supporters of the defendants
charge that the complaint is the be-
ginning of an orchestrated effort to
harass and intimidate opposition to
mining operations.
As a result of the libel suit, the
DOPIM bishops and priests released
a statement of support for those
charged, whom they described as
“defenders of the environment and
rights of the oppressed.”
Also charged for libel were some
lay workers of the DOPIM Commit-
tee on Mining Issues.
Bishop Sued / P4
Pope Names Valles
Archbishop of Zamboanga,
Utleg New Bishop of Laoag
THE bishop of the Diocese of
Kidapawan in North Cotabato,
Most Rev. Romulo Valles, has
been appointed by Pope Benedict
XVI to head the Archdiocese of
Zamboanga.
Valles, 55, replaces Arch-
bishop Carmelo Morelos whose
resignation was accepted by the
Holy Father.
Morelos celebrated his 75th
birthday on December 11, 2005.
According to Church Law, bish-
ops should resign at the age of
75. But the resignation is not ef-
fective until Pope accepts it.
Valles is a Boholano born in
Maribojoc town. He was ordained
priest at the age of 25 and was ap-
pointed bishop of Kidapawan when
he was 46. He has been the bishop
of Kidapawan for the last nine years.
The Archdiocese of
Zamboanga was created in 1910,
and elevated to an Archdiocese
in 1958. As a metropolitan, it com-
prises the city of Zamboanga; the
Prelature of Ipil and Isabela,
Pope Names / P4
vol10-n16.pmd 1 11/24/2006, 9:06 PM
Page 9
www.cbcponline.net/cbcpmonitor
Protagonist of Truth, Promoter of Peace
November 20, 2006
Antipolo Diocese Protests Casino Project
TWO months after a letter of
protest was sent to President Ar-
royo that remain unanswered,
Catholic faithful haven’t put
their opposition to Casino on
the back burner.
The clergies of Antipolo led
by its bishop Gabriel Reyes,
civic and academic groups
staged a prayer rally last Novem-
ber 9 in Cainta town in Rizal
New Apostles Anchored in Christ Urgently
Needed, Pope Tells Filipino Youth
by Santosh Digal
DAVAO, November 10, 2006—In the
world, there is the “urgent need for a
new generation of apostles” who
would “build their life in Christ, accept-
ing the Word with joy and putting the
teachings of the Bible into practice”.
This was the thrust of a message
sent by Benedict XVI to youth of the
Philippines as they mark the 10th Na-
tional Youth Day under way in Davao
in the south of the country.
In a message read by Archbishop
Fernando Filoni, Apostolic Nuncio, to
10,000 young people who gathered to
celebrate the event, the pope recalled
“the urgent need for the emergence of
a new generation of apostles anchored
firmly in the Word of Christ, capable of
responding to the challenges of our
times and prepared to spread the Gos-
pel far and wide.”
The pontiff urged young people to
“testify to the light of Christ, the shining
Page 11
Catechism on the
Church and Politics
Vol. 10 No. 16
province to voice their opposition.
The Casino Filipino VIP Club,
to be housed at the current
Soundstage building beside Sta.
Lucia East Mall, is reportedly sched-
uled to open within this month to
handle bets on slot machines.
Information reaching Reyes re-
vealed that gaming tables will also
be added by January 2007.
Opponents of the casino in-
beacon for our life’s journey.” He also
invited them to “become familiar with the
Bible, one’s compass pointing out the
road to follow”, adding: “By reading it,
one will know Christ. Reading, studying
and meditation of the Word should then
flow into a life of consistent fidelity to
Christ and his teachings.”
The theme of the National Youth
Day meeting, which is being held from
8 to 12 November, is “Your word is a
lamp to my feet and a light to my path”
(cf. Psalm 119, 105).
On the first day, Davao Arch-
bishop Mgr Fernando Capalla urged
delegates “to strengthen the fibers of
Filipino society with moral and spiri-
tual ties that keep their church and
communities united.”
He told the participants that the
aim of the gathering is not just to have
fun, but also to become an avenue for
moral recovery and spiritual experience.
“The purpose of this event is to be-
New Apostles / P4
Page 12
Message from Youth,
to Youth
1
cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.net
Guimaras: Residents
Start Returning Home
after Ecological Disaster
ILOILO City —The mayor of Iloilo
said around 300 people have re-
turned to their villages on the is-
lands, which were stricken three
months ago by an oil spill. An-
other 600 residents are still in
evacuation centres.
Php 16.00 Guimaras / P4
Caritas Turns Over
Housing Project
for Landslide
Victims in S. Leyte
THE Caritas Internationalis turned over
its housing project to the landslide vic-
tims in a ceremony held in Liloan, South-
ern Leyte on November 13.
Maasin Bishop Precioso Cantillas
was present as Caritas Internationalis
representative Micheal Franks and
Engr. Emmanuel Silvestre, project co-
ordinator of the proponents of CRS-
America, handed the symbolic key to
the housing recipients.
Southern Leyte representative
Roger Mercado lauded the efforts
made by Cantillas who spearheaded
in seeking assistance from the Caritas
for the Calingangan residents who
were then isolated by landslides that
struck last February 12 before the
Guinsaugon tragedy.
The 929 total population of said
village were all relocated to Brgy. Catig
with the construction of the 86 houses
or 43 duplex units donated by the
Caritas through the Maasin Diocesan
clude Rizal politicians led by Gov.
Social Action Center and the National
Casimiro Ynares who are con-
Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA)
cerned about its potential impact
of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference
on an area that is near big com-
of the Philippines (CBCP).
mercial establishments including
two tertiary schools. “This is the fruit of teamwork, fruit
Protesters also included stu- of our wishes”, Cong. Mercado said
dents and youth organizations during his message. “The housing
that carried placards during the assistance given from benevolent do-
nors should be taken care of, maintain
rally, some of which read “No to
Antipolo Diocese / P4
its beauty and give our share to make
our community better,” said Mercado.
Caritas Turns / P4
Famous Belgian Organist to Perform at
Manila Cathedral Organ Festival
WORLD-ACCLAIMED
Belgian organist Luc
Ponet will be up in town
for the pipe organ festi-
val organized by the Ma-
nila Cathedral-Basilica on
December 1-10, 2006.
His visit is pur-
posely in line with the full
restoration of the histori-
cal Manila Cathedral’s
pipe organ, touted as the
biggest in Asia.
The musical instrument, which organists like Amador Salarza and
had been in a state of disrepair for Jose Flores Jr.
the past 15 years, was first con- The Manila Symphony Orches-
structed in 1958 by a Flemish com- tra, Coro Sanctuario de San Anto-
pany called Pels and was erected nio, UST Liturgikon Vocal Ensemble,
by Jose Loinaz of Manila and P. Tiples de Sto. Domingo, Serenata
Andriessen of Holland. Vocal Youth Choir, Carlos Optimi
Msgr. Nestor Cerbo, Manila Choir are also part of the ensemble.
Cathedral rector, said the festival, With 70 stops, four manuals,
which also highlights the and pedal, the pipe organ has al-
cathedral’s 25th year as a basilica, most 6, 000 pipes (flutes and trum-
will be joined by renowned local Famous Belgian / P4

2 World News
Neocatechumenal Way meets to discuss
evangelisation in Asia
JERUSALEM, No-
vember 20, 2006—
Evange-lisation in
Asia and Australia
is the topic of a con-
ference organised by
Islamic hackers again fail
to disrupt Vatican web site
VATICAN, November 10,
2006—For the second
time in as many months,
computer hackers affili-
ated with a radical Islamic
group tried and failed to
penetrate the Vatican
web site, the Italian AGI
news service reports.
Islamic militants who
identified themselves as
“leaders of the electronic
jihad” announced on their
own internet sites that they
would launch a “large-
scale battle” against the
Vatican site this week, in
response to what they
saw as insults against Is-
lam by Pope Benedict
XVI. The exact form of the
’08 Preparation Includes
Formation of Young Leaders
SYDNEY, Australia,
November 9, 2006—A
Youth Leaders Formation
Course will help prepare
for World Youth Day
2008—and possibly be its
key legacy.
The course is being
convoked by the organiz-
ers of the event and, as its
name indicates, will aim to
form young leaders.
Applications are
already being accepted.
Eligible are 18- to 30-year-
olds who want to serve in
local and national World
Youth Day preparations
and be active in the future
life of the Church.
The July 15-20, 2008,
event in Sydney is ex-
pected to attract up to
500,000 pilgrims, including
as many as 125,000 from
overseas. Benedict XVI is
scheduled to attend the
event.
For three months—
from March to June of
next year—the formation
course will offer intensive
training to prospective
young leaders to help
them prepare others dur-
vol10-n16.pmd
the Neocatechumenal
Way that opened today
at International Center
Domus Galilaeae in
Korazim in the Holy Land.
The meeting pro-
attack was not explained.
According to the
AGI news story, an attack
was launched on Novem-
ber 9, but thwarted by se-
curity measures on the
Vatican site. A similar ef-
fort to disrupt the Vatican
internet site was made in
October— again without
any significant effect.
The Vatican web
site—one of the busiest
on the internet—has
tight security measures
in place, informed
sources say. And Vatican
computer-security per-
sonnel had ample warn-
ing of the Islamic hack-
ers’ plans. (CWNews)
ing the lead-up to Youth
Day 2008.
The live-in course
will be held in the Sydney
suburb of Bringelly.
Auxiliary Bishop
Anthony Fisher, World
Youth Day coordinator,
said the course will offer
specific skills training and
experience in implement-
ing WYD programs in
youth ministries at local
churches.
“It’s our intention
that this course will fur-
ther Christian growth
and leadership, not only
among course participants
but also in the communi-
ties to which they return,”
he added.
Bishop Fisher con-
firmed that Australian
bishops, theologians,
philosophers, priests,
youth ministers, artists,
reporters and politi-
cians—”all passionate
about guiding youth
leaders on the path to
WYD08"—will take part
in the course.
“The course is part of
the long-term investment
and legacy we are plan-
ning for World Youth Day
in 2008,” he said.
For information on
the course, see the “Aus-
tralian Parishes and
Schools” section of the
official Youth Day Web
page, www.wyd2008.org.
Applications will be
accepted until Jan. 31.
(Zenit)
2 11/24/2006, 9:06 PM
moted by the founders of
the “Way” Kiko Argüello,
Carmen Hernandez and
Fr Mario Pezzi has
brought together cardi-
nals and bishops from
two continents. About
150 prelates from India,
Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Nepal, Vietnam, Taiwan,
South Korea, Indonesia,
Singapore, Japan, the
Philippines and Australia
have come, as well as
priests, traveling teams
and family in mission on
the Neocatechumenal
Way operating in these
countries.
Mgr Michel Sabbah,
the Latin Patriarch of
Pope Prays for Chiara
Lubich’s Recovery
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 8,
2006—Benedict XVI im-
parted his blessing to
Chiara Lubich, 86, founder
and president of the
Focolare Movement, who
has been hospitalized in
Rome.
Informed personally
about her state of health
by Cardinal Tarcisio
Bertone, Vatican secretary
of state, the Holy Father
wished to express his
“human and spiritual
closeness,” stated a com-
muniqué issued by the
Focolare movement.
The note explained
that “the condition of the
founder of the Focolarini is
stabilizing progressively.”
Lubich was hospi-
talized Nov. 2 in the
Agostino Gemelli Poly-
clinic of Rome, and was
3 “Holy Cities” Teaming Up
Alliance to Promote Art,
Culture and Tourism
ROME, November 15,
2006—The three “holy
cities” of Jerusalem,
Rome and Santiago de
Compostela, Spain, have
formed an alliance to pro-
mote the development and
value of their rich artistic
and cultural heritage.
The agreement “Holy
Cities: a Common Project
for the Future” was pre-
sented in Rome today.
“The collaboration
agreement between the
three municipalities,
signed last year, is begin-
ning to take its first
steps,” explained the mu-
nicipalities of the three cit-
ies in a joint communiqué.
Their new Internet
home page,
www.holycities.info, has
information on the initia-
tives the three cities will
undertake jointly.
The mayors of the
three cities signed an
Jerusalem, is scheduled
to speak tomorrow. On
Thursday the prelates
are to travel to Jerusa-
lem to visit the Holy
Sites and meet Mgr An-
tonio Franco, the Pon-
tifical representative to
Israel and Palestine,
and Fr Pierbattista
Pizzaballa, custodian of
the Holy Land.
During the con-
ference issues relating
to Christian initiation,
the missio ad gentes
and the challenge of
secularization in Asia
and Oceania will be
d i s c u s s e d .
(AsiaNews)
suffering from “respira-
tory insufficiency caused
by a pulmonary infection
... The medical treatment
continues,” added the
communiqué.
Chiara Lubich, born
in Trento, Italy, in 1920,
founded the Focolare
Movement—”Mary’s
Work”—in 1943 in her
native city. The move-
ment is active in 182
countries. (Zenit)
agreement
last Dec. 13,
marking the
start of the
project.
The ob-
jective is to
join forces to
promote the
artistic and
cultural heri-
tage of the three cities
which hold UNESCO’s title
of Patrimony of Humanity.
Among the joint
projects is a program to
evaluate the cities’ policy
on the conservation and
valuation of their artistic
heritage.
The evaluation will
serve to study a plan of
tourist and urban develop-
ment with numerous ob-
jectives, including the
protection of historical
centers; the improvement
of residents’ quality of life;
the extension of the aver-
age stay of tourists; and
the reduction of pollution.
Also under study is
a new tourist circuit to in-
tegrate visits to the three
cities in one package. The
new tour will be promoted
in Europe as well as in
countries such as Japan,
the United States, Brazil
and China. (Zenit)
Pope Has Hopes for ’08
Quebec Eucharistic Congress
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 9,
2006—Benedict XVI
hopes that the next Inter-
national Eucharistic Con-
gress, to be held in Que-
bec City in June 2008, will
relaunch adoration of
Jesus present in the
Blessed Sacrament.
The Pope himself
announced that the
preparation of that world
event in Canada will be
benefited by the publica-
tion of the postsynodal
exhortation dedicated to
the sacrament of the Eu-
charist.
In that document he
himself will bring together
the suggestions that
arose at the Synod of
Bishops, held at the
Vatican in October 2005.
The Pontiff was in-
formed on preparations
for the Eucharistic Con-
gress when he met this
morning with the partici-
pants in the plenary as-
Vatican Urges Israel to Bar “Gay Parade” in Jerusalem
Calls It a “Grave Affront” to Religious Sentiments
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 9,
2006—The Holy See ap-
pealed to Israeli authori-
ties to cancel a “Gay Pa-
rade” scheduled for this
Friday in Jerusalem, con-
sidering it an offense to
Christians, Jews and
Muslims.
A note published by
the Vatican press office
explains that “consider-
ing that on previous oc-
casions religious values
have been systematically
offended, the Holy See
cherishes the hope that
the question will be re-
considered.”
The communiqué
expresses “profound dis-
approval of this initiative
as it constitutes a grave
affront to the sentiments
of millions of Jewish,
Muslim and Christian be-
lievers, who recognize the
particular sacred character
Guidelines OK’d on Outreach to Homosexuals
BALTIMORE, Maryland,
November 14, 2006—U.S.
bishops at their fall meet-
ing approved new guide-
lines on pastoral out-
reach to homosexuals,
while affirming the
Church’s position that
same-sex relationships
are “disordered.”
The statement, “Min-
istry to Persons with a
Homosexual Inclination,”
upholds the Church’s
opposition to same-sex
“marriage” and adoption
by homosexual couples.
The bishops, how-
ever, held that children
Archbishop Amato Opens Academic Year at “Angelicum”
VATICAN CITY, Novem-
ber 15, 2006—Today, No-
vember 15, the liturgical
feast of St. Albert the
Great, Dominican bishop
and doctor of the Church,
a ceremony took place to
mark the opening of the
academic year at Rome’s
Pontifical University of
St. Thomas Aquinas, the
“Angelicum,” of which
St. Albert is co-patron.
CBCP Monitor
sembly of the Pontifical
Committee for Interna-
tional Eucharistic Con-
gresses.
The meeting was at-
tended by Cardinal Jozef
Tomko, president of the
committee, and Cardinal
Marc Ouellet, archbishop
of Quebec, who is prepar-
ing the congress.
“Eucharistic Con-
gresses,” the Pope told
his visitors today, “which
are held in different
places and continents,
are always a source of
spiritual renewal, a rea-
son to make the most
holy Eucharist better
known, which is the most
precious treasure that
Jesus left us.”
These congresses,
the Holy Father added,
“are also an encourage-
ment for the Church to
spread and bear witness
unhesitatingly to the love
of Christ in all realms of
of the city of Jerusalem
and request that their
conviction be respected.”
Jewish and Muslim
leaders have expressed
their opposition to the
parade. Shlomo Amar, the
Grand Sephardic Rabbi of
Israel, sent a letter to
Benedict XVI, requesting
a gesture of support.
The note mentions
the teaching of the Cat-
echism of the Catholic
Church in No. 2358, in
which it requests
that “every sign of
unjust discrimi-
nation” against
homosexuals “be
avoided.”
No. 2358 states:
“The number of
men and women
who have deep-
seated homosexual
tendencies is not negli-
gible. This inclination,
of homosexual Catholics
can undergo baptism
and receive other sacra-
ments in most cases if
they are being raised in
the faith.
On Monday, the
bishops voted unani-
mously to release $335,000
of the $1 million they ear-
marked last year for re-
search on the causes and
context of sexual abuse by
clergy.
The money will un-
derwrite the first three
segments of the research,
which is being under-
taken by the John Jay
Following a brief ad-
dress from Fr. Joseph
Agius O.P., rector of the
university, Archbishop
Angelo Amato S.D.B.,
secretary of the Congre-
gation for the Doctrine of
the Faith, delivered a talk
on the subject of: “The
ecclesiology of commun-
ion and the Letter
‘Communionis notio’ on
some aspects of the
Vol. 10 No. 16
November 20, 2006
society.”
“What need human-
ity of today has to redis-
cover in the Eucharistic
sacrament the source of
its hope!” Benedict XVI
continued.
“I thank the Lord be-
cause many parishes,
along with devoted cel-
ebration of the holy Mass,
are educating the faithful
in Eucharistic adoration
and I hope that, in prepa-
ration of the International
Eucharistic Congress, this
practice will be ever more
widespread,” he added.
Announcing the
forthcoming publication
of the postsynodal exhor-
tation dedicated to the
Eucharist, the Holy Father
said: “I am certain that this
document will also help
the Church to celebrate
with interior participation
the Eucharistic Congress
that will take place in June
2008.” (Zenit)
which is objectively dis-
ordered, constitutes for
most of them a trial. They
must be accepted with
respect, compassion, and
sensitivity. Every sign of
unjust discrimination in
their regard should be
avoided. These persons
are called to fulfill God’s
will in their lives and, if
they are Christians, to
unite to the sacrifice of
the Lord’s Cross the dif-
ficulties they may en-
counter from their condi-
tion.” (Zenit)
College of Criminal Jus-
tice, at the City Univer-
sity of New York.
Last November the
bishops accepted a pro-
posal from John Jay for
the study of the Causes
and Context of Sexual
Abuse of Children and
Young People by Catho-
lic Clergy in the United
States, as called for by
the bishops’ Charter
for the Protection of
Children and Young
People.
The entire study is
scheduled for comple-
tion in 2009. (Zenit)
Church understood as
communion.”
The central themes
of that document, pub-
lished by the Congrega-
tion for the Doctrine of the
Faith in 1992 are: the Uni-
versal Church and par-
ticular Churches, the
communion of Churches,
Eucharist and episcopate,
ecclesial communion, and
ecumenism. (VIS)
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 16
November 20, 2006
News Feature 3

CICM
100 Year s of Missionar y Pr esence
missionary work in the
mountains of Luzon for
seventeen years, evan-
tion of people living in the twenty dispensaries
mission areas. Fr. Con- were built. He estab-
stant Jurgens, who later lished a Catholic school

in the Philippines
By Pinky B. Barrientos, FSP
A Jubilee is a momentous
occasion to celebrate with
joy and thanksgiving. It is
a time for remembering, of
looking back with grati-
tude for what has been. It
is also a time of renais-
sance, a call to renewal of
the profound missionary
spirituality that spurred
the congregation to re-
spond with vitality to the
challenges of evangeliza-
tion.
The missionary con-
gregation of the Immacu-
late Heart of Mary or
Congregatio Immaculati
Cordis Mariae (CICM) is
launching the centennial
celebration of its mission-
ary presence in the coun-
try on November 28 with
the theme Remembrance
and Revitalization. In his
letter to friends of the
CICM announcing the
theme and objectives of
the centennial celebra-
tion, CICM Provincial Su-
perior, Fr. Romeo Nimez,
says: “The jubilee is a
very important occasion
for remembrance and revi-
talization of a religious
family like ours. Indeed we
cannot take lightly that
momentous event in No-
vember of 1907, when the
pioneers set foot for the
first time, and inaugurated
the missionary presence
of the CICM in this archi-
pelago. From that time on,
and across a span of al-
most 100 years now, we
see how the story of
CICM has been inextrica-
bly linked with the history
and evolution of the
Church in the Philippines,
especially being a “light This became a source of
in the north.” There is so great concern that
much to thank God for, prompted Rome to call for
and so much to take as missionaries to fill up par-
challenges for the fu- ishes left vacant by Span-
ture.” ish friars and the Filipino
clergy who followed
A Glimpse into the Past Aglipay.
The congregation’s The exigency of the
journey into the heart of situation was reflected in
the Philippine Church a letter sent by the Apos-
started as a response to tolic Delegate to the
the urgent request of CICM Superior General:
Msgr. Ambrosius Agius, “The Superior of the Mill
then Apostolic Delegate Hill Fathers suggested
to the Philippines; ask- that I write to you be-
ing the CICM Superior cause you could provide
General, Fr. Adolf Van several vigorous and
Hecke, for missionaries, zealous missionaries
to work especially in the since you are looking for
northern part of the coun- new mission territories.
try. Please, good Father,
The year was 1906. come to our aid and do it
The religious climate without further delay.”
then was one of extreme The first group of
concern on the part of CICM missionaries sent
the Philippine Church. into the country was
The Spanish occupation headed by Fr. Peter
had just ended, and all Dierickx who became the
Spanish missionaries ex- first superior of the com-
pelled. The American munity. They stayed ini-
government took over, tially with the
and American Bishops Agustinians in
were appointed to take Intramuros while await-
the place of the Spanish ing word from Bishop
Bishops. With the Dennis Dougherty, who
Americanization of the was the Ordinary of the
country also came the diocese of Nueva
influx of the Protestant Segovia, which covered
missionaries. On the lo- the whole northern part
cal front, the religious of Luzon. Although the
movement started by Fr. missionaries wanted to
Gregorio Aglipay stay together in
evolved into a Philippine Cervantes for a year to
Independent Church learn the languages, they
that did not recognize had to let go of it in def-
the authority of Rome. erence to the bishop’s
The founding of the Phil- wish to go at once to
ippine Independent Baguio. Three priests
Church left many par- were appointed for
ishes without a priest. Baguio while the other
five went to Cervantes,
the old capital of the
mountains.
The missionaries set
themselves to study the
native dialects and cus-
toms of the people. Their
painstaking study of the
local language and indig-
enous customs bur-
geoned into a valuable
treasure-house of linguis-
tics and anthropology,
thus preserving a great
deal the cultural wealth of
the people for the suc-
ceeding generations to
value and learn from.
Among the many excep-
tional CICM missionaries
in the country who have
made valuable contribu-
tions in the field of lin-
guistics and anthropol-
ogy were Fathers Morice
Vanoverbergh, Alfons
Claerhoudt, Francis
Lambrecht and Francis
Billiet.
A noted anthropolo-
gist whose work have
been published in scien-
tific journals of several
universities abroad,
Lambrech (1895-1978) did
gelizing the Ifugao
people while learning
their language and tradi-
tions. He did researches
on the Ifugao Epic Sagas
which became one of his
many enduring contribu-
tions in the field of an-
thropology. He shared
his passion for anthro-
pology among his stu-
dents at Maryhurst Semi-
nary, St. Louis University
and Baguio Colleges.
“A Light in the North”
The arrival of fresh
groups of CICM priests
into the country after the
first world war led to the
steady growth of mission
stations of the CICM in
the Mountain Province,
among them, La Trinidad,
Bokod near the Spanish
mission of Daklan,
Kapangan, Daluperip,
Kayan, Sabangan, Barlig,
Burnay-Lagawe,
Lubuagan branching out
to Naneng ang Salegseg.
The priests also worked
in the Lepanto-
Amburayan territory, part
of the Diocese of Vigan,
with parishes in
Cervantes, Tagudin,
Concepcion, Angaki,
Tubao, and Pugo.
Various livelihood
projects were introduced
by the missionaries in or-
der to improve the situa-
became bishop of
Tuguegarao was a mis-
sionary in Bontoc for
many years. To help up-
lift the economic condi-
tions of the people, Fr.
Jurgens tried to intro-
duce silk-worm culture in
the area. The project did
not take off because of
opposition from the gov-
ernor of the place. Other
projects, however, suc-
ceeded, such as weav-
ing, lace-making, silver-
smithing and broom
weaving. More ambi-
tious projects followed
later, such as roads, irri-
gation, farming coopera-
tives, credit unions,
piggeries, dispensaries,
mission hospitals and
clinics.
Another tireless
missionary who worked
vigorously in the devel-
opment of the Mountain
Provinces was Bishop
William Brasseur who
was appointed Vicar Ap-
ostolic of the Mountain
Province in 1948. Bishop
Brasseur was the
epitome of a true shep-
herd who lovingly cared
for his flock. He had a
dream for the people of
the Mountain Province
which he was able to put
into reality. It was under
his administration that
eight rural hospitals and
system that now in-
cludes thirty-six high
schools, twenty-four pri-
mary schools, three col-
leges and two universi-
ties. He also founded a
local religious congrega-
tion of women to minis-
ter to the people of
Mountain Province.
Contribution to Semi-
nary Formation
Aside from mission-
ary work among the in-
digenous people, the
CICM also dedicated
their energies and talents
in the formation of local
clergy. After many years
of patiently building up
the faith of the people in
the Mountain Province,
the CICM started the
first minor seminary in
Baguio in 1942. For the
missionaries, the semi-
nary was the precious
fruit of the many years of
loving labor in the place
that has become a part of
their lives; at the same
time, “the flower of the
generous faith of so
many young families that
formed a budding Chris-
tian community.”
In the following
years more seminaries will
be entrusted in the ca-
pable hands of the CICM.
Among the various semi-
CICM/ P10

Rediscovering the Spirituality of Islam

Religious Brothers hold
Regional Assemblies
By Br. Amado S. Ancla, CFA
THE three member associations of
the National Federation of Religious
Brothers in the Philippines (NFRBP)
under the auspices of the Associa-
tion of Major Religious Superiors of
Men in the Philippines (AMRSMP)
each held their annual regional assem-
blies in October 2006. These were the
Luzon Association of Religious Broth-
ers (LARB), the Visayas Association
of Religious Brothers (VARB) and the
Association of Mindanao-Sulu Reli-
gious Brothers (AMSRB).
Mindanao-Sulu
The first to hold their assembly
were the Brothers of Mindanao-Sulu,
on October 20-22, 2006 at the Rivier
Retreat House in Davao City. Forty-
three Brothers from 14 congregations
participated, with at least two Con-
gregations participating for the first
time. Their theme was “Prophetic
Shepherding: Challenge to the Broth-
ers Today.” It was expounded and
deepened by Davao’s Auxiliary
Bishop Most Rev. George Rimando,
DD, who was especially chosen as
keynote speaker because his episco-
pal motto is “I am the Good Shep-
herd.” The Brothers broke up into
small groups to share among them-
selves, and later in plenary, their an-
swers to Bishop Rimando’s chal-
lenges.
In place of the usual city tour, the
Brothers opted to visit and appreci-
ate the ministries of the Salesians of
Don Bosco, who run the Boys Town
in Ma-a, Davao City, and of the
Marianist Fathers and Brothers, who
run Balay Pasilungan, which caters to
the street children of Davao City. Fr.
Gene Taqueban, SDB and Br. Richard
Joyal, SM, of Boys Town and Balay
Pasilungan, gave the Brothers a tour
of their facilities.
The Brothers were treated with
two nights of entertainment by a mini-
concert of “Koro,” a choir of our Lady
of Fatima Parish and of “Kaliwat Col-
lective,” who rendered cultural
dances and songs peppered with so-
cial and environmental
concern messages. Next
year, the Mindanao-
Sulu Brothers will gather
in General Santos City.
The officers of the
Association of
Mindanao-Sulu Reli-
gious Brothers for 2005-
2008 are Br. Amado S.
Ancla, CFA (Chairman),
Br. Erwin Sayson, SC
Religious / P11
and Christianity in Zamboanga
ZAMBOANGA, November 14,
2006—Understanding the
“Spirituality of Christianity
and of Islam” I order to draw
some important lessons for the
“dialogue between cultures”
are among the main goals of a
national inter-faith symposium
between Christians and Mus-
lims that will start tomorrow in
Zamboanga, southern Philip-
pines, and last till the 19.
The meeting is taking
place through the joint efforts
of the Silsilah Dialogue Move-
ment, led by Fr Sebastiano
D’Ambra from the Pontifical
Institute for Foreign Missions,
the Islamic Institute of the Uni-
versity of the Philippines–
Diliman and the Institute of
Spirituality in Asia.
In the five-day conference
major experts on religion from
the Philippines and abroad will
discuss how peace and spiritu-
ality are the only paths towards
peace and development. Study
groups and the screening of
‘Bagong Buwan’, a movie by
director and Silsilah’s member
Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s are also
on the menu. The conference
will end with a ‘Night of Soli-
darity’ during which the late
Bishop Bienvenido S. Tudtud,
a pioneer in inter-faith dialogue,
will be remembered.
Fr D’Ambra told AsiaNews
that “dialogue presupposes a
culture that respects others.
This respect implies a willing-
ness to accept outside influ-
ences that can enrich oneself,
words that belong to the late
Bishop Bienvenido S. Tudtud,
who was among the first to
work in favour of inter-faith dia-
logue between Christians and
Muslims”.
“Dialogue, in an atmo-
sphere of respect and open-
ness,” the missionary said, “not
only produces peace but can
also reinforce people’s faith
and enrich one another’s cul-
ture. Understanding this should
be encouraged not only at a hu-
man but also at the academic
and theological levels as a spiri-
tual experience”.
Rediscovering/ P10

vol10-n16.pmd 3 11/24/2006, 9:06 PM


4 News
Poverty Blamed for Dropping Vocations
POVERTY may be one of the causes
of the falling number of priests and
new vocations in his jurisdiction,
Bishop John Du said.
“There has been a diminishing
of vocations. I think poverty is one
cause of the problem,” said Du.
But he argued that the problem
can be prevented if people will be
rescued from the clutches of the eco-
nomic crisis.
Apart from poverty, another
problem is the “lack of promotion of
the priesthood in his diocese.
Bishop Sued / from p1
“This situation is not far from
the experiences of our fellow coun-
trymen who are subjected to differ-
ent harassments just to silence them
while advancing their aggressive,
destructive and exploitative mining
operation of transnational compa-
nies,” the statement reads.
“We condemn the curtailment of
freedom to express what we believe
to be the truth.”
They also called on President
Southville / from p1
“The government’s action is in a
snail pace. We hope that they will ac-
celerate the pace of work,” said Fr.
Rene Eriga, the social action director
of the Diocese of San Pablo.
The government has been asked
to respond to the basic needs of the
relocatees in their “dismal conditions”
that had dragged on for many weeks
with insufficient progress.
It is not the first time that priests
and bishops have expressed displea-
sure over the performance of the au-
thorities and sought fixing of respon-
sibility for various lapses.
Even during earlier statements, San
Pablo bishop Leo Drona had warned
that if problems are left unsolved, it has
the potential to put the health condi-
tions of other people at risk.
The pace of action remained tardy
and the same old excuses continued
to be extended for the delays in imple-
mentation.
New Apostles / from p1
come good and to do good, a time a
change, to renew, transform, to be born
again and to have a new life,” he said.
He also encouraged delegates to
internalize the prayers, reflections, lec-
tures and interaction from the event.
The four days of the meeting will in-
clude hymns, times of prayer, Eucha-
ristic celebrations and conferences.
The Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines started celebrating Na-
tional Youth Day back in 1986 as a way
of implementing its preferential
apostolate for children and youth.
From 1987 to 1990, the annual encoun-
ter was held in Manila. Since 1991,
however, National Youth Day has been
celebrated in different dioceses of the
country. (AsiaNews, with reports
from Neela Duallo)
Pope Names / from p1
Basilan; and the Apostolic Vicariate
of Jolo.
Benedict XVI has also trans-
ferred Bishop Sergio Utleg, until now
bishop of Ilagan in Isabela, to the
Diocese of Laoag in Ilocos Sur.
Utleg, 63, was ordained priest at
the age of 24 and appointed Bishop
of Ilagan, when he was 53.
The last ordinary of Laoag was
Bishop Ernesto Salgado, who became the
Archbishop of Vigan in February of 2005.
There was no bishop appointed
for Kidapawan and Ilagan. This
means that the two dioceses remain
“Sede vacante” until new appoint-
ments are made.
No date has been set either for
the installation of Valles as Arch-
bishop of Zamboanga, or for the in-
stallation of bishop Utleg as Bishop
of Laoag. (CBCP News)
vol10-n16.pmd 4 11/24/2006, 9:06 PM
Although there are people in the
diocese assigned to this particular
work, he said, still the effort is not
enough and the problem continues
to linger.
In his diocese to date, only six semi-
narians are in the Theologate while 39
are in college and there are only 81
priests to attend to the needs of about
nine hundred thousand Catholics.
Despite the figures, Du said:
“The perception of the people about
the Church is generally positive.”
(CBCP News)
Arroyo to “listen to the cries” of the
marginalized and to “stop curtail-
ments” of the rights of the people to
speak for the truth.
Many of our people would come
to us instead, they said, to seek re-
dress for their grievances as a result
of the destructive effects of the min-
ing activities operating in their lo-
calities.
“In coming to their aid, we
brought their grievances to the lime-
In the statement, Drona said:
“They came from danger zone for we
fully know what is life in ‘home along
da riles’ but their life in the relocation
site in Southville may become a ‘death
zone’ if not properly and adequately
attended to.”
He urged Vice-President Noli de
Castro who is concurrent chair of the
Housing and Urban Development Co-
ordinating Council, to immediately act
on the basic requirements of potable
water, electricity, waste disposal and a
health center in the relocation site.
Similarly, the Urban Poor Associ-
ates (UPA) is also upset with the way
things are going on, adding that the
recent dengue outbreak in Southville
that claimed at least six lives could have
been prevented had the authorities
bothered to respond to calls for medi-
cal and sanitation teams.
UPA said at least 17 non-govern-
ment groups wrote to Health Sec. Fran-
Antipolo Diocese / from p1
gambling. Don’t teach young
people to gamble.”
Reyes said a casino will surely
bring great harm to the people.
“Businesses have collapsed
because of casino gambling. Jobs
have been lost. Families have been
broken. Graft and corruption have
been committed in offices due to
losses in gambling. And in some
cases, deaths and suicides have re-
sulted,” he said.
The casino is a venture of the
Creative Pacific Corporation (CPC)
and will be operated by the Philip-
pine Amusement and Gaming Cor-
poration (Pagcor).
Casino’s opponents have also
asked the local government officials
of Cainta to withdraw the permit it
Guimaras / from p1
Residents of Guimaras Island
who were forced to flee after a mas-
sive oil spill, have started return-
ing home after nearly three months.
The spill contaminated coastal vil-
lages and poisoned local flora and
fauna.
Around 300 persons left
evacuation centres in Nueva
Valencia and went home, said the
mayor of Iloilo, Diosdado Gonzaga.
The disaster happened on 11
August when an oil tanker cap-
sized off Guimaras Island: around
10% of the ship’s cargo of two mil-
lion litres of oil leaked, affecting a
200km coastal stretch.
Gonzaga said that following
the disaster, the evacuees found
refuge in provisional shelters in the
city of Nueva Valencia, where an-
Famous Belgian / from p1
light of public opinion and for this
we are accused to have spread lies
to the public,” the statement said.
TVI is currently operating a gold
mine inside a 500-hectare area in
Canatuan Mountain in Siocon town
in Zamboanga del Norte province.
The company is also set to ex-
pand its current operation in the
southern Philippines and has begun
exploration projects in Bayog town,
in Zamboanga del Sur.
cisco Duque last September 8 to take a
serious attention into the water, drain-
age, electricity and indoor pollution
issues Southville.
The letter called for medical and
environmental teams “in light of the
reported occurrence of skin diseases,
diarrhea and other ailments among
some of the relocated railway dwellers
purportedly due to the poor environ-
mental health conditions in the area.”
UPA said at least six children have
already succumbed to dengue but
some 20 children were confirmed in-
fected but survived the disease.
As early as September, after one
child died of dengue, UPA tried sev-
eral times to bring the issue of increas-
ing number of dengue cases to the at-
tention NHA.
Southville residents complained
of manholes filled with stagnant water
teeming with mosquito larvae. (Miami
Ebilane)
granted to the CPC believing that
said business “will contribute to the
vast development” of their town.
“Our message is clear that we
are against it. If they will not listen
to these people, I think their days
(in their positions) are numbered,”
said Ynarez.
With almost 3,000 people who
joined the protest, the governor
said, Cainta officials should think
again with their decision.
But because Pagcor is under
the authority of the President,
Reyes said the ace is still in Arroyo’s
hands.
The bishop said they are still
hoping Arroyo will heed their call
to stop the casino operations.
(CBCPNews)
other 600 people remain. The latter
will be able to return home only
when all areas stricken by the oil
spill have been cleared of toxicity.
Shortly after the spill, Manila’s
health department sent several medi-
cal teams to the island to treat 329
people who complained of health
problems. Among the symptoms:
skin irritations, respiratory prob-
lems, stomach aches and nausea.
Guimaras residents are cur-
rently seeking to limit the environ-
mental damage caused by the spill.
The Filipino Coast Guard has ap-
pealed for “for chicken feathers
and human hair” to soak it up. The
tanker, said to be resting on the
seabed, has been described as “an
ecological time bomb” by environ-
mentalists. (AsiaNews)
Caritas Turns / from p1
Catig has a total land area of 1,583
sq. meters while Brgy. Caligangan has
2,955 sq. meters.
Also in attendance during the
turnover ceremony were Maasin Gov.
Rosette Lerias, Caritas Filipinas Foun-
dation representative Sr. Rosanne
Mallillin, SPC, Diocesan Social Action
Center (DSAC) of Maasin represented
by Fr. Eufemio Gohetia, and other lo-
cal government officials of Maasin.
(CBCP News)
Laiko / from p7
World War III.
• Transportation costs for com-
merce and industry will become
prohibitive and the power
needed to generate electricity—
to heat the homes during winter
or to cool during summer, will
be scarce and may no longer be
accessible to millions of poor
households.
How will these potential prob-
lems be addressed by the free
world? By the Philippines in par-
ticular? An immediate doable an-
swer is to reduce our dependence
on fossil fuel and to develop our
own renewable sources of energy.
Aside from harnessing more solar
and wind power, in order to pro-
vide security for our future energy
needs, we have to use plant-based
sources of energy, mainly for pro-
ducing biodiesel and ethanol. The
corollary effect is reducing green-
house emissions directly mitigat-
ing the harmful effects of radical
climate change.
What is biodiesel? The fol-
lowing terminologies are used to
mean the same – coco-diesel, coco-
biodiesel, coco-methyl ester
(CME). It is a product obtained by
the chemical reaction between co-
conut oil and wood alcohol or
methanol. Although not known to
most of us, the airline industry’s
aviation lubricant is derived from
coconut oil which until now has
no better substitute.
The proposed Biofuels Act
mandates the mixing of 1 % CME
to diesel fuel for the first 2 years
starting from the effectivity of the
law and 2% CME thereafter. In the
case of gasoline, the Act mandates
addition of 5% ethanol in the first
two years and 10% thereafter. The
technology of manufacture of
these biofuels is well-known
throughout the world. Philippine
scientists completed their study in
manufacturing ethanol from molas-
ses sometime in 1976 during the
first oil crisis at the same time that
Brazil scientists started their re-
search on ethanol production. Af-
ter 30 years Brazil manufactures 16
billion liters of ethanol yearly sup-
plying 20% of the world’s require-
ment. The Philippine scientists
were not given support by the
government hence the study
stopped. (Even today the DOST
has the lowest budget allocation
given by Congress—only 0.3% of
the 2007 budget).
While the technical aspect of
producing these fuels is not a prob-
lem, the use of our food crops like
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 16
November 20, 2006
pets) placed on seven major chests
and supplied by 12 bellows and
four electric blowers.
The instrument was con-
tracted to the Las Piñas-based Di-
ego Cera Organbuilders, Inc. for
full restoration to its original form
and function.
“With the instrument now re-
built, we bring back the sounds of
wonderful splendor and revive the
rich musical tradition of this pre-
mier church of Manila as we lift our
minds to God and higher things,”
said Cerbo.
With the material cost spent in
the restoration project, Cerbo said
the lure to make its launching as a
fund raising opportunity is strong
but their decision to make the
event open free to the public is in
line with enabling the poor to have
a chance to witness and enjoy the
performances.
“As much as possible, every
activity that the cathedral-basilica
holds this year, I want the poor al-
ways favored, this being a year of
social concern,” says Cerbo. (CBCP
News)
coconut, corn, cassava and sugar
cane for biofuel production is a
potential problem which is now
being deliberated upon by the Bi-
cameral Committee. The mandated
1% addition of biodiesel to diesel
fuel will require 70 million liters of
biodiesel. To produce this, copra
and coco food applications will
have to be reduced from the present
yearly harvest by 224 million coco-
nuts, the needed quantity to pro-
duce 70 million liters of CME; i.e.,
1% of our yearly consumption of
70 billion liters of diesel oil. Two
years from now, the 10% addition
of ethanol to gasoline will require
105,000 hectares to plant the quan-
tity of sugar cane needed to pro-
duce 340 million liters of ethanol.
As of last census, there were only
380,115 hectares planted to sugar
cane in the Philippines.
The discovery that the lowly
tuba-tuba (jethropa) fruit-bearing
shrub, as a source of oil for
biodiesel production will somehow
ease the need for coconuts for the
production of biodiesel. Jethropa
planting will utilize lands that are
idle, barren and unproductive for
planting corn, cassava or sugar
cane. There are 2 million hectares
in Northern Mindanao eyed for
planting jethropa (tuba-tuba). Three
kilos of tuba-tuba seeds will pro-
duce one liter of crude unprocessed
oil. This will be a boon to poor farm-
ers whose lands are unproductive
for planting food crops.
The framers of the Biofuel Act
realize the need to separate the plan-
tation for commercial sugar produc-
tion and that for ethanol produc-
tion. As the need for more ethanol
increases while the supply is lim-
ited, specially considering that Ja-
pan is the biggest market in this
region, the sugar cane farmers for
biofuel production may earn more
per hectare of land while the farm-
ers devoted to planting sugar cane
for confectioner’s and table sugar
may not earn as much. Conversion
of sugar cane lands for
confectioner’s sugar to that for
ethanol production may again in-
cite tenant uprising in Sugarlandia.
This potential volatile situa-
tion will affect our small communi-
ties in the parishes, the BEC’s. It
behooves all lay leaders and the
Church as a whole to study and
monitor these fuel change scenario
affecting our agricultural man-
power in the same way that we are
now addressing the effects of the
1995 Mining Law on our Indig-
enous People.
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 16
November 20, 2006
Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI to the Participants
in the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Committee
for the International Eucharistic
Your Eminences,
Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate
and in the Priesthood,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
YOUR visit gives me great plea-
sure and I greet you all with affec-
tion. In the first place, I greet Cardi-
nal Jozef Tomko, whom I thank for
expressing your common sentiments
and for telling me about your Ple-
nary Assembly, which has been tak-
ing place in the past few days.
I cordially greet the Members of
the Pontifical Committee for Interna-
tional Eucharistic Congresses and
the National Delegates who have
taken part in this Meeting in order to
prepare together for the upcoming
49th International Eucharistic Con-
gress. It is scheduled to take place
in Quebec in June 2008.
I next greet the representatives
of the Local Preparatory Committee
of this great ecclesial event, as well
as the small but significant group of
Adorers of the Eucharist.
You come from various parts of
the world and the purpose of your
Meeting is to prepare for this Inter-
national Eucharistic Congress: a cel-
ebration of special importance to the
whole of the Church. As Cardinal
Jozef Tomko has just recalled, it con-
stitutes a unanimous response of the
People of God to the Lord’s love,
supremely manifested in the Mys-
tery of the Eucharist.
It is true! The Eucharistic Con-
gresses that take place from time to
time in different places and on dif-
ferent continents are always a source
of spiritual renewal, an opportunity
to become better acquainted with
the Blessed Eucharist, which is the
most precious treasure Christ has
In andOut / from p6
tributed to three stewards (Mt. 25/14-
30), the dishonest manager (Lk. 16/1-
13), the rich man and Lazarus (Lk. 16/
19-31). St. Paul sums up his under-
standing of stewardship: “What do
you have that was not given to you?
And if it was given, how can you
boast as though it were not?” (I Cor.
4/7). A good steward is characterized
by his faithfulness and loyalty to the
master and owner, by his business
acumen and personal discipline, by
his productivity and resourceful-
ness, and by his being accountable
to both the master and to the people
he has been put in charge over.
In our life today, stewardship
vol10-n16.pmd 5 11/24/2006, 9:06 PM
Clementine Hall
9 November 2006
bequeathed to us. They are also an
encouragement to the Church to
spread Christ’s love in every social
milieu and to witness to it
unhesitatingly.
Moreover, ever since your
praiseworthy Pontifical Committee
was established, its proposed goal
is “to make ever better known, loved
and served Our Lord Jesus Christ in
his Eucharistic Mystery, the centre
of the Church’s life and of her mis-
sion for the world’s salvation”.
Each one of these Eucharistic
Congresses therefore represents a
providential opportunity to solemnly
show to humanity: “The Eucharist,
a gift of God for the life of the world”,
as the basic text for the upcoming
Congress says.
This Document was presented
during your Meeting by Cardinal
Marc Ouellet, Archbishop of Que-
bec, to whom I address a special
greeting. Not only those who have
the opportunity to take part in per-
son but also the various Christian
communities who are invited to join
it in spirit will be able to benefit from
the special graces that the Lord will
dispense at the International Eucha-
ristic Congress.
In those days, the Catholic
world will keep the eyes of its heart
on the supreme mystery of the Eu-
charist in order to draw from it a new
apostolic and missionary impetus.
This is why it is important to prepare
oneself well and I thank you, dear
brothers and sisters, for the work
you are carrying out to help the
faithful on every continent to under-
stand ever better the value and im-
portance of the Eucharist in our lives.
Furthermore, the presence
among you of several representa-
tives of the Adorers of the Eucharist
provides inspiration, guidance, mo-
tivation and power for a life of total
commitment to God and service to
one’s neighbor. Stewardship fits in
very well with human relationship. A
steward is not an isolated individual.
He is a member of a household, a fam-
ily, a community, a political group, a
business institution. He is a genuine
member of the community to the ex-
tent that he responds to his duty both
within and outside the community.
Stewardship includes related values,
such as, cooperation, co-responsibil-
ity, partnership, collaboration, interde-
pendence, solidarity and subsidiarity.
This is how we would like to mea-
Feature
7 QUESTIONS for
Bp. Honesto C. Pacana, SJ, DD
MOST Rev. Honesto C. Pacana, installed
in 1994 as the third bishop of Malaybalay
(Bukidnon), recently spoke to CBCP Moni-
tor about his diocese’s current pastoral
strides in such areas of evangelization and
catechesis, priestly vocations and forma-
tion, lay participation or empowerment, so-
cial concern programs, and media evangelization.
The declining number of priestly
vocations has been generally
noted in some dioceses. Is this
true in your area?
Well, no. Certainly, in
Malaybalay diocese, the problem
is not concerning vocations to the
priesthood and the religious life.
In terms of the number of candi-
dates, there are really a good
number who enter the seminary.
Our problem rather is on the train-
© Ettore Ferrari/epa/Corbis
ing or formation stage because a
lot of them do not persevere.
Maybe out of 20, only about 7 of
them make it to ordination. But
you know, for me, even if they
don’t make it to the ordination, I
don’t look at it as a waste of
money because, for sure, these
individuals have already imbibed
and the mention that you made, Car- the lofty ideals or values from
dinal Tomko, to the “Federación their seminary formation, which
Mundial de la Adoración they can use in the future as fam-
Nocturna”, enables me to recall how ily men. If they will work in the
helpful the rediscovery of Eucharis- government or be involved in
tic Adoration is for many Christians. business, at least they can use
In this regard, I am pleased to the values they have acquired
think back to my experience last year from their seminary formation.
with the young people in Cologne
on the occasion of World Youth Day, On the subject of lay empower-
and in St Peter’s Square with the chil- ment or participation in the
dren preparing for their First Com- Church, how is it being realized
7
munion accompanied by their fami- in your diocese?
lies and catechists. Oh yes, we have a
How great is humanity’s need to- very strong lay leader-
day to rediscover the source of its ship program, which we
hope in the Sacrament of the Eucha- call Alagad program.
rist! I thank the Lord because many We train new recruits
parishes, as well as celebrating Holy twice a year. They are
Mass devoutly, are educating the faith- empowered to do para-
ful in Eucharistic Adoration, and I liturgical work or minis-
hope also in view of the upcoming In-
ternational Eucharistic Congress that
try in the absence of a
priest in different bar-
QUESTIONS
this practice will continue to spread. rios, sitios and local
Dear brothers and sisters, as chapels. Some of them go into
you well know, the next Post- developmental type of work like
Synodal Exhortation will be dedi- giving lectures on sustainable ag-
cated to the Eucharist. It will present riculture and some are even serv-
the suggestions that were made at ing as a kagawad in the barrio.
the last Synod of Bishops, dedicated So, while being a lay leader in their
precisely to the Eucharistic Mystery, parish, they also put their values
and I am sure that this Document will in their work as kagawad. Re-
also help the Church to prepare and ally, this is one area where we em-
to celebrate with interior participa- power our laity.
tion the Eucharistic Congress that
will be taking place in June 2008. Do you think the laity would
From this moment, I entrust it to rather be more effective in evan-
the Virgin Mary, the first and incom- gelizing in their secular field or
parable adorer of Christ in the Eucha- arena?
rist. May Our Lady protect and ac- Definitely. They should be
company each one of you and your more involved in areas where they
communities and make the work you are probably prepared more. For
are doing fruitful, with a view to the example, in politics. It is really a
important ecclesial event in Quebec. place for lay people. But many of
For my part, I assure you of my our church’s lay leaders, who are
remembrance in prayer and warmly not only professionally but also
bless you all. morally qualified, do not want to
run for political positions because
they think it is dirty…there is lot
of corruption. But I think this is
sure our public officials, and those the place where they should be
who would like to be in the position more involved in order to evan-
of governance in our country. We gelize. You see, there are even
have not gotten rid of injustice, cheat- good people like members of faith
ing, dishonesty, graft and corruption communities who could easily run
in our culture of election and gover- for mayors, but they do not like
nance. No act of Congress, no deci- to, maybe because they are afraid
sion of the Supreme Court can fully that if they run they will not win
make any one “a good steward.” True considering the kind of politics
and genuine stewardship can take we have.
place only when a person has a “sense
of God” and thus makes his personal What about the Philippine
covenant with him as his Master, and church’s social concern agenda?
has a “sense of altruism” and thus How is the status of your
makes a personal commitment to his diocese’s social concern pro-
neighbors as truly his brothers and gram and activities?
sisters.
5
Well, one is that we are help-
ing the indigenous peoples in our
area in their struggle for their an-
cestral domain. Another, we have
our Botika sa Parokya, of course,
with the intention of helping
those who cannot afford to buy
high-priced medicines. We also
try to look into the problem of
child labor. There are a lot of re-
ports about child labor in various
companies particularly those op-
erating the banana or pineapple
plantations. It may not be very
visible to the public eye, but there
are reports about this problem be-
cause a lot of families cannot af-
ford to send their children to
school but instead let them work
in the plantations. Lastly, we are
also continually firming up on
other programs which we already
have like our literacy program
among the tribal communities in
the hinterlands.
Is it not that the Church’s en-
gagement in politics is also part
of the social concern agenda?
What do you think?
Yes, I do believe it is part of
the Church’s social concern. The
People’s Initiative, for example,
is a political issue but
at the same time we are
involved in it simply be-
cause the manner
which they have col-
lected the signatures, to
some extent, is rather
not in line with the
Church’s teaching. The
Church’s teaching is
that the freedom of man
should be respected. In
the case of the People’s Initia-
tive, they collected signatures
even if people were not given ad-
equate information, or that
people’s freedom were not re-
spected in the sense that it was
accompanied with a hidden threat
like saying ‘if you will not sign,
something will happen’, or also
with some promises like ‘if you
sign, things will become better for
you’. In a sense, there is a moral
dimension in such an issue, and
we try to address the moral di-
mension. If people must partici-
pate, they must have the freedom
to sign or not to sign on the basis
of adequate information, not just
sketchy information, and without
coercion or threats. That is
against human dignity. So, in our
part, as much as we can, we edu-
cate our people in the diocese
about it even if this thing of col-
lecting signatures has been done
too fast and too soon. In this
case, hence, the Church’s social
concern mandate of morally en-
gaging in politics should come to
play.
How is your program on evange-
lization and catechesis?
Well, we have an Institute of
Catechesis that serves the whole
diocese. Volunteer catechists go
there for their initial training and
continuing formation. This is the
Institute that takes care of the
catechetical program of the dio-
7 Questions / P13

6 Opinion
Editorial
Gambling Operation is
Exploitation
The exploitation of people is one of the worst
social evils especially so in countries that are
economically depressed and bleak. Talk about
the Philippines and how serious the evil of gambling
is in this country.
Be it legal or illegal, gambling in this nation is
downright exploitation of people. Legal gambling
exploits the wealthy, the corrupt and/or the greedy.
Illegal gambling on the other hand exploits the
poor, the gullible and the helpless.
The rich who indulge in legal gambling have no
right to waste their resources in the face of the
basic needs of the poor who are teeming in
millions. The poor who patronize illegal gambling
should know by now that they are eventually
rendered even poorer by gambling operators
cheating them.
This is why it is a big hypocrisy to claim that legal
gambling is giving revenues to the government to
help the poor, while illegal gambling is giving work
to the poor. Strange but true: the welfare of the
poor in this country is the perpetual excuse—from
running in the elections and putting up dummy
charitable foundations to promoting and tolerating
legal and illegal gambling operations.
If only such numerous and continuous claims were
true, there would be no poor in this country. It
can be asked, in addition to helping the poor every
now and then, what else does legal gambling really
do with its multi-billion yearly takes? Other than
giving work to the kubradores, what else does
illegal gambling do to favor certain crooked
national and local officials in government?
It is not too hard to understand that gambling
especially in a poor country like the Philippines is
becoming a yearly social calamity. It is much
worse than the material devastation brought about
by periodic typhoons and other natural disasters.
Gambling is a vice—as evil as the vicious practices
of drug peddling and consequent addiction, the
promotion and patronage of prostitution especially
of women and children.
There is no social adversity like the erosion of
elementary values of industry, integrity and
honesty. Gambling promotes and inculcates the
vices of indolence, greed and corruption. During
the time of martial law everybody was denouncing
to the teeth the regime for exploitation and
injustice and oppression. Happily or sadly, today
nobody does.
ISSN 1908-2940
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vol10-n16.pmd 6 11/24/2006, 9:06 PM
“Lord, make me a channel of your peace... where there is hatred,
let me bring your love... where there is injury, your pardon.”
Abp. Angel N. Lagdameo, DD
In and Out of Season
THE Second Plenary Council of the Phil-
ippines (PCP-II) has one decree which
mandates the development of a compre-
hensive theology of stewardship. It
reads: “The Church, through the initia-
tives of the CBCP, should develop a com-
prehensive theology of stewardship and,
in the light of theology, should make ecol-
ogy a special concern of the social ac-
tion apostolate down to the parochial
level, with the end in view of making ev-
eryone a true steward of God’s creation.
An ecology desk must be set up in social
action centers” (Art. 31, sec. 1 and 2).
What is stewardship? In what does
it consist? Stewardship is the practical
acknowledgment that one is neither the
absolute owner and master both of him-
self and his possessions, nor of the world
of nature (ecology) and of grace. He has
received them as a gift and a trust. And
therefore, he must use them as a grateful,
accountable and responsible person, in
accordance with the intention or plan of
the Divine Owner, to promote the good
of all and to establish the reign of God in
the hearts of men.
“Renewed Evangelization” and
“Renewal of Christian Life” which PCP-
II lengthily talks about necessarily in-
volves the promotion of a life-style of
Pursuing the Lost
Sheep
Peace
PROMOTING respect, care and value of
life through pro-life seminars have
opened the doors to all sectors of soci-
ety who care to listen and realize that life
is for everyone.
Lina and Celia were scheduled to de-
part immediately for Japan as dancers when
both discovered they were pregnant. Hav-
ing attended the seminars, they sought
counseling before they went to an abortionist
whom Lina contracted to perform a D & C.
Their being able to express their
fears and worries gave way to new ideas
and options. Exploring possibilities and
solutions with the counselor led to a dia-
logue with the manager to work out an
agreement with the employer to postpone
the contract until the baby is born.
Lina, decided to continue with her
pregnancy—uncertain but trusting that
God’s promise to “Seek first His kingdom
Stewardship
stewardship. Theologically, everything a
man has primarily belongs to God on a
triple title of creation, redemption and
sanctification. Not only possessions
which include money, but life itself, par-
enthood, grace, as well as mental, manual
and artistic talents must be received hum-
bly and gratefully from the Lord of Cre-
ation. They must be used and applied in
a way that recognizes God’s ownership.
Vatican II’s Decree on the Laity,
Apostolicam Actuositatem, identifies the
apostolate of the laity in the Church and
in Society with the biblical word “stew-
ard” or “stewardship,” when it states:
“For the exercise of the apostolate God
gives the faithful special gifts besides,
‘allotting them to each one as he wills’ (I
Cor. 12/7), so that each and all, putting at
the service of others the grace received
may be ‘as good stewards of God’s var-
ied gifts,’ (I Pt. 4/10), for the building of
the whole body in charity (cf. Eph. 4/16).
From the reception of these charisms,
even the most ordinary ones, there arises
for each of the faithful the right and the
duty of exercising them in the Church and
in the world for the good of men and the
development of the church….” (no. 3).
In the Old Testament, relationship
with God is expressed and interpreted in
Sr. Mary Pilar Verzosa, RGS
and His righteousness and everything
will be added unto you” will hold true
and God’s miracle will happen.
Celia, on the other hand, decided to
abort her baby due to extreme fear that
her family would reject her. She knew in
her heart that she wanted her baby. She
was torn between what is right (to keep
her baby) and what is practical (to earn a
living in Japan). Her decision made her
depressed to near despair. More so when
she realized that her abortion was incom-
plete and her bleeding would not stop.
She had to undergo another D & C and
pay another P 6,500.00 for the procedure.
She was not able to leave for Japan.
But, true to His word, God performed
miracles when He was sought. By God’s
grace, the manager was able to arrange
for a better deal with the Japanese em-
ployer. Lina was allowed to leave for Ja-
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 16
November 20, 2006
terms of stewardship. It is applied not
only to individuals (like Cain and Abel,
Abraham, Moses, Joseph, the Judges
and the Prophets), but also to the whole
of Israel. The call of God to individual
personages is a call to be steward of
God’s message of salvation. The Bible
recounts stories of how individual Isra-
elites and the Chosen People fulfilled this
duty of stewardship concerning the
mighty gifts of God. But many times, too,
the Israelites, both individually and col-
lectively, failed against their duty of stew-
ardship: they broke God’s command-
ments and turned to idolatry. The un-
faithful stewards, who were leaders of the
people, were called “false shepherds” (Ez.
34). The Bible, however, also contains the
story of God’s patient efforts to call them
to a new relationship with him, to a re-
turn to stewardship.
In the New Testament, Jesus is pre-
sented as God’s steward par excellence
by the very fact that He is the Son of
God, sent into the world for His Father’s
business. Jesus delivered many of His sub-
lime teachings in the form of parables. He
frequently made reference to the practice
of stewardship: for example, the parable of
the rich fool (Lk. 12/13-21), the talents dis-
In and Out/ P5
Love Life
pan even if she was pregnant. She did
not have to work as a dancer.
God’s ways are not our ways. But
with God all things are possible and His
ways are creative and inexhaustible. He
will never abandon the lost sheep. This
much a Pro-lifer knows and experiences,
for every person touched by God’s grace
through Pro-life services, the hand of God
is revealed and the eyes of the blind are
opened.
Pro-life needs volunteers to help in
our counseling centers, our speakers
bureau and our fund-raising projects.
We can also help you set up pro-life ac-
tivities in your parish, school or orga-
nization. Please call the pro-life office if
you feel that God is calling you to this
ministry – Tel 911-2911, telefax 421-
7147, email life@prolife.org.ph or text
me at 0919-2030-637.
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 16
November 20, 2006
Jose B. Lugay
Laik
Laikoo Lampstand
THE Biofuels Act, a consolidation of House
Bill 4629 and Senate Bill 2226 is scheduled
for the Congressional Bicameral Commit-
tee meeting this November. The new law
will be signed by the President in the fol-
lowing weeks. After the Implementing
Rules and Regulations will be completed in
3 month’s time the mandate to mix biofuels
in this ratio: 1% cocodiesel to diesel fuel
and 5% ethanol to gasoline, will start. In
effect, there will be less fossil fuels burned
to run our transport vehicles.
What is the significance of this law?
How does it affect the economy? The sugar
industry? The corn, coconut and cassava
farmers? What are the potential problems
facing these farmers? To answer all these
questions, the Concerned Citizens Against
Pollution led by its founding chairperson,
Ester Perez de Tagle held a symposium at
the Ateneo University, Institute of Social
Order last November 4. Due to the porten-
tous effect of the burning of fossil fuels to
man’s future in this planet, many environ-
mentalists came to attend the symposium,
namely, key representatives of the NGOs,
the Academe, the government sector,
priests and religious, and the business sec-
tor.
Congressman Nereus Acosta, the pro-
Scorecards
ÃN có nhai, nói có ngh)´ is a Vietnam-
ese proverb which simply says “Think
today and speak tomorrow.”
Government drumbeaters are at it
again. The country’s economic growth
can no longer be ignored as international
rating agencies have upgraded the
country’s status from a sorry status
some months ago to what some people
described as highly acceptable. Inter-
ests charged from foreign borrowings will
now be reduced.
It has also been said it will take some-
time for ordinary people to benefit from a
much better economy as it takes time for
the “fruits” to trickle down to the greater
majority. I’ve heard this line since I joined
Veritas in 1994 when the administration
then boasted of the country was slowly
but surely achieving a “Tiger economic
status.” And all we heard was a purr and
nothing more.
Still, the government hopes to get
more foreign investors into the country.
However, it is sad to know international
businessmen are seriously considering
Vietnam after China. Pro cha-cha groups
would say we really have to amend the
constitution to make us more attractive
to businessmen. Again, it’s the people
that matters and not the system.
Against this backdrop, Filipinos
Oscar V. Cruz, DD
Vie ws and P
iews oints
Points
GRAFT and Corruption seem to have
become an expertise of the present Ad-
ministration. This observation becomes
more evident and eminent especially be-
fore, during and even long after elections.
In effect, there is no day nor occasion in
the country that is not accompanied by
suspicions and talks of graft and corrup-
tion especially so when the government
has a hand therein. Rightly or wrongly,
there already seems to be a popular ten-
dency of identifying the present Admin-
istration with graft and corruption.
The truth is that even the national
leadership itself repeatedly and publicly
acknowledges the big curse of graft and
corruption in government. For this rea-
son, at its own initiative even, the present
Administration came up with the brilliant
idea of setting aside the amount of no
less than two billion pesos to lessen if
not totally eradicate graft and corruption
vol10-n16.pmd 7 11/24/2006, 9:06 PM
Opinion
Biofuels and Our
Future
ponent of the Clean Air Act, Engineer Rafael
Diaz, President of the Philippine Biodiesel
Association, Mr. Ernesto Ellis, Jr., COCAP
Trustee, Mr. Fernando Corpus of the Sugar
Regulatory Commission and Mr. Mario
Marasigan, Director of the Department of
Energy were the experts who propounded
on the cause and effect of too much de-
pendence on fossil fuels and the benefits
of now using renewable energy resources.
The discussion included all sources of
feedstock for the production of biodiesel,
namely, coconut oil, palm oil, oil from seeds
of jethropa (tuba-tuba), hanga-hanga, rape
seed (canola), even from used cooking oil.
Corn, cassava, sugar cane and sweet sor-
ghum were identified as the main feedstock
for the manufacture of ethanol.
These were the facts highlighted by
the speakers which everybody should
know since this will affect our way of life in
the next two decades:
• The continued use of fossil fuel will accu-
mulate greenhouse emissions. Together
with deforestation, these two activities
of modern man directly increase global
warming. As a consequence, the North
Pole icecap melts, the glaciers in
Greenland and Europe shrivels, and the
permafrost in Siberia recedes.
Melo M. Acuna
Issues and Concerns
leaving for abroad reached to a high of
almost 3,000 a day. According to Philip-
pine Overseas Employment Administra-
tion figures, this is simply 8% more than
that of previous year’s average. It ap-
pears most of our workers wish to earn
more at the shortest possible time.
Vietnam, which happens to be our
neighbor, ravaged by bitter fighting for
decades will open its doors to foreign lead-
ers as host to APEC leaders this 18th and
19th of November and the World Trade
Organization as its 150th member country.
It is interesting to note Vietnam
(8.4%) is second to China (10.2%) in
terms of economic growth last year com-
pared with our very own 5.0% according
to the real GDP growth in APEC member
economies. Its growth in agriculture has
significantly changed the economic en-
vironment in what was formerly part of
French Indochina, along with its being
host to modern industries. However,
Intel got into the picture along with
Honda motorcycles which hopes to
produce a million bikes next year
simply for their domestic market. In the
Philippines, we are now satisfied with the
hand-me-downs from Subic and other
freeports.
The Philippines during the height to
the Vietnam War was America’s launch-
Graft and Corruption
Again and Again
in the public sector. The serious and dedi-
cated cleansing work in the government
was said to have immediately began in
earnest with coordinated efforts of dif-
ferent government agencies.
But surprise, surprise! Or is it? The
Transparency International just recently
came up with the finding that there is now
in fact even more graft and corruption in
Philippine Government. In effect, in its
latest report, the country as a whole sunk
lower in ranking as far as honesty and
integrity in government transactions are
concerned. Translation: graft and corrup-
tion accompany government dealings all
over the land even more during these
times!
Question: Where are the 2 billion
anti-graft and corruption funds? How is
such a big funding allocation being spent
under the baton of the national leader-
ship itself? Why is there now even more
• The sea level will rise by 30 feet and will
submerge many of the 7032 islands of
the Philippines.
• The climate change has made the phe-
nomena of El Niño and La Niña appear in
predictable patterns resulting in more
destructive typhoons on one hand and
desertification of fertile lands, on the
other hand.
• The supply of fossil fuel and its products,
diesel and gasoline, will dwindle at a
much faster rate. This is attributed to the
fuel demands of industries in the United
States, Europe and the new industrializ-
ing countries notably India and China .
Regrettably, no country has fulfilled their
promised target to reduce greenhouse
emissions in accordance with the Kyoto
Protocol.
• The supply of fossil fuel is finite and not
renewable.
• The time will come when the main suppli-
ers of oil in the Middle East—Iraq, Iran,
Saudi Arabia will control world economic
security. This is termed by Thomas Fried-
man of Herald Tribune as Petro-
Authoritarianism. Coupled with Islamic
radicalism this becomes a greater threat
to world peace—conceivably leading to
Laiko / P4
ing pad for its “liberation” forces. Rest
and recreation was either at Subic or
Angeles City in Pampanga. It was in
April 1975 that the Americans opted to
leave Saigon giving the North Vietnam-
ese leaders and troopers what’s left of
South Vietnam. It was in 1986 when they
launched their “Renewal” program and
started the ball rolling. A couple of months
after President Corazon Aquino assumed
power, we were buying rice from Vietnam.
All is not lost. We’re a bit ahead of
Thailand and Chinese Taipei, according
to APEC statistics. We’re lagging be-
hind Singapore and Russia and Korea,
Malaysia and Indonesia. Who would
ever think Vietnam would overtake our
very own country, touted to be America’s
closest ally in Asia for the past 60 years?
Maybe had the Americans left us on
our own, we could have prospered ear-
lier. Yes, the Americans are back in Viet-
nam, not as Green Beret soldiers but ea-
ger businessmen. Well, we’re still hosts
to American troopers in never-ending
military exercises geared to what has been
said as “inter-operationability.”
What’s wrong with us? Will some-
one please take time to clearly explain
where we are? Don’t you find the
Vietnamese proverb a probable key to
success?
graft and corruption in the government?
Is the amount in fact used by the Admin-
istration as an excuse precisely to fund
its many and different graft and corrup-
tion practices? In the event that there is
an iota of truth in the alleged malversa-
tion of the fund, this would be the height
of hypocrisy, the summit of deception.
The people are poor. Many of them
are starving. Some of them die for lack of
medicine. Millions leave the country to
find a living. Women are violated and
children are exploited. There are those
who even sell their kidneys.
Where have all the money gone?
Who pocket much of the direct and indi-
rect taxes paid by the rich and poor alike?
Why is graft and corruption still much
alive and thriving well in this country?
Where is honest and upright governance?
When shall this sunny nation eventually
see the sun of hope and promise rise?
7
Bp. Leonardo Y. Medroso, JCD, DD
Tidbits
The People of God
and the Bishop
IT is amazing how simple events as the announcement of a
transfer of assignments could trigger a series of realizations.
This happened to me some time last October 17, 2006, when
the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines called me up by
phone relaying to me the decision of the Holy Father to
transfer me to the Diocese of Tagbilaran. Drilled for so long in
the value of obedience, I acceded to the Holy Father’s order
without comprehending at that moment the full impact of my
ready consent. But not for long. It soon dawned on me.
Left alone after the call, I started seeing the implications
of the transfer unfolding before my gaze its stark reality. I
began to realize the full import of what a diocese is. In law it
is objectively and therefore coldly described as a portion of
the people of God constituted as a particular Church or a
community of the Christ’s faithful entrusted to a Pastor in a
definite locality. As such parting would not be that heavy.
But the Church of Christ in the Eastern part of Samar is not
just a cold organizational system or a group of baptized
Christians welded together through the Gospel and the Holy
Eucharist; organized to respond effectively to the divine call
to holiness. The Diocese of Borongan is first and foremost
the “waray-waray” people in Eastern Samar who through
the sacrament of baptism and the celebration of the Holy
Eucharist were called together to a pilgrimage, to a spiritual
journey that has to be undertaken in the province where the
rising sun is first seen.
This is a portion of the people of God, men of flesh and
blood, of deep emotions and sensitive feelings, persons who
are capable of forming their own spiritual vision and spin-
ning out social dreams backed up with their own assumed
mission and self-induced commitments, group of individu-
als who are proud of their own language, customs, culture,
way of life. For nineteen years I have journeyed with this
people; I have been happy with them, comfortable with their
behavior and way of living, one with them in their dreams,
their frustrations and disappointments, in their prayers and
hope for a better tomorrow in Christ. Now, with the impend-
ing transfer I realize that I am leaving the people whom I
have learned to love and cherish.
The people of God concept is introduced by the Sec-
ond Vatican Council to describe the Church, for it conveys
the foundational structure of the Church as a social struc-
ture. It points out the nature of the members that compose
it, defining, that is, their radical equality. Baptism is the
source of this equality, endowing to all the same dignity, the
same rights and duties, the same means of salvation and the
same faith, conscious at the same time of their responsibility
for the common purpose of the entire Church on the spiritual
level. All are Christ’s faithful.
To gestate, nurture and look after the constant growth
and maturity of this people of God, Christ instituted the
sacrament of ordination, by virtue of which those who are
called and properly formed are configured to Christ the head
of the Church, endowing in them the power to perform His
threefold functions for the sanctification and governance of
the Church. Through this configuration of service, the prin-
ciple of equality among the members is not eroded. Rather,
the principle of variety is established. It is true that by virtue
of the sacrament of order the ordained ministers are config-
ured as essentially, and not just in degree, different from
those who are not ordained. They have acquired the three-
fold ministerial functions of Christ, participating in His
priestly, kingly and prophetic offices. Their configuration to
Christ is a configuration to act in the name, and sometimes in
the person, of Christ the head of the Church. But they re-
main of the same dignity with the rest of Christ’s faithful.
At this juncture, it is helpful to emphasize the harmoni-
ous conjoining of these two principles. The principle of
equality needs the principle of variety for the people of God
will not grow to full maturity without the close pastoral care of
the Bishop and his priests. On the other hand, the principle of
variety needs complete acceptance of the concept of radical
equality, for the reason that its existence is precisely to be of
service to the priestly, kingly and prophetic people of God.
Hence, as the people of God can only grow and develop
properly when it is entrusted to its proper Pastor; so the
Pastor can only grow and properly develop when it is faith-
fully extending its priestly ministry to the particular people
of God entrusted to his care. It is within this concept that
Canon 369 defined the diocese as: “a portion of the people
of God, which is entrusted to a Bishop to be nurtured by
him, with the cooperation of the presbyterium, in such a way
that, remaining close to its pastor and gathered by him
through the Gospel and the Eucharist in the Holy Spirit, it
constitutes a particular Church. In this Church, the one,
holy, catholic and apostolic Church of Christ truly exists and
functions.”
When the Diocese of Borongan, Eastern Samar, was
entrusted to me as its Bishop some nineteen years ago, I
was conscious of my task in inserting myself to the life,
Tidbits / P12

8 National Youth Day 2006
NYD 2006
sa Davao . . .
By Maria Riza A. Melliza
THE culmination of the Pilgrim Walk
on November 11, 2006 (Day 4) at the
Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of
Prague (or simply Shrine for the lo-
cals) was reminiscent of part of the
verse in Rev. 7:9 which states, “Af-
ter this I saw before me a huge crowd
which no one could count from ev-
ery nation and race, people and
tongue…” as the delegates from each
of the three (3) Catechetical Sites
started streaming in after going
through busy thoroughfares and ne-
gotiating the steep slopes of Shrine
Hill. Indeed, it was breathtaking to
see all 6,000+ delegates in their red,
yellow and blue backpacks proudly
displaying their delegation banners
indicating representations from all
over the Philippines. Including the
2,000+ volunteers, the Shrine that
day was “lighted” by 10,000 watts of
youthful energy. The Shrine was
spectacular with the presence of the
youth and complemented with ban-
ners all around the venue featuring
saints who are models for the youth.
The week that was . . .
They all came to the National
Youth Day (NYD) 2006 in Davao to
THE well–attended National
Youth Day (NYD) held in Davao
City last Nov. 8-12, 2006 left the
Archdiocese of Davao in high
spirits, jovial and fulfilled, know-
ing it has given its utmost to en-
sure a meaningful experience for
the young delegates and their
youth ministers. More so, among
the organizing committees,
hearts are still burning with a
sense of assurance that God
blessed their efforts significantly
and granted abounding graces
to make sure the event was a
success in ways that mattered
most.
One week after the NYD,
many are still talking how much
they have been moved spiritually.
Between volunteers, speakers,
delegates, foster families, and
parish workers, text messages of
gratitude, praise and affection are
still exchanged. All these, testify-
ing to the excitement, the con-
quered challenges, the faith-shar-
ing, the memorable encounters,
the deep insights and the fresh
hope brought about by the 5-day
youth gathering.
During the said dates, more
than seven thousand (7,000) del-
egates and volunteers were seen
around the parishes for assem-
blies, masses and holy hour, in
the Catholic schools for the
catechesis and programs, in the
vol10-n16.pmd 8 11/24/2006, 9:06 PM
JaM na!
reflect on the theme, “Your word is a
lamp to my feet and a light to my
path.” (Psalm 119:105).
On November 8 (Day 1), the del-
egates from all over the country were
warmly welcomed in the 19 hosting
parishes by their foster families. Later
in the afternoon, the Opening Liturgy
was celebrated in 19 parish churches
with 19 Mindanao Bishops presid-
ing. Bishops Ongtioco, Dela Cruz
and Baylon, Chairperson of the Epis-
copal Commission on Youth (ECY),
were also present. The Opening Lit-
urgy was followed by the Opening
Program which was organized by
each parish. It was this gesture of
welcome that Davao’s Archbishop
Fernando R. Capalla envisioned as
Mindanao hosted NYD for the first
time. The delegates’ attention was
drawn to the warmth generated by
small Christian communities, charac-
teristic and ubiquitous of the Church
in Mindanao.
November 9 (Day 2) brought the
delegates to their respective
Catechetical Sites. Hosting parishes
to the north had the University of
the Immaculate Conception—Bajada
Spirit-filled NYD 2006 Touches Lives
By Michelle Porras
city streets for the pilgrim walk to-
wards the Shrine of the Infant Jesus
of Prague and in the tourist spots,
restaurants and malls on the last day
for the “suroy-suroy” or
“pasyalan” with the foster families.
To the bystander, who witnessed
these batches of young people in
their colorful body bags and T-shirts,
the NYD may have appeared to be
just a grand youth festival or a na-
tionwide jamboree. It was actually
all that and more. It was definitely a
spiritual assembly characterized by
joyous praise, cheering, dancing, in-
ter-action and also solemn praying.
It was probably a foretaste of an even
more glorious, vibrant, dynamic
Church in the future.
The NYD in Davao even had
Muslim brothers and sisters as
guests. Almost two hundred of the
delegates joined exposures in differ-
ent local communities. Some had the
chance to experience helping build
homes for the less fortunate with the
Youth for Christ volunteers through
the Gawad-Kalinga program, while
many had their first taste of Inter-
Campus as their Catechetical Site
(Csite1 with color code, red); parishes
in the poblacion had the Holy Cross
of Davao College—Sta. Ana Campus
as their Catechetical Site (Csite2 with
color code, yellow); and parishes to
the south had the Ateneo de Davao
UniversitY—Matina Campus as their
Catechetical Site (Csite3 with color
code, blue).
Catecheses were held in the
mornings of Days 2 - 4 using the
Lectio Divina as an approach on the
following topics: Day 2 – God, the
Father: the Source of True Light; Day
3 – Jesus, the Son of God: the Eter-
nal Light; Day 4 – God, the Holy
Spirit: the Source of Truth.
Inputs from the invited speak-
ers were followed by individual re-
flection and group sharing. Each
group of 10 delegates had a faith
sharing facilitator who assisted them
in their needs.
Day 2 was graced with the pres-
ence of the Papal Nuncio, Arch-
bishop Fernando Filoni who visited
all three Catechetical Sites and talked
to the delegates. He exuded so much
positive disposition and regard for
religious Dialogue and spent time
with Muslim families in their homes
for an afternoon. These and the other
unique features of this year’s NYD,
including the well applauded visit of
the Papal Nuncio, experiencing the
Lectio Divina, Lectures and Work-
shops on Social issues and different
Church ministries for the young defi-
nitely left a durable dent in many
minds and hearts. These words are
what some of them have to say...
“I felt that God touched my heart
during the NYD through the reflec-
tions with my faith-sharing group. It
the youth that was evident as the
young people spontaneously ap-
plauded his words of challenge and
encouragement, gave him standing
ovations and came to him to kiss his
ring, shake his hand and have their
pictures taken with him. In his hom-
ily at the Mass in Csite3, as he ex-
pounded on the theme, he encour-
aged the youth to be strong in their
faith and be constant in their hopes
that must be deeply anchored in their
faith in Jesus Christ. He challenged
the delegates to bring the NYD spirit
to their respective places of origin,
to become living witnesses of the
Gospel.
The afternoon of Day 2 saw the
delegates breaking into four or five
smaller groups per Csite to participate
in tracks and conferences on various
topics: Ecumenism and Interreligious
Dialogue, Youth in the Culture of Ab-
sence, Music Ministry, Call to Holi-
ness, Pro-Life, Servant Leadership,
Christian Sexuality, Youth Ministry,
Corruption, Child in the Media, Youth
in the Basic Ecclesial Community,
Justice and Peace and Integrity of
Creation, Creative Gospel Sharing
and Dance Ministry.
Speakers for the catecheses,
tracks and conferences consisted of
four bishops from Mindanao, seven
priests, two religious sisters, five
laymen and a team from the dance
ministry.
Some youth leaders were pro-
vided exposure to initiatives on in-
terreligious dialogue and some con-
tributed work in the Gawad Kalinga
Project.
The afternoon of Day 3 gath-
ered the delegates in their respec-
tive Csites to watch, reflect and share
on the following:
• Servant Leadership. A Ford Acad-
emy of the Arts play, “Goyong”,
on the life of the young hero
Gregorio del Pilar.
• Tri-people of Mindanao Issues. A
Performance of the Kaliwat The-
ater Collective, a play within a play
titled Mindasilang depicting the
tri-people issues of Mindanao.
• Understanding the Differently-
abled. A Down Syndrome Foun-
dation, Inc. performance by per-
sons with Down Syndrome.
The evenings of the NYD were
also a mix of experiences for the del-
egates. The Youth Festival was cel-
ebrated in each of the three Csites in
the evening of Day 2 with the theme,
helped me realize my wrongdoings,
it also encouraged me to change and
to be a better person.” Daryl, 13 yrs
old, Davao.
“I felt the love and acceptance
of my foster family and other del-
egates, they were generous and wel-
coming. God is inviting me to do the
same.” Yani, Marbel, Cotabato
“Experiencing NYD was an
awakening on my part… in the lec-
tures, and sharing… I see some simi-
larities in my Islam faith to the faith
of the Christians, with this I have
learned to understand them.” Suwaib
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 16
November 20, 2006
“Best of the Islands: Flaunt…
Color… Evangelize…”, each eccle-
siastical region prepared a presenta-
tion that celebrated the cultural di-
versity of the country’s islands.
The evening of November 10
(Day 3) started solemnly as the del-
egates returned to their respective
hosting parish churches for the Holy
Hour. The evening ended with the
Parish Night, each parish celebrat-
ing and honoring the delegates and
their foster families in its unique way.
Paying homage to the Sto. Nino, the
Eternal Youth …
NYD 2006 was launched on
January 15, 2006, the feastday of the
Sto. Niño and as Providence willed
it, NYD culminated at His Shrine on
November 11 (Day 4). So off the del-
egates went for the 2.5 – 3 kilometer
Pilgrim Walk to the Shrine, each with
a partner for an Emmaus experience.
They have come from the plain, walk-
ing via busy thoroughfares, amidst
malls and varied sights and sounds.
As they began the trek uphill to the
Shrine, the pace slowed down,
breathlessness discouraged con-
versing with companions, a canopy
of trees provided a refreshing cool-
ness . . . a palpable invitation to lis-
ten to that inner Voice.
The Shrine was a refreshing
sight to weary pilgrims with its roll-
ing terrain of green grass, mango
trees, quaint chapels and the view
of majestic Mt. Apo at a distance.
The delegates ended their Pil-
grim Walk with a prayer with their
co-journeyer in an Emmaus experi-
ence. As the last set of delegates en-
tered the Shrine, confetti was show-
ered on the delegates as a gesture of
welcome to the Shrine from the City
Government of Davao.
It was with this disposition that
the Closing Liturgy was celebrated.
Archbishop Capalla was the presider
with nine (9) other bishops and more
than a hundred priests
concelebrating. The heart of
Archbishop’s homily was the invi-
tation for the young people to de-
sire for holiness of life which could
only be achieved if Jesus would be
Numero Uno in their life.
NYD was not only for the del-
egates to have a good time but also
a time to do good and become good.
He shared the story of the Holy
Father’s visit to the United States of
America where the Pope met Rafael
NYD 2006 / P14
C. Mala, 18, Maranao Muslim.
“The inter-religious dialogue
cancelled out my negative atti-
tudes towards all Muslims. I want
to convince my Bishop to have
the same program in our dio-
cese.” Ace, 23, Imus, Cavite.
“I was particularly struck in
the sharing of the second day. I
heard of similar stories from my
companions, and my fellow
priests. It made me reflect on the
context of brokenness young
people are in and so, challenging a
minister like me how to be an in-
strument of wholeness and heal-
ing.” Fr. Ipe Enriquez, CICM,
Butuan.
“I was touched with how the
Davaoenos shared and partici-
pated in the NYD, from the simple
to the most challenging tasks.
Their presence, and ways of
doing things, are truly manifesta-
tions of God’s love and care for
the young members of our Church
and society.” Sr. Jane, 32, (Medi-
cal Mission Sisters) Bukidnon.
“Thanks for the NYD experi-
ence. Nag-iipon na po ako for the
next NYD. I have learned that I
could be an apostle for Christ in
my own way, di ko pinagsisihan
at fullfilled po ako.” Pulo Te ,
College student.
“The NYD taught me to un-
derstand more my being Catho-
Spirit-filled / P9
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 16
November 20, 2006
NYD 2006:
Taking a Stand for Life… for Love
By Steven Borja
FROM 8-12 November, the Archdio-
cese of Davao served as a home to
more than 7,000 young people from
all over the Philippines for the na-
tional celebration of National Youth
Day (NYD) 2006. Since 1986, the
Church in the Philippines has been
annually celebrating the NYD,
whether in the local churches only or
together with a national gathering in
a host-diocese, as one of her concrete
expressions of love for the young.
Traditionally, the Scrip-
ture verse which the Holy
Father offers as the World
Youth Day theme also be-
comes the NYD theme.
This year, our young par-
ticipants reflected on “Your
word is a lamp unto my feet
and light unto my path” [Ps
119:105]. This NYD 2006,
the first in Mindanao,
aimed to gather Catholic
youth from all over the Phil-
ippines, to deepen their faith
grounded on God’s word,
and to re-affirm that the
Church cares for them. The
Archdiocese of Davao,
through the kind leadership of Arch-
bishop Fernando Capalla, DD, pre-
pared a program of activities geared
towards the realization of these ob-
jectives.
Participants started arriving as
early as Nov. 6 from various points
of entry: the airport, seaport, and bus
terminals. They were welcomed and
accommodated in parishes and fos-
ter-families which served as their
second homes. In the afternoon of
Nov. 8, simultaneous Opening Litur-
gies presided by a Mindanao bishop
and Welcome Programs were orga-
nized by the nineteen (19) respec-
tive host-parishes for their guests.
The mornings of the succeed-
ing days (Nov. 9, 10 and 11) were
spent in catechesis. The delegations
were distributed into three
Catechetical Sites: University of the
Immaculate Conception, Bajada;
Holy Cross of Davao College, Santa
Ana; and Ateneo de Davao Univer-
sity, Matina. In these respective
sites, a catechetical program was
done using the “Lectio Divina” ap-
proach. Each morning, a specific
topic was developed: Nov. 9—God
the Father, Source of True Light,
Nov. 10—Jesus, the Son of God, Eter-
nal Light, and Nov. 11—God the Holy
Spirit, Source of Truth. Main speak-
ers were bishops, priests and lay
persons. The morning of Nov. 9 and
10 culminated with the celebration
of the Holy Eucharist. These
catechetical sites were also visited
by the Apostolic Nuncio to the Phil-
ippines, Archbishop Fernando
Filoni, DD, where he shared words
of inspiration to the delegates.
Spirit-filled/ from p8
lic. It has deepened my sense of
faith.” Lalaine Mae G. Dacobor,
17, Ifi-Catholic.
“I belong to a broken family,
my Mom has vices and my Dad
left us to live with his mistress. I
hated them but after my NYD ex-
perience parang nawala ang
galit ko sa kanila.” Roco, young
Catholic.
“My participation in the
NYD was enriching as a Muslim
delegate, there was a realization
to build more my relationship
with the almighty Allah, with
vol10-n16.pmd 9 11/24/2006, 9:06 PM
National Youth Day 2006
In the afternoon of Nov. 9, del-
egates attended 14 simultaneous
tracks and conferences facilitated re-
spectively by a bishop, priests, sis-
ters, and lay people, on topics such
as music ministry, servant-leader-
ship, corruption, creative Gospel
sharing, and others that are relevant
to the world of the young. There
were also two special tracks: Inter-
Religious Dialogue exposure and
Gawad Kalinga. Each delegation sent
a delegate each to these two tracks.
The afternoon of Nov. 10 was spent
in deepening the tracks and confer-
ences of the previous day. Each
catechetical site tackled this program
distinctly: through group sharings,
through a musical followed by shar-
ing and through creative presenta-
tions by differently-abled children.
A festive mood permeated the
evening of Nov. 9, with the “Youth
Festival: Flaunt… Color… Evange-
lize”. This festival showcased the
cultural presentations of the young
people of Davao and of the delega-
tions. The evening of the following
day was devoted to a Holy Hour in
the host-parishes, affording the del-
egates a time for reflection and spiri-
tual deepening of their experiences.
At noontime of Nov. 11, del-
egates from the three Catechetical
people and with myself. I found a
second family, a Christian one but
they considered me as part of their
own family.” Ahmad Alawaddin, 30,
Muslim Tausug, Zamboanga City.
“God loves me and gave me a
true family far from home and true
friends who have shown me concern
and kindness. They were instru-
ments for me to feel God’s love.”
Sheila Bagadiong, Jaro,Iloilo.
“I was struck with the concept
of Church. We all put up with the
inconveniences and imperfections of
the preparations and logistics even
when it was beyond our responsi-
bility. The generosity of the
Sites came together for the Pilgrim
Walk towards the venue for the Clos-
ing Ceremonies, which is the Shrine
of the Infant Jesus of Prague in Shrine
Hills, Matina. Along the way, they
engaged in group sharing and prayer.
Archbishop Capalla presided
over the Closing Mass, together with
bishops and priests, and all the NYD
2006 delegates. Foster families and
guests were also present to join in
the thanksgiving. At the conclusion
of the Mass, Bishop Joel
Baylon, DD, the Chairman
of the CBCP-Episcopal
Commission on Youth,
challenged the delegates
to allow this NYD 2006 ex-
perience to bear fruit not
just in their personal lives,
but in the communities
and groups where they
live, through their unique
and youthful “diskarte”.
He also announced that
the next national celebra-
tion of the NYD will be in
Luzon.
The evening un-
folded with the “Youth
Jam”, a festive program of songs and
dances especially prepared by the
young people of Davao for their fel-
low youth from all over the Philip-
pines. The following day, Nov. 12,
was spent by the delegates with
their foster families in going around
and enjoying Davao City.
All in all, the NYD 2006 was an
experience brimming with the vi-
brancy and joy of the young. De-
spite problems and inconveniences,
young people are capable of giving
themselves into the experience, as
manifested in their dancing, in their
sharing and listening, and in their
praying. As the NYD 2006 theme
song goes, may these young partici-
pants truly “take a stand for life…
for love” and “build the world anew”,
with Jesus, “the lamp unto our feet
and the light to our path”.
Davaoenos is so overwhelming.
As a whole we just moved as one
for the Lord!” Julie Bajo, volun-
teer and foster sister.
“Ang ganda ng ginawa
nyo... there was so much energy
and zeal among the young, it was
an honor to be part of the NYD.”
Elenita Cruz , Metro Manila,
Speaker, Dance Ministry track.
“I enjoyed having 26 del-
egates for merienda in my home
on the last day of the NYD, hear-
ing their stories on how inspired
they were ... Some shed tears of
joy.” Dalisay Soriano, Business-
woman, mother of a volunteer.
FOR the first time in the Philippines,
the National Youth Day was held in
Mindanao —in the Archdiocese of
Davao, from November 8 to 12,
2006, with the theme: “Your Word
is a lamp to my feet and a light to
my path.”
Only 8,000 of the expected
10,000 youths from all over the
country came as the delegations
from disaster-stricken dioceses had
to cancel their reservations due to
fund shortage. Others who were
apprehensive about the peace and
order situation as reported in me-
dia also backed out, but those who
came gratefully left Davao a lot
richer from the NYD experience.
The delegates experienced a
long and invigorating weekend that
begun and ended with the Eucha-
rist and filled all throughout with
activities patterned after the World
Youth Day’s: home stays with fos-
ter families; catechesis in various
parishes; cultural festivals; youth
jams; encounters with Church el-
ders particularly the Apostolic Nun-
cio, Archbishop Fernando Filoni;
etc. The youth listened and were
listened to, they sang, they danced,
they prayed, they celebrated friend-
ship with one another and savored
union with Jesus.
A most welcome feature was
the “suroy-suroy”—the fun-filled
NYD “fringe benefit” where foster
families would treat the delegates
to the attractions of the place, which
Davao is so blessed with.
But why Mindanao, one might
ask. The past NYDs (since its in-
ception 1986) have been held bien-
nially in Luzon and Visayas—the
last one in 2004 in Bacolod . Why
Mindanao when there are other
safe places elsewhere? That’s pre-
cisely it—the answer is enveloped
in many of the talks the youth heard:
the youth, Rizal’s “hope of the Fa-
therland”, is also the hope of the
Church, and it is hoped that, guided
by The Word, the youth can in time
effect national peace, healing and
unity. Strife-torn Mindanao where
Christians are a minority in many
places is the most logical place at
the moment to open the eyes of the
Christian youth to the realities of
their mission as baptized Christians.
Although held in what is billed
by surveys as “the most livable city
in the Philippines”, NYD 2006 none-
theless offered the youth glimpses
of living in proximity to danger, and
also slices of Mindanao culture
through the Youth Festival. Clearly
one of the most enjoyable high-
lights of the whole event, the Youth
Festival showcased cultural offer-
ings from different regions in the
Philippines, presented by the del-
egates themselves. Here, in one
evening, the stage was transformed
into a veritable “Inang-bayang
Pilipinas”— a motherland land
dear to all the youth regardless of
religious, socio-economic or ethnic
persuasions. The delegates over-
flowed with goodwill as they be-
held a mosaic of the Filipino soul
reflected in music, dance, drama,
worship, art.
Among the numbers pre-
sented were: dances from
Pangasinan (Our Lady of Manaoag
parish), Antipolo Diocese, and the
National Capital Region (a dance
offering for Sto. Nino de Tondo).
The delegation from Infanta trained
9
More Than
Anything
Else, A
Challenge
By Teresa R. Tunay
the limelight on their luscious agri-
cultural harvest—an achievement
and a blessing considering the di-
saster that not so long ago devas-
tated their land. Virac and Legaspi
delegates wowed the audience with
song and a pantomime-dance show-
ing traditional courtship practices
in the region.
Rising from the ruins of disas-
ter was the message of the number
from Central and Eastern Visayas
which presented their Pinya Festi-
val with dancers—”survivors”
from Ormoc, Leyte—disguised as
giant pineapples. Not to be up-
staged by the “survivors”, the “war-
riors” from Western Visayas (Iloilo
and Antique), wearing hats and
black garments, rocked the stage
with their “Hala Bira” specialty.
Coming to the “Land of Prom-
ise “, Mindanao , the program had
delegates from CABUSTAM
(Cagayan de Oro, Butuan, Surigao,
Tango and Malaybalay) showing the
Kaamulan Festival with their tower-
ing bamboo poles and red and white
kerchiefs. AMuslim “cultural dance”
number was presented next by the
DOPIM region (Dipolog, Ozamis,
Pagadian, Iligan, Marawi), highlight-
ing different aspects of their lifestyle.
The KIDMACO (Kidapawan,
Makilala, Cotabato) delegates pro-
moted the Tuna Festival of General
Santos City and the Tinalac of Marbel
in their presentation.
A highly colorful performance
was given by the ZAMBASULI
group (Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu,
Ipil) which let the audience in on
the elaborate rituals surrounding
traditional betrothal in their region,
from the parents’ agreement down
to the wedding feast.
Delegates from Luzon and
Visayas, especially, were impressed
by the cultural wealth laid before
them, and for many of them, after
having beheld such wealth, the
Philippines and its people will never
be the same. Indeed, that night of
the Youth Festival, the youth’s en-
thusiasm and the atmosphere of
brotherhood and harmony augured
well for the Philippine nation.
But is that all? What happens
after feeling good for three days?
The National Youth Day is not a
mere show—it is a challenge. It is
up to the delegates to take up the
challenge of NYD 2006, to serve as
light-bearers not only in the Philip-
pines but in the whole world. Re-
calling World Youth Day 1995
where Pope John Paul II exhorted
the youth to “…be a sign of hope
for the Church, for your countries
and for all humanity”, the Nuncio,
Archbishop Filoni, urged the del-
egates to the NYD 2006 to “grasp
the spiritual torch being passed on
to you… and pass it on… to the
future young people…” The chal-
lenge, said Abp. Filoni, is for the
young to “journey along the path
of righteousness and holiness of
life…” That challenge is to be met
by “taking to heart whatever is ex-
perienced and learned in this mo-
ment of grace and putting it into
practice,” Davao Archbishop
Fernando Capalla told the youth at
the concluding rites, “If we want
The Word to transform us, we must
be detached. To follow Jesus we
must be free. You may find it diffi-
cult to follow Jesus… but with God,
nothing is impossible.”

10
Episcopal Commission
on Clergy (ECC)
By Msgr. Jose Bernardo
THE growth of the Commission
started with the leadership of Car-
dinal Ricardo Vidal who provided
the inspiration and direction for the
Commission to take during the
preparation and duration of the PCP
II. With Fr. Paul Bernier as the Ex-
ecutive Secretary and Fr. Catalino
Arevalo, SJ as the main theologian,
the Commission came up with the
Paper on the Clergy of the Philip-
pines. A series of national consul-
tation was convened by the Cardi-
nal in his archdiocese in Cebu in
order to get the total picture and
situation of the Philippine clergy at
that time. From these consultations
the Commission was able to pro-
vide the needed realities and
situationer of the needs and aspira-
tions of the Filipino Clergy.
It was after the PCP II experi-
ence of renewal in the Philippine
Church that the Commission began
to spearhead its priority program for
the Clergy: The RENEWAL Pro-
gram of Priests. This was further
enhanced with the coming of the
great encyclical of Pope John Paul
II, Pastores Dabo Vobis on March
25, 1992. Amidst the different scan-
dals and issues of priests happen-
ing in the Church, the Holy Father’s
response was the urgency of on-
going formation of the clergy. Fr.
Paul Bernier resigned as the Execu-
tive Secretary of the Commission
and Cardinal Vidal appointed Msgr.
Jose (Chito) Bernardo as his replace-
ment (who was then the Director of
the Bahay Pari of the Archdiocese
CICM / from p3
naries where the congregation has
left its mark, were the Major Semi-
nary of Lipa, San Carlos Major Semi-
nary in Manila, the Guadalupe Mi-
nor Seminary, St. Joseph’s Seminary
of Dumaguete, and St. Peter’s Semi-
nary in Butuan.
The CICM established its own
theological school. Maryhill School
of Theology (MST) remains the
congregation’s notable contribution
in the theological formation of semi-
narians not only those who belong
to CICM but also diocesan and
religious congregations, as well as
lay persons. With objectives that are
solidly grounded on inculturation
and the theology of mission, MST
trains its students to integrate re-
flection with action. Says Fr. Lode
Wostyn, CICM, “Students are made
to see the reality of our present-day
world [not only] with its riches in
cultures and religions, but also with
its strife, injustice and violence.
They have to learn how to discern
the Christian message by setting up
a dialogue between their experiences
in this present-day world and the
Judeo-Christian Tradition.” Wostyn
vol10-n16.pmd 10
CBCP Commissions
of Manila; appointed by Cardinal
Jaime Sin as in charge of the Renewal
of the Clergy of Manila.)
Renewal Programs for Clergy
Another major breakthrough
came about in the ministry of the
Commission with the coming to the
Philippines of a religious congrega-
tion in the United States called SER-
VANTS of the PARACLETE in the
person of Fr. Peter Lechner. The main
charism of their founder is to take
care of priests especially in their
“woundedness”. Their major con-
tribution to the ministry of the Com-
mission was the establishment of the
ASSIST ministry to intensify and
provide another aspect to the re-
newal program of the priests in the
Philippines. The main philosophy of
the ASSIST ministry is that priests
are shepherds/caregivers of God’s
flock—they minister to God’s people
every day and in every situation.
But who will minister to them, who
will take care of them? Primarily it is
the bishop of the diocese who is the
main shepherd of his priests; but
with so many other concerns he
needs to be helped in this important
ministry of caring for priests. And
so the Commission on Clergy pro-
posed the ASSIST ministry to the
Plenary of the CBCP and it was unani-
mously endorsed by the Bishops.
The ASSIST ministry took on
different stages of development and
came up with different programs that
will suit the needs of the priests. But
the major obstacle to it was from the
continues, “Students are encouraged
to participate in pastoral and devel-
opmental programs in parishes and
NGO’s to arrive at a message which
transforms the mind, heart and hands
of people.”
Contribution to Education
The education apostolate has
always been considered by the
CICM as a special means of accom-
plishing the congregation’s mission.
The St. Louis School system which
is now spread out in Northern Luzon
started out of a one-room elemen-
tary school which Fr. Seraphin
Devesse, CICM, in 1911, built in
Baguio to accommodate ten local
boys. To date, the CICM schools
continue to excel in the field of
education. Three of its five schools
have earned university status and
became centers of excellence: St.
Louis University of Baguio, St.
Mary’s University of Bayombong,
and University of St. Louis of
Tuguegarao. These universities,
together with St. Louis College of
San Fernando, La Union and
St. Louis School of Mandaue in
priests themselves who at that time
had a “negative view” about renewal
and assist; that it is only for priests
with “problems” and would not ac-
cept that fact that they need help in
their struggles to remain faithful in
their priestly life and ministry. But in
due time and with the support com-
ing from the Bishops and the priests
who have undergone the different
programs of the Commission, the re-
sistance was minimized.
There is no doubt that some
priests will go through some major
crisis and misconduct in the minis-
try. This requires more than just re-
newal and ongoing formation. The
Commission came up with the pro-
gram AIR for Priests, a 3-month pro-
gram of community life, praying the
Holy Hour everyday and celebrat-
ing the Eucharist together; with a
program of counseling, therapy, spiri-
tual direction and group counseling.
The staff of this program has been
trained for this purpose and they
work with lay professionals and Re-
ligious. It is offered once a year only
but it is hoped the Commission can
offer it three times a year—one in
Luzon, one in Visayas and one in
Mindanao.
Another program that has been
in existence for 12 years is the “In-
tensive Renewal Program for Priests
(IRPP)—a 5 week lived-in program of
updating and renewal for priests who
have reached 10 years in the ministry
and above, given at Bahay Pari.
And lastly the Commission has
offered and will still offer the differ-
Cebu, remain a significant facet of
the CICM commitment in the forma-
tion of Christian communities,
particularly the youth, through
Catholic education.
“From a Receiving Church to a
Sending Church”
There are more than a hundred
Filipino CICM’s at present, several
of whom hold position of leader-
ship in the Church, (Most Reverend
Carlito Cenzon is the current
Bishop of Baguio while Most
Reverend Prudencio Andaya is
the Apostolic Vicar of Tabuk); in
the administration of the province
and in the formation of younger
members.
The exodus of Filipino CICM
missionaries to mission lands began
in the 1950’s. To date, more than
60 Filipino CICM’s are working in
missions abroad. They are all spread
out in Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, the
Democratic Republic of Congo, the
Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti,
Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico,
Mongolia, Senegal, Singapore,
Taiwan, the USA and Zambia.
11/24/2006, 9:06 PM
ent Renewal Programs for the differ-
ent Age Bracket of priests: The Resi-
dency Program for the Young Clergy
(1-5 yrs in the ministry); Value-Clari-
fication for the Junior Clergy (6-10
yrs in the ministry) and for the Se-
nior Clergy “A Second Look at the
Priesthood.”
First National Congress of the
Clergy
The biggest event/grace that
the Commission has witnessed and
given to the Philippine Church was
the historical FIRST NATIONAL
CONGRESS OF THE CLERGY in July
2004. Under the leadership and in-
spiration of Cardinal Gaudencio
Rosales, and Ambassador Tita de
Villa who helped extensively in the
preparation leading to the events,
the congress went through very
smoothly and successfully. Called
as the “New Pentecost” in the Phil-
ippine Church, the event gathered
almost 5,000 priests and Bishops at
the World Trade Center for 5 days
and prayed together for the gift of
renewal for the Filipino clergy. It was
here that the Clergy of the Philip-
pines committed themselves to their
ongoing formation.
The Commission now hopes
that the different Metropolitans will
do a follow up of the National Con-
gress by convening their own Met-
ropolitan Regional Congress and to
come up with their own program for
ongoing formation in the Diocesan
and Metropolitan level. The Com-
mission has also re-organized the
different Diocesan Commission on
Clergy for better linkages and com-
munication.
Future Direction/Plans
The major plan/project of the
Commission is the construction of
the Renewal Center for the Priests
of the Philippines. With the able and
inspired leadership of the present
Chairman of the Commission, Cardi-
nal Rosales, this project is underway.
A three-storey building with 52
rooms is now being constructed in
Tagaytay City. It is aptly called
JOHN MARY VIANNEY GALILEE
DEVELOPMENT AND RETREAT
CENTER FOR PRIESTS. The Re-
newal Center is targeted to be fin-
ished by August 2007.
Another plan of the Commis-
sion is to link with
the Commission
on Seminaries
under the leader-
ship of Bishop
Mylo Vergara
and to provide
the Seminary Fa-
thers with the ba-
“The first wave of Filipino
confreres who left for the foreign
missions towards the end of the
1960’s transformed CICM-Philip-
pines into a sending province,”
says Bishop Andaya. “To this day,
one may find CICM Filipinos in
almost all the territories where our
Congregation offers its humble con-
tribution in mission… continuing
to be witnesses of the universal love
of God who calls all peoples to live
in His friendship.”
Greatest Achievement
The CICM takes pride in being
able to contribute in keeping alive
and burning the missionary spirit
of the Philippine Church which in a
sense “is the greatest achievement
of the CICM story in the Philippines.”
In gratefully remembering the
congregation’s numerous contribu-
tions in the missionary work of the
Church, they also recall the many
other ministries that were left unmen-
tioned, which their confreres have
rendered and still rendering to the
Church, unknown to many but to
God for whom they work.
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 16
November 20, 2006
sic experience of the ASSIST minis-
try geared for the Formators. In al-
most all the programs that the Com-
mission on Clergy have given, it is
the importance of Human Formation
that has surfaced and been identi-
fied as a need that must be addressed
in the seminary formation. This par-
ticular need to be formed in the dy-
namics of human formation was ex-
pressed by the 250 seminary Fathers
who gathered in the Institute for
Seminary Fathers last 2005. Linking
up with the Commission on Seminar-
ies is, therefore, a meaningful under-
taking that can facilitate more under-
standing of the realities of the priests
that can be properly addressed dur-
ing seminary formation.
The last concern of the Com-
mission is to conduct another train-
ing program for more priests-staff
who can facilitate the AIR for Priests
program and other programs for the
renewal of priests. We are also plan-
ning to provide the basic training
module for Spiritual Directors in the
Dioceses so as to answer the urgent
need expressed by priests who need
spiritual accompaniment in order to
avoid more serious problems.
Conclusion
The Commission on Clergy has
gone a long way since the PCP II
experience in the Philippine Church.
The task ahead is still big and chal-
lenging. But there have been tre-
mendous “breakthroughs” that are
significant in the life and ministry of
the Philippine Clergy. We now have
the Pastoral Guidelines or the Proto-
col in responding to the misconduct
of the clergy which the Bishops can
use to help them minister to their
priests. We also have in place the
different programs of renewal as the
positive approach to the needs of
the clergy. In the near future, our
own Renewal Center will provide the
priests of the Philippines their own
place of rest and spiritual/physical
strengthening.
THE OFFICERS OF THE
COMMISION
Chairman:
Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales
Vice-Chairman:
Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal
Members:
Bp. Romulo T. de la Cruz
Bp. Florentino G. Lavarias
Abp. Angel N. Lagdameo
Executive Secretary:
Msgr. Jose Bernardo
Rediscovering/ from p3
For Father D’Ambra, “there
are more and more conflicts that
worry people who do not turn
their thoughts towards the ele-
ments of peace that lead to God.
We must understand again at a
deeper level because we must
work together for peace. Under-
standing better God’s mysterious
plan for humanity and the spiri-
tuality of each others’ religion is
essential to any process of per-
sonal and social transformation”.
“With this symposium,” he
explained, there is “an opportu-
nity for mutual enrichment
through the ‘exchange of trea-
sures’ from both religious tradi-
tions”.
“I hope that participants will
give their humble but truthful con-
tribution, through their reflec-
tions, against the background of
a world affected by violence and
materialism, where the more ego-
istic features of globalization are
endangering the spiritual values
of humanity and their religious
traditions.” (AsiaNews)
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 16
November 20, 2006
What is meant by the “politics of
personalities”?
This is a system where the
popularity of political candidates
rather than issues count more than
knowledge and competence. The
popularity of personalities and the
“connection” of personalities to the
powers that be are more often than
not the main criteria for judging who
should be elected. Thus, candidates
for political office who are popular
in movies, sports, or are connected
to powerful political families have a
significant headstart in elections.
Coupled with Filipino values of fam-
ily-centeredness, family connections
have resulted in family political dy-
nasties. Moreover, the politics of
personalities has made it possible for
frequent changes in political party
affiliation or political “turn-coatism”.
Parties do not have political ideolo-
gies that present voters with clear
cut alternatives on key social issues
such as environmental protection,
globalization, trade liberalization,
etc. PCP-II observed that people
themselves “seem to care more for
the projects and gifts and less for
the substantive issues on which
their elected political representa-
tives should take a stand” (PCP-II,
pp. 279-80).
What is meant by a “politics of pay-
off”?
It is a system of politics where
political advantage is the reason that
a politician takes one position over
another with regard to issues. The
political debate depends on answers
to such questions as “What will you
do for me if I support you on this
issue”? Pay-off can be in terms of
financial “commissions”, political
appointments, or of better political
leverage. This is sadly the belief of
what goes on in the halls of Con-
gress. It is not rare that decisions
are based not on principles but on
“horse trading”, vested interests
and on so called “party loyalty.”
Many people, therefore, believe that
decisions on the government yearly
budget depend very much on ques-
tions of the “pork barrel” fund. The
more generous the “pork barrel” the
easier other items of the budget are
approved. “Politics of pay-off” also
includes vote-buying.
Is the mentality of many politicians
part of this political culture?
Religious / from p3
(Vice-Chair), Br. Briccio Baynosa,
FMS (Secretary), and Br. Rodolfo
Sazon, OCD (Treasurer).
The Brothers of Luzon and of
the Visayas simultaneously held
their assemblies on Oct. 27-29,
2006, in the cities of Legaspi and
Bacolod, respectively.
Luzon
The Luzon Brothers gathered
at the Bethlehem Pastoral and Hu-
man Resource Development Cen-
ter of the Diocese of Legaspi.
Eighty-one Brothers from 21 Con-
gregations attended the said As-
sembly. Their theme was “The Pas-
sion to Be Brothers Today.”
The Assembly started its pro-
ceedings on the first day with the
revision of the By-Laws to make
LARB more responsive to contem-
porary times. On the second day,
the Brothers tackled the theme
through big and small group shar-
ing and activities. The Brothers ar-
ticulated their own dreams as
Brothers starting with their own
vocation stories. These dreams
were shared and listened to in the
context of their being Brothers to-
day. The sharing created an oppor-
tunity to celebrate with one an-
other the person who is the driv-
ing force for Brothers to be in a fra-
ternal relationship with humanity:
vol10-n16.pmd 11
Social Concern
Yes. Undoubtedly there are many
politicians who truly strive for the com-
mon good. They consider themselves
public servants in the real sense and
truly act as such. Unfortunately, there
are also many who give politics a dirty
name because of their mentality. They
look at politics as a means of enrich-
ment and a source of influence and
power for self and family-interests.
Thus, politics becomes a cause of
greed. Principles are sacrificed. One can
very well ask why so many would want
to spend so much money and even
cheat in order to be elected to political
positions that pay relatively little.
Do the terms “traditional politics”
and “traditional politicians” refer
to the negative features mentioned?
Yes. In themselves the terms are
not derogatory. But in recent years,
to highlight the need of a new kind
of politics and of a new breed of poli-
ticians, the terms “traditional poli-
tics” and “traditional politicians”
have increasingly been understood
to describe the negative features of
the world of politics. This is the back-
ground of the word trapo.
Is this why the Bishops say that our
political culture is negative?
Yes, the bishops, said that the
political “system is shot through and
through with opportunities for cor-
ruption, influence-peddling, and the
indiscriminate use of public funds for
partisan or personal purposes”
(PEPP, p. 29). They also said: “If we
are what we are today - a country
with a very great number of poor and
powerless people? one reason is the
way we have allowed politics to be
debased and prostituted to the low
level it is now” (PEPP, p. 10). In fact
after analyzing the very negative fea-
tures of the election process, the
Bishops lamented that: “The prime
values of our faith? Charity, justice,
honesty, truth? These are of little or
no consequence at all when it comes
to our practice of politics in or out of
election time.” (PEPP, p. 21).
Why? What is wrong about our elec-
tion process?
The Bishops mention the fol-
lowing evils that are happening be-
fore elections:
• switching party affiliations for the
sake of political ambition;
• getting media exposure by any
Christ our brother. The assembly
concluded its proceedings with the
Eucharistic celebration presided by
Bishop Lucilo Quiambao, DD, who
affirmed the vocation of being a
Brother in the Philippine Church. On
the third day, the Brothers enjoyed
the sights and sounds of
Bicolandia.
The LARB officers for 2005-
2008 are Br. Raymond D. Callo, SDB
(Chairman), Br. Gabriel Pestano, SJ
(Vice-Chairman), Br. Ricky Laguda,
FSC (Treasurer), and Br. Stephen
Tan, OSA (Secretary). LARB is
noted for its common apostolate,
the Kuya Center, which has been
serving street children for 16 years.
Visayas
The assembly of the Visayas
Association of Religous Brothers
(VARB) was a special one because
it was dubbed as a “resuscitation”
of the organization which in recent
years has been fledgling. Under the
leadership of Br. Romualdo Abulad,
SVD (Chairman), Br. Carlo Bacalla,
SDB (Vice Chairman), Br. Roland
Pontevedra, SVD (Secretary), and
Br. Jose Bart Cancio, OSJ (Trea-
surer), twenty-seven Brothers from
13 Congregations gathered at Balay
Kalinungan, University of St. La
Salle, Bacolod City. National Chair-
man Br. Amado Ancla, CFA, joined
(Editor’s Note: The CBCP’s declaration of 2006 as Year of Social Concerns has veritably brought to fore once again the burning
question of the Church’s engagement in politics as being part of the Church’s social concern agenda. CBCP Monitor is
serializing the following document issued by the CBCP in 1998 with such end of providing a catechetical perspective to the
continuing discourse. A continuation from last issue)
CATECHISM ON THE
CHURCH AND POLITICS
means, including bribing willing
journalists;
• using public funds for political ad-
vertisements;
• using government bureaucracy for
campaigning;
• being “wined, dined, and
womened” at convention time in or-
der to win votes;
• spending enormous amounts of
funds, accountable and unac-
countable, before and during the
campaign period;
• making campaigns more of an en-
tertainment circus for people and
of black propaganda rather than
discussion of issues;
• people in turn ask for countless
donations from candidates;
the Visayas assembly to lend his
support. The La Salle Brothers
sponsored the use of Balay
Kalinungan.
Two bishops graced the
Visayas assembly. CBCP President
and Jaro Archbishop Angel
Lagdameo, DD, delivered the key-
note speech where he gave a brief
history of the religious lay broth-
erhood. He quoted from PCP II,
Perfectae Caritatis and Vita
Consecrata. Archbishop
Lagdameo ended with a challenge:
“In the light of Vatican II…are you
now better able to assess your pro-
phetic impact or prophetic re-
sponse? Our people are challeng-
ing you to be prophetic witnesses
by your ‘being religious’, by who
you are and not simply by what
you do or say.” The other bishop
was Most Rev. Patrick A. Buzon,
SDB, D.D., Bishop of the Diocese
of Kabankalan. He celebrated the
concluding Eucharist. The Broth-
ers watched a video clip where
Imus Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle
spoke of the essential place of reli-
gious experience in the beginning,
the sustenance and the fruition of
any vocation. This made Bishop
Tagle the “third” bishop to grace
the Visayas assembly.
Reorganization was the main
agenda of the Visayas assembly.
And due to the many islands in the
11/24/2006, 9:06 PM
• people registering more than once
in different precincts.
What are the evil activities done
on election day itself?
• using “flying voters”;
• intimidating voters; using vio-
lence and even murdering politi-
cal rivals or their supporters;
• scaring voters away by threats of
violence; deliberately making vot-
ing paraphernalia unavailable, and
precincts inaccessible;
• bribing election officials, includ-
ing teachers who count the votes;
• tampering with ballots; deliber-
ately miscounting votes; chang-
ing election results;
• delaying or slowing down the
Visayas where the Brothers are
present, the Visayas Brothers
deemed it best to divide themselves
into three sub-regions, namely,
Negros, Panay and Cebu. The
Brothers also shared about their
congregations’ practices and chal-
lenges in vocation promotion and
formation.
National Federation
The National Federation of
Religious Brothers in the Philip-
pines (NFRBP) will celebrate its
Silver Jubilee in 2010. It will be held
at its place of origin, the Holy Fam-
ily Retreat House in Cebu City. The
newly re-organized Visayas Broth-
ers will be the host of this national
gathering. Before 2010, however,
the Religious Brothers will still
have a national convention to be
held in Davao City in 2008.
The other officers of the
NFRBP are Br. Raymond Callo, SDB
(Vice Chairman), Br. Erwin Sayson,
SC (Secretary), and Br. Ricky
Laguda, FSC (Treasurer). They
were elected during the national
convention in 2005 at the Capuchin
Retreat House, Lipa City, Batangas.
That convention was participated
in by 161 Brothers representing 35
congregations. (with reports from
Br. Raymond Callo, SDB and Br.
Romualdo Abulad, SVD)
11
tabulation of final results in order
to create opportunities for chang-
ing the results.
After the elections, what question-
able or even reprehensible actions
do we observe?
• protesting the final results as tabu-
lated;
• slowness of deciding on election
protests such that election win-
ners hardly have any time left to
serve their tenure;
• using political office in order to pay
election debts, recoup election ex-
penses, make fat profits, and per-
petuate the officeholder in power;
• nepotism in political appoint-
ments; kickbacks in approving
and awarding projects.
7 Questions / from p5
cese. The professional catechists,
who have obtained their BSE de-
gree major in religious education,
become religion teachers or cat-
echists in the elementary schools.
We must admit however that
we’re yet lacking in the number
of catechists—who at present are
mostly elderly ladies—compared
to the number of elementary
schools in our parishes.
What about your media evangeli-
zation program? And what is your
perception about the secular me-
dia?
We have our radio station in
the diocese. It has a very good
signal. It’s the only link the
Church has with the peoples or
communities in the mountains.
Our broadcast programming is re-
ally good, it’s fully laden with val-
ues and formative programs. Re-
garding the secular media…well,
we don’t have any competition at
all with them. We have very good
relationship. But I think some-
times they are not accurate in re-
porting the news, particularly
those that concern the Church.
Not perhaps because they have
any bias against the Church but
maybe simply because of lack of
conscientiousness or profession-
alism in their work.
 CBCP Monitor
12 Message Vol. 10 No. 16
November 20, 2006

Message from Youth, to Youth Statement

Interreligious Youth Meeting, Nov. 4-8, 2006, Assisi, Italy
WE came together in Assisi,
called from nearly 30 nations
and representing 13 religious
traditions, to commemorate
the 20th anniversary of the
historic Day of Prayer for
World Peace in 1986. Invited
by the Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue and
sent by our religious commu-
nities and organizations, we
young people came here to
carry forward the flame of
peace ignited by our spiritual
leaders 20 years ago in these
same sacred spaces.
We encountered one an-
other with honesty and sin-
cerity to build up the bonds
of fraternity that unite us all
as brothers and sisters in our
humanity, fashioned by and in
God. From our commonly held
desires for happiness, justice
and truth, we entered into
genuine dialogue.
We shared and learned
about each other’s cultures
and beliefs, not to minimize or
ignore our differences, but to
grow in mutual respect, es-
teem and understanding.
Though we do not share the
same religious convictions, we
have all inherited the same
earth and share a common re-
sponsibility to be faithful citi-
zens of society and to be good
stewards of creation.
We prayed according to
our respective religious tradi-
tions, imploring from God the
precious gift of peace. While
our prayers were offered in
different places, languages
and ways, we were united in a
single purpose: praying for
peace. In this way, we testi-
fied to the truth that “prayer
does not divide but unites and
is a decisive element for an
effective pedagogy of peace,
hinged on friendship, recipro-
cal acceptance and dialogue
between different cultures and
religions” as Pope Benedict
XVI wrote in his message for
the 20th anniversary of the
first Assisi meeting.
We walked as pilgrims to
the site of St. Francis of
Assisi’s conversion 800 years
ago, when God called out to
Francis “Go, rebuild my
house.” Likewise today, in the
spirit of our respective reli-
gions, we young people hear
the call to “Go, rebuild our
world,” which is too often
broken by violence and war.
We appeal to all people
that peace is not something
only to be sought in halls of
government, but also in the
halls of our synagogues, our
churches, our mosques, our
temples, our pagodas, our gu-
rudwaras, our atash berhrams,
our schools, our workplaces,
our homes and most impor-
tantly in our hearts.
We will strive to follow the
path to peace, guided by the
precepts of our respective reli-
gious traditions. In the “spirit
of Assisi” and with a united
voice, we echo the words of
that great ambassador of peace,
the Servant of God Pope John
Paul II, as we cry out:
Violence never again! War
never again! Terrorism never
again! In the name of God, may
every religion bring upon
the earth Justice and Peace,
Forgiveness and Life, Love!
We young people repre-
sent a new generation and a
new hope. We resolve to re-
turn to our families and com-
munities, to be advocates for
interreligious and intercultural
understanding and respect.
We accept the responsibility of
continuing the dialogue begun
here in Assisi and we fully com-
mit ourselves to working for
justice and to be instruments
of peace in our homelands and
in every corner of the earth.
10th Asian Liturgy Forum-Southeast Asian Region
FROM October 22-26, 2006,
we, the delegates to the 10th
Asian Liturgy Forum, met in
Chang Mai, Thailand under
the generous auspices of the
Commission on Liturgy of
the Bishop’s Conference of
Thailand. The delegates
represented Thailand, Viet-
nam, Cambodia, Laos,
Myanmar, Malaysia,
Singapore, Philippines, Indo-
nesia and Taiwan.
Taking inspiration from
the words of John Paul II in
Ecclesia in Asia, namely that
the liturgy is “a decisive
means of evangelization, es-
pecially in Asia, where the
followers of different reli-
gions are so drawn to wor-
ship, religious festivals and
popular devotions” (n.22)
and in the wake of the Asian
Mission Congress held in
Chiang Mai, we discussed
the role the liturgy plays in
the missionary life of the
Church. We now share the
fruits of our discussions.
1. We affirm that the mis-
sion of Jesus Christ en-
dures in the Church in the
form of martyria (life of
witnessing), leiturgia
rily a celebration of the
faithful—should never-
theless embody elements
of hospitality across the
differences in race, culture,
religion, language, social
and bodily condition, and
political affiliation.
4. The persuasive character
of the liturgy should chal-
lenge the faithful to be in-
volved in social concerns
that afflict many parts of
Asia like poverty, injustice,
war, violence of human
rights, and recurring natu-
ral disasters.
5. The liturgical catechesis
and celebrations in Catho-
lic Schools, seminaries,
and houses of formation
should instill among the
students a strong mission-
ary spirit.
6. The liturgical celebration
should not end in the
Church but should con-
tinue in the parish and in
its basic ecclesial commu-
nities through martyria
and the diakonia of all the
faithful especially the cat-
echists, lay liturgical min-
isters, and lay professional

Message from His Eminence, Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodríguez
Maradiaga to the Participants in the Roundtables on the Social
Responsibility of Canadian Mining Companies Overseas
and forests? In short, should
political and commercial ends
be at the centre of and the driv-
ing force of human relations?
The above dilemma is not
an economic one, nor an envi-
ronmental one, it is eminently
ethical, as it brings us face to
Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga face with the need to review
not only the rules and prac-
IT is with hopeful anticipation tices of trade in the natural re-
that we learned of the initia- sources sector, but also to re-
tive of the Canadian Govern- view the level of stewardship
ment and various national so- and responsibility with which
cial sectors to reflect on the we care for natural resources
social responsibility of Cana- when considering this ques-
dian mining companies oper- tion through a lens of social
ating overseas. We trust that and international solidarity.
this initiative will translate into We must also evaluate
measures and policies that will whether the commodities pro-
lead to a greater regulation of duced through the exploitation
the latter in order to guaran- of natural resources, in particu-
tee our people full enjoyment lar those of a limited and non-
of their rights to a healthy en- renewable nature, justify the
vironment, environmental economic, environmental and
sustainability in the compa- social costs that are generally
nies’ operations and a signifi- borne by the communities and
cant contribution to develop- nations who produce these
ment for our peoples. commodities, and who, para-
In this context, the accel- doxically, nearly always live in
erated environmental degra- conditions of greater poverty
dation and depletion of non and vulnerability than those
renewable natural resources, communities and nations for
compelling nations to debate whom they are produced.
the existing tension between In recent years, this di-
environment and the expan- lemma has been more in evi-
sion of trade, need to be ad- dence in the context of the ex-
dressed. Behind the efforts of ploitation of precious mineral
the WTO and other initiatives resources, such as gold and
are a number of questions: silver, through modern tech-
Can natural resources be con- niques that lower extraction
sidered tradable goods? costs, while causing signifi-
Should natural resources be cant environmental impacts
traded in the same way as any and risks that are not always
other commodity? Do all natu- possible to mitigate or neutral-
ral resources have a hierarchi- ize throughout the exploita-
cal value in function of their tion period by the companies
uses and their contribution to engaged in these activities.
the fulfillment of human The increasingly fre-
needs? Can we consider ethi- quent conflicts in different
cal the extraction and exploi- parts of the world between
tation of mineral resources, at mining companies and af-
the expense of other re- fected communities, as well as
sources, such as fresh water the growing efforts of civil
society organizations to de-
mand stricter regulation, more
rigorous monitoring, more re-
sponsible and transparent
practices, are a sign that we can
no longer continue to adhere
solely to the logic of the busi-
ness market that operates on
the principle of “the less in-
vested, the greater the profits.”
We must move towards
a vision of Corporate Social
Responsibility, which cannot
be reduced to corporate
voluntarism alone but must be
complemented by a social re-
sponsibility regulated by the
state and international orga-
nizations.
Such a redefinition is ur-
gent, as the depletion of natu-
ral resources has been sub-
stantially accelerated partly
because of the growing de-
mand for precious minerals.
The investigation and
development of new tech-
nologies for the exploitation
of mineral resources which are
also compatible with conser-
vation and preservation of the
balance of eco systems is in-
creasingly urgent.
No less vital is the pro-
motion and adoption of ethi-
cal norms in trade and aid re-
lations between countries of
the North and South.
Trade treaties must be
accompanied by ethical
agreements and codes in or-
der to resolve the current con-
tradictions that occur when
on the one hand, world or re-
gional summits adopt policies
of environmental protection
and conservation, that are
later made operational by aid
programs, while at the same
time, high tech industries that
generate or increase levels of
social and environmental vul-
nerability are promoted. These
same industries, taking ad-
vantage of the weak legisla-
tion in our countries, behave
in an unethical and irrespon-
sible manner that fuels corrup-
tion, environmental degrada-
tion, pollution of our natural
resources, and social divi-
sions in our communities.
We cannot continue with
ambivalent policies where
what we build with one hand,
we destroy immediately with
the other. It is time to review
market and trade rules and to
complement them with values
of solidarity, justice, sub-
sidiarity, and shared respon-
sibility in our actions and in
the future of humanity.
It is also necessary to
adopt regulatory mechanisms
that guarantee that these in-
dustries are made responsible
for their actions and behavior
not only in the countries
where they operate, but also
in their countries of origin and
in the corresponding interna-
tional bodies.
Today, the message of the
Latin American Bishops at the
Fourth Episcopal Meeting in
Santo Domingo, has a particu-
lar relevance: ¨There can be no
market economy that is inno-
vative and at the same time
socially just, without a solid
commitment from the whole of
society and all its players to
solidarity through a judicial
framework that guarantees
the value of the human per-
son, honor, respect for life,
just distribution of the earth’s
resources, and a real concern
for the poorest.¨ (Santo
Domingo, Conclusions 195.)
Respectfully,
OSCAR ANDRES,
CARDINAL RODRIGUEZ,
MARADIAGA, S.D.B
Archbishop of Tegucigalpa,
Honduras, Central America
(life of worship, and
diakonia ( life of service).
Among these, leiturgia,
being the summit and
source of the life and ac-
tivities of the Church (cf.
SC 10), rightly holds pre-
eminence.
2. The liturgy is a powerful
moment of encounter
with Jesus in which his
story comes alive through
the readings of Scripture,
preaching, and the cel-
ebrations of the Sacra-
ments and liturgical
feasts. Hence, the lan-
guage and symbols of the
liturgy should be acces-
sible to the assembly that
celebrates it.
3. Since the mission of the
Church is to welcome all
to Christ’s embrace, the
liturgy—which is prima-
Tidbits / from p7
ways of living, behavior, lan-
guage and custom of the
Estehanon. It is only by be-
ing opened to them, vulner-
able and totally transparent
to them can I fully fulfill the
commitment of shepherding
them. At the start of my mis-
sion with them I have tried
to nurture them with the
Word of life and the Holy
Eucharist, the sacraments
and the prayers of the
Church as demanded of me
by my office. But, I soon
found out and discovered
that the words of God and
the sacraments can only be
effectively passed to the
people when their realities to
save have first to pass
through the weak flesh of
the Pastor; that people can
only be nourished by the
Word and the sacraments, if
the Bishop himself is effec-
tively nourished by them.
Conversion, journey to-
wards holiness of life is not
just the journey of the
people of God apart from the
volunteers.
7. From the sharing of our
sisters and brothers from
Churches that have suf-
fered persecution we have
come to the realization that
the celebration of the lit-
urgy especially the Eucha-
rist is able to sustain and
strengthen the faith and
offer spiritual comfort to
the faithful.
With deep gratitude we
acknowledge the work of mis-
sionaries in this part of Asia
who, inspired by the Holy
Spirit, heeded the call of Christ
to “Go and preach the Good
News to all nations.” Under
the guidance of the same Spirit
we commit ourselves to con-
tinue the work they have be-
gun in the name of Jesus.
That in all things God
may be glorified.
Bishop; nor is it just the
journey of the Bishop apart
from the people of God. It
has to be the joint journey
of the Estehanon and myself
their Bishop. With this
critical realization I was
gradually inserted into the
rhythm of the life of the
Estehanon. I have been
journeying jointly with them.
And then, without my
suspecting it, the request of
the Holy Father came loud
and clear: go to the Diocese
of Tagbilaran. That defi-
nitely cuts my pastorship
with the Diocese of
Borongan, my pilgrimage
with the Estehanon. Soon, I
have to be inserted into the
life and faith of the people of
God in the Diocese of
Tagbilaran. It would be
another journey of faith,
10sanother promise to keep,
further miles to go. Hence-
forth my faith life depends
on my being inserted into the
people of God in the Diocese
of Tagbilaran.

vol10-n16.pmd 12 11/24/2006, 9:06 PM

 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 16
November 20, 2006
PRESS STATEMENT
Diocese of San Pablo
“From Danger Zone to
Death Zone”
(A Pastoral Statement to urge concerned au-
thorities to respond to the HUMAN NEEDS of
The Southville Housing Project Relocatees at
Cabuyao and the People of god of the Diocese
of San Pablo to be aware of such situations)
THE Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Phil-
ippines declared this year as the “YEAR OF
SOCIAL CONCERNS.”
DEUS CARITAS EST, the first Encyclical
letter of Pope Benedict XVI serves as a litmus
test for our church in the field of her Social
Apostolate. Indeed, the church must not close
her eyes to the social realities of our time—we
must see God in our neighbor and how can we
see Him? Pope Benedict XVI states “No one
has ever seen God and love cannot be com-
manded, if anyone says I love God and hates
his brother, he is a liar, for he who does not
love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love
God whom he has not seen. The unbreakable
bond between love of God and love of neighbor
is so closely connected to the other that to say
that we love God becomes a lie, if we are closed
to our neighbor or hate him altogether. Love of
neighbor is a path that leads to the encounter
with God and that closing our eyes to our neigh-
bor also blinds us to God.” (DCE # 16)
It is in this spirit that I, as pastor of our
diocese, will never be renege on our pastoral
duties about inhumane conditions of the
Southville Housing Project Relocatees in
Cabuyao. They are our brothers and sisters
affected by the rehabilitation of the North rail
and South rail Linkage Project. They are the
urban poor settlers living along the railways
of Tondo, Paco, Makati, Muntinlupa and
Cabuyao. They came from the “DANGER
ZONE” for we fully know what is a life living in
a “HOME ALONG DA RILES” but their life in
PRESS STATEMENT
DOPIM Bishops and Clergy Position
Against the Libel Suit to DOPIM Committee on Mining Issues (DCMI)
WE the Clergies of the Archdiocese of Ozamiz,
Dioceses of Dipolog, Pagadian, Iligan and the
Prelature of Marawi located in the North-West
and Central part of Mindanao holding its 31st
gathering at Naomis Botanical Garden, Ozamiz
City from November 13-16, 2006 are worried
about the plight of the indigenous
communities whose ancestral domain is
encroached by big-scale mining operations.
As soon as their domain is being devastated
by open-pit mining method the indigenous
people are being deprived of their cultural rights.
Our country has suffered two envi-
ronmental disasters due to large-scale mining:
the one of Marcopper Mining in Marinduque,
and that of Rapu-Rapu Mining at Albay. Until
now, no foreign mining firm operating in the
Philippines employing open-pit method can
guarantee protection to our environment and
to the cultural rights of the tribal-Filipinos.
Recently, the TVI Resource Development
Philippines, a Canadian Mining Firm based in
Calgary, employed a heartless, shameless
demolition of the house of Mr./Mrs Floro/
Manolita Galves in Mount Canatuan, Tabayo,
Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte. Employing
armed men called SCAA (Special Citizen Armed
Geographical Unit Active Auxiliary); the TVI
ordered the demolition of the Galves house at
about 11:30 midnight. The Galveses said the
TVI had no court order for the demolition of
their residence.
The lot, on which the Galves house stood,
is a portion of the ancestral domain title
(CADT) of the Subanon tribe. The holder of
the CADT is the ancestral leader by the name of
Timuay Jose “Boy” Anoy who allowed the
Galves family to put their house on the said lot.
Many of our people would choose to turn
to us instead, to seek redress for their
grievances as a result of the destructive effects
of the mining activities of transnational mining
companies operating in their localities. In coming
to their aid, we brought their grievances to the
limelight of public opinion and for this we are
vol10-n16.pmd 13
Statements
the relocation site in Southville, Cabuyao may
become a “DEATH ZONE”, if not properly and
adequately attended to. As of today, there are
over 7,500 marginalized families relocated, suf-
fering from the following dismal conditions:
1. In close proximity to their residential
houses is a six-hectare mixed waste dump
separated by mere barbed wire fencing.
“Relocatees have to bear the nauseating
foul smell coming from the eight year old
dump. They complain of breathing prob-
lems and respiratory ailments, which might
be traced to the airborne pollution emanat-
ing from the dump. They also fear that harm-
ful bacteria and chemicals from the leachate
and surface run-off are being dispersed
throughout the neighborhood, via flood-
waters, due to poor drainage.”
The Social Action office which I com-
missioned to look after the condition of
relocatees based on the interview of people
from Makati at Block 17, alleged that six
children had already died because of this
condition. Living near dumps and landfills
is kin to trashing their hope for a humane
and secured future. “Studies in Canada and
USA have shown an increase incidence of
cancer, including lung, bladder, liver, stom-
ach, breast, cervix, and prostate cancers
for those who are living in the aforesaid
conditions. Women living near disposal
sites showed increase risk of infants with
birth defects such as eye/ear anomalies,
chromosome abnormalities, heart and neu-
tral tube defects.”
2. The P50,000.00 allocated to each family can
only buy materials for the roof and wall of
the house.
3. Many from the Cabuyao railway area were
not relocated at Southville.
From Danger / P15
accused to have spread lies to the public.
Now, Bishop Jose R. Manguiran of the
Diocese of Dipolog (also DCMI Bishop-in-
charge) together with Fr. Albert K. Bael and
some of the workers of the DIOPIM Committee
on Mining Issues are currently facing a libel suit
for exposing the alleged anomalies and
irregularities committed by the TVI Resource
Development Philippines against mining to
affected communities of Canatuan, Tabayo,
Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte. The libel suit
against the nine respondents were initiated by the
camp of the Canadian mining firm who have been
accused by the Subanon people for currently
operating their sacred ground against their wishes.
This situation is not far from the experiences
of our fellow countrymen all over the country
who are subjected to different harassments just
to silence them while advancing their aggressive,
destructive, and exploitative mining operation
of transnational companies. We condemn the
curtailment of freedom to express what we
believe to be the truth.
We stand by and support the efforts of the
DIOPIM Committee on Mining Issues headed
by Bishop Jose R. Manguiran in denouncing
the excesses of these mining companies and
fighting for the rights of the oppressed.
We call on the administration of President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to listen to the cries
of our marginalized and oppressed
countrymen; to give them redress to their
grievances; and to stop curtailments of the
rights of the people to speak for the truth.
In solidarity with the Subanon people and
their support groups who were harassed by
the libel suit filed by TVI Canadian Mining
firm we affixed our signatures below.
In the name of the Lord Jesus,
+BISHOP MANNY CABAJAR of the Diocese
of Pagadian and 108 priests from the
Archdiocese of Ozamiz, Dioceses of Dipolog,
Pagadian, Iligan and the Prelature of Marawi
November 14, 2006
Witchcraft is Anti-God and Anti-Christian:
A Pastoral Letter on the Third Aswang Festival
BELOVED Faithful of Christ:
Greetings of hope and love in the Lord!
On October 16, 2005 the Catholic Church
in Capiz issued the second Pastoral Letter
expressing strong opposition to the holding
of the so-called “ASWANG FESTIVAL”
slated on October 28-30, 2005. It was the sec-
ond year the said festival was celebrated for
reasons ranging from tourism through chang-
ing “the negative notion of Capiz being an
aswang haven and turn it into an advantage”
into eclipsing “the aswang impression with
the world class-quality of Capiz’ seafood
products and warm captivating hospitality of
the Capiceños.” These remarkable ends of
the Aswang Festival could not fully justify
the shaming of the Capiceño identity and dig-
nity in the face of national imagery.
On the one hand, much as the organiz-
ers of the festival would wish to erase the
aswang image impressed on the Capiceños,
the festival itself, on the other hand, has be-
come an occasion of constant ridicules and
jokes on the dignified personality of
Capiceños. Through the years, Capiz has pro-
duced distinguished luminaries in different
fields of works and endeavors. They were
hardworking Capiceños who carved names
for themselves and made Capiz proud of her
sons and daughters. It deeply hurts to know
that some Capiceños nowadays deny their
province of origin and birth because of a nega-
tive perception boosted by a festival. They sim-
ply want to avoid becoming a laughing stock
in cities and provinces, here and abroad.
It has been observed that the Aswang
Festival presents the evil characters in cun-
ning ways. By giving new looks through fan-
tastic and colorful costumes to evil charac-
ters like the “tikbalang,” “amamanhig,”
“sigbin,” “tik-tik” or “kapre,” they appear
cool and innocent. Yet, these mythical fig-
ures can become dangerous once they enter
into the psyche of the Capiceños and interi-
orly form part of the culture of Capiz. They
can sink deep into the social consciousness
of many Capiceños as well as non-Capiceños
with devastating and lasting effects. Since
culture crisscrosses practically every aspect
of life in society and is verbalized and ritual-
ized through religion, further negative effects
of the aswang image can enter into the rebel-
lious psyche of many Capiceños. Culture and
religion are closely connected. Evil images
are perceived through cultural beliefs as vari-
ous faces of the devil who needs to be ex-
pelled through prayers and blessings.
Nowadays, evil characters have become
fashionable and invade the world of com-
merce. Their outfits can be very expensive.
During the Aswang Festival, the participants
as well as by standers are sometimes merely
fascinated and amused by the spectacles of
evil characters unmindful of the negative im-
plications. Many are convinced these sights
are just for fun. But are these not cover ups
of evils with appealing wrappers? Will these
not contribute to the mentality that witch-
craft is no longer scary and dangerous? Do
they not present the message that after all,
witchcraft is harmless, not anti-God and not
anti-Christian? The manner of presentation
greatly helps the increasing appeal and fla-
vor of witchcraft to many people today.
Going back to the Bible, witchcraft is in-
volved in the power of darkness. The olds
Testament warns: “Let there not be among you
anyone who immolates his son or daughter in
the fire, nor a fortune-teller, soothsayer,
charmer, diviner or caster of spells, nor one who
consults abomination to the Lord” (Dt.18:10-11).
St. Paul writes: “It is obvious what proceeds from
the flesh…idolatry, sorcery, hostilities…selfish
rivalries, dissensions, factions, I warn you,
those who do such things will not inherit the
Kingdom of God” (Gal. 519-21).
While witchcraft entices people to some-
thing horrible and to the kingdom of dark-
ness, this is a far notion from the celebration
of the All Saint’s Day (November 1) and All
Souls’ Day (November 2) which, down
through the centuries, celebrate the hope of
resurrection and the joy of the faithful who
centered their lives on the beatitudes. All the
faithful departed are on the way to the king-
dom of light—the Holy City—where the im-
mense multitude of Saints, sanctified by the
Lord, awaits them. This is the festival of God’s
11/24/2006, 9:06 PM
13
Holy City, the heavenly Jerusalem, where the
Saints praise God forever. Since the origin of
All Saints’ Day in the East in the fourth cen-
tury and in the West in the eight century, this
Solemnity has nothing to do with witches and
witchcraft. The Responsorial Psalm of All
Saints’ Day: “Lord, this is the people that
longs to see your face,” speaks about our
desire to meet, neither somebody nor some-
thing evil, but rather God who is all Good.
God’s goodness is reflected in Jesus
Christ who became incarnate to ennoble each
one of us. Jesus Christ identified himself with
every person, including the very least, to give
us life and not to show death. Jesus says: “I
came that they may have life and have it to
the full” (Jn. 10:10). And so to every race, to
every citizen, to every faithful, to every
Capiceño for that matter, God has given an
eternal dignity with definite rights and duties.
The COMPENDIUM OF THE SOCIAL DOC-
TRINE OF THE CHURCH states that “the field
of human rights has expanded to include the
rights of peoples and nations: in fact, what is
true for the individual is also true for the
peoples” (n.157).
As the Philippine Church celebrates this
YEAR OF SOCIAL CONCERNS, the Church
cannot neglect to voice out about the rights
of people and their relation to the common
good. While some members of the political
community in Capiz uphold the rights of the
organizers of the Aswang Festival, the same
members of the political community should
also respect the rights of other Capiceños who
are against the Aswang Festival, as justice
demands. And this is a delicate task for public
authority. The CATHECHISM OF THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH states that “to ensure
the common good, the government of each
country has the specific duty to harmonize
the different sectoral interests with the require-
ments of justice” (n. 1908). The Philippine Bish-
ops, in their Pastoral Exhortation: BUILDING
A CIVILIZATION OF LOVE exhort us to fos-
ter “a sense of patriotism and of being respon-
sible for our country.” Applying this principle
to our province, should we not be respon-
sible for Capiz? While the clergy should take
the responsibility morally, the laity should lead
socially and politically in the social transfor-
mation of our province. We acknowledge and
thank the members of the Catholic Church and
other people of goodwill who express oppo-
sition to the Aswang festival through other
creative and counteractive activities. Surely,
their initiatives and works have values.
However, the clergy and the laity together
with the religious sisters can join together in
prayer for the common good of our province.
We exhort then the Catholic faithful through
the BECS, the different religious organizations
and movements, the various religious com-
munities in catholic Schools and convents,
the youth communities, the different liturgi-
cal ministries and the seminarians to organize
PRAYER VIGILS in all parishes and chaplain-
cies in the Archdiocese in side the parish
church or community chapel, and exposition
the Blessed Sacrament for few hours on Oc-
tober 27 and 28, 2006 the same day when the
Aswang Festival will be held in Roxas City.
We likewise exhort the Catholic faithful who
could not come to the parochial church for
the PRAYER VIGILS to pray the holy rosary
(the joyful, sorrowful, glorious, luminous mys-
teries) in their respective barrio chapels on
the same day mentioned above. We do be-
lieve in the power of prayer. Through prayer,
we express once again our strong opposition
to the Aswang Festival in a peaceful but sin-
cere manner for transformation of hearts. The
COMPENDIUM OF THE SOCIAL DOCTRINE
OF THE CHURCH says: “Prayer opens the
heart not only to a deep relationship with God
but also to an encounter with others marked
by respect, understanding, esteem and love.
Prayer instills courage and lends support to
all true friends of peace” (n.519).
May the Blessed Virgin Mary whom we
honor during this month of the Holy Rosary
intercede for us in our concern for justice and
dignity! St. Therese of Avila, a woman of re-
form, pray for us!
RT. REV. MSGR. VICENTE F. HILATA, P.A.
Vicar General, Archdiocese of Capiz
October 10, 2006

14
November Blues?
By Fr. Roy Cimagala
WITH its overshadowing
commemoration of the dead,
November may evoke somber
notes. My friends in business,
especially store owners, also
tell me November is a dead
month, business-wise.
But I must say that like
any month, it should connote
joy. Memory, let’s remember,
has better modes other than
sentimental nostalgia and
foggy melancholy. Of course,
for this we have to widen our
perspective.
Reasons to be happy
abound. For one, let’s not for-
get that it begins with the So-
lemnity of All Saints, a vivid
reminder of what the Church
teaches as the communion of
saints. We all are called to it.
We all truly belong to it. We are
God’s people, God’s family.
This means that we have
a very glorious beginning,
because we come from the
hands of God. And we are
meant for an even more glori-
ous end, because we are des-
tined to share the very life of
God. This is God’s will, before
it becomes our own.
This thought should
abide in us permanently, form-
ing our basic attitudes and
Bo Sanchez
Avoid Potholes by Taking
Humps
THEY tell me that the aver-
age speed of a car in Ma-
nila is 25 kph. That’s cata-
strophically slow. That’s
just the speed of a turtle
injected with steroids.
Aside from traffic,
there are two other things
that make vehicles go slow:
Humps and potholes.
Between these two,
I’d rather choose humps.
Especially those that
are painted bright yellow
and smooth on the curves,
with nice signs to tell us
they’re coming.
But I don’t like pot-
holes, period.
They come in all sizes:
tiny Mickey Mouse holes
to nuclear bomb testing
craters.
And they never come
announced. They just ap-
pear when you’re one inch
away, and kabloom. And
kablagblagblag...
Life’s like that.
When God wants you
to slow down, He’ll send
you potholes. But He can
never give you humps, be-
cause that’s something that
you should deliberately
make for yourself. (More on
this later.)
Potholes are the small
and big problems of your
life.
When you have a
bleeding hangnail, an ex-
pensive Italian shoe isn’t
very beautiful. When your
doctor tells you that you
have malignant cancer,
your Mercedes or BMW
suddenly lacks oomph.
And when you discover
that your teen-age son is
vol10-n16.pmd 14
outlook in life. This should not
just be an intellectual thing.
It’s a fundamental truth meant
to infuse every pore of our being.
Let’s not worry too much
about the means to achieve
this. We are told that what God
begins, he ends, what he
starts, he completes and per-
fects. Of course, all this will
require our cooperation.
Yes, we know all too well
that we are sinners. Still we
cannot deny that it’s God’s
will that we be holy like him,
since we are his children, not
just any creature. “Be holy as
your heavenly Father is holy.”
We need to expand our
mind and heart to conform
ourselves more fully to this
reality. That’s the challenge
we have. We tend to have a
very narrow and shallow view
of things, which we have to
correct.
With weak faith, we invite
doubts and fears. We would
live in a world of uncertain-
ties. We then become vulner-
able to skepticism, even cyni-
cism. The slide to worse
things, even faith’s loss, be-
comes inevitable.
To strengthen our faith,
we need among other things
on drugs, your jewelry
doesn’t shine as brilliantly
as before.
Like potholes, prob-
lems come suddenly. No
one warns you they’re
coming. And your whole
life goes kabloom and
kablagblagblag...
But because of these
kablooms, you’re forced to
stop and think. You ask
fundamental questions,
like, “What’s life all about?
Where am I going?” Over-
night, your hierarchy of val-
ues changes. The most im-
portant things in life—such
as your soul, your family,
your God—become pain-
fully obvious. And what
used to be so pressing and
insistent and noisy, reveal
themselves to be cheap.
Humps, on the other
hand, are deliberately
made.
By you.
You plan them out.
(And fight for them with
your life.)
A quiet time for prayer
each day.
Or Mass during lunch
hour.
Perhaps a weekly
prayer meeting.
A personal retreat ev-
ery year.
Humps are special
times when you’ll ask the
very same fundamental
questions: “What’s life all
about? Where am I go-
ing?” But this time, not
because you’re forced to,
but because you want to.
Take a lot of humps.
Perhaps potholes
won’t come as often.
Reflections
to be deeply grounded on the
doctrine of our faith. We have
to study our catechism, as-
similate and master it.
And since we always live
in society, we need to help one
another in this regard. There’s
so much religious ignorance
and doctrinal confusion that
we have to overcome. The
challenge is truly daunting,
but not impossible.
Nowadays, we need to be
more precise in our under-
standing of the articles of our
faith. There’s this disturbing
talk about invincible igno-
rance, in the face of which the
suggested action to take is
just to let the parties con-
cerned be.
These doctrines of our
faith are not simply ideas. We
need them to immerse our-
selves in the very life and
mystery of God, in his mercy
and justice. We need them to
take part in Christ’s salvific
work. We have to be careful
with our tendency to simply
“intellectualize” them.
Let’s hope that we can be
more aware of this grave re-
sponsibility to study our doc-
trines seriously. Even more,
that we be truly adept in ful-
Ar
Aree You W
You or
Wor ried?
orried?
by Bp. Jose Manguiran, DD
SOME are worried having no eye-
glasses; but others have no eyes. Some
are worried having no handbag; but oth-
ers don’t have arms. Some are worried
having no new pair of shoes; but others
have no feet.
Some are worrying getting fat; they
get anxious, dying to get trimmed; but
others simply don’t have food; they get
hungry thinning to die.
Some are worried having lost their
comb, having no shampoo; but others
have no hair at all; his bald head is ex-
NYD 2006/ from p8
Melendez who did not have
hands but rendered a beauti-
ful song while playing the gui-
tar using his legs and feet.
The challenge of the story
was for each one present to
use for God’s glory what God
has given and from the read-
ings for the day, to practice
self-disciple and as the late
Pope John Paul II exhorted in
WYD 1995, “be able to com-
mit to the highest ideals, ready
to change radically the false
values which have enslaved
so many young people and
adults.”
After the post-commun-
ion prayer, Bishop Joel “Bong”
Z. Baylon, Chairman, Episco-
pal Commission on Youth ad-
dressed the delegates picking-
up from Archbishop Capalla’s
homily on NYD as a time to do
and become good and not just
to have a good time. He shared
a discomforting but funny-in-
the-end story whose lesson
was on “diskarte” (a word
common among the young
loosely meaning “strategy”).
Young people use so much
“diskarte” to get along with life.
The challenge is to use the
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 16
November 20, 2006
FROM THE INBOX
Proposals for All Saints / Souls Day
Observance
filling it, putting all sorts of
initiatives our loving creativ- PERHAPS parishes in-charge of particular cemeteries
ity could occasion. could include the following in their plans before Octo-
Catechesis should be a ber 31 of each year:
continuing activity especially Confessions: it would be good to have many priests
at homes. More than in with portable confessional boxes to hear the confes-
schools and parishes, it’s in sions of people who are visiting their dead.
homes, the domestic church, Holy Masses: Perhaps, more Masses could also
where the teaching and deep- be scheduled in the chapels on Oct. 31 and Nov. 2
ening in Christian doctrine aside from just Nov.1, if possible.
Blessing of tombs: Priests and deacons could be
should be carried out. available for blessing tombs on all 3 days.
Parents especially should Vigils with appropriate prayers including the Holy
take active part in this task. Rosary. Reading of related doctrine of the Catholic
Theirs is not simply a matter Church (e.g. last things, indulgences, value of the sac-
of feeding and clothing their raments, etc.): This will enable the people to live mean-
children, sheltering them, ingfully the observance of All Souls’ Day and obtain the
sending them to schools. Par- maximum suffrages for the faithful departed.
enthood means a lot more than Film viewing (Our Lady of Fatima, Christmas
these. Carol—where the past, present and future of Scrooge’s
Participating in the cre- life is shown to him by his friend Marley, who is in pur-
ativity of God, parents do not gatory, or other related catechetical films): This will be
only beget children. They edu- an effective means of catechesis and a way to make
cate and form them not only good use of time in the cemetery.
to be their children but also Instrumental music of Mass songs that are of con-
God’s children. templative mood: Such music could be interspersed
Educating children with the other scheduled activities in the cemetery.
should not be limited to the Strategically located, sufficient and efficient sound
merely human aspects. It has system and screens for film viewing: It would be good
to go all the way to the spiri- to install such type of sound system in the cemetery
tual and supernatural dimen- ground for the benefit of all the people, particularly the
Catholics scattered in the area. Announcements, re-
sions of our life, to its religious
minders and reflections could be aired through the
aspect. This is the core of edu- sound system while films could be projected on
cation. screens.
This is one way of effec- Donors could be tapped from parishes for the ma-
tively blowing the so-called terials to be used. — Ms. Evelyn C. Mijares
November blues away!
about the covering, about the wrappings,
about the tag, about the color, about the
paint, about the hairdo, about how they
(Lk 12:22-34) smell—about the non-essentials that do
no touch the core of self?
I admire those who do not have the
essentials—without eyes, without limbs,
without arms, without feet and yet they
posed to weather harassment. do not worry to death but instead they
Some are worried not to own a new dare to cross the border of nothingness
ring; but others have no fingers; in fact and enter into as a new world of creativ-
they make rings as business; they also ity. What spirit transpires them into that
make one for the nose; they have only new world? They have the spirit of faith
holes (in the leprosarium). that transcends reason; they have the
Some are worried that their cheek, love that overcomes hatred; they have
once pinkish with youthfulness are now the hope that penetrates the dark.
accumulating furrows of shadows; but They are the brave. They are inspir-
others have no cheek, only bones. ers of the hopeless. They have no medal;
Why do some people—maybe they have no ranks of major and general,
many—invest their time, effort, money, but anyhow, they are the undeclared he-
even their life to worrying about their skin, roes.
same skill at “diskarte” to share the journey, to the Archdio- experienced being warmly wel-
the fruits of the NYD experi- cese of Davao, the City of comed and considered part of
ence to other young people. Davao, to sponsors, foster not only a family but also of a
Bishop Baylon also acknowl- parents, delegates, and the Christian community (i.e. par-
edged and welcomed the ar- volunteers. A praise and wor- ishes, districts, zones, chapels,
rival of the popular City Mayor ship segment capped the cel- GKK/BEC), truly Mindanaoan.
of Davao, Rodrigo R. Duterte ebration. The response of families
as he approached the altar to Welcoming a young person is and communities with the lead-
personally welcome the del- a blessing … ership of their respective par-
egates to Davao City and to November 12 (Day 5) was ish priests was overwhelming.
deliver his message assuring dubbed “Suroy-suroy sa The response of volunteers
the delegates of his support Dabaw” but it was not just to under the leadership of Mr.
and their well-being while in see the sights and enjoy the Dennis Villegas, NYD 2006
Davao City. Archbishop amenities but more of to be Steering Committee Chairman,
Capalla expressed his gratitude with the family in going to was equally overwhelming as
for the generosity and full sup- Mass, visiting significant sites Davao mobilized for NYD. In-
port provided by Mayor and eating a meal together to deed given the opportunity to
Duterte for NYD, from security, complete the Davao experience contribute and do something
traffic order, cleanliness… to before bringing the foster chil- good, the whole Christian
food. Bishop Baylon went on dren to the areas of conver- community comes together.
to further acknowledge and gence with their respective This is our Church and the
thank those who made NYD delegations for a tearful hug young are so blessed. They,
2006 a reality and announced and farewell. too, have blessed us by their
that the next national celebra- Thousands of families visit (the delegates) and their
tion of NYD will be in Luzon. and communities welcomed witness of service and commit-
The evening ended with two or more delegates for the ment (the volunteers).
the Youth JaM (JaM dubbed duration of NYD. The experi- They said: “ Amen! Praise
as Jesus and Mary) which fea- ence of welcoming and being and glory, wisdom and thanks-
tured the NYD 2006 Csite ani- welcomed has showered giving and honor, power and
mators, local talents (among Davao with so much positive might, to our God forever and
them, Mr. Popong Landero), thoughts, words and actions ever. Amen!” (Rev. 7:12)
and the Singles for Christ band that will linger for a long time. (Maria Riza A. Melliza, is the
as NYD 2006 paid tribute to the To many, this is among the Chairperson, NYD 2006 Pro-
presence of Jesus and Mary in highlights of NYD. They have gram Committee)
11/24/2006, 9:06 PM
 CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 16
November 20, 2006 CINEMA Reviews 15
Title: HUWAG KANG LILINGON an eeriness that puts the viewer in a
Running Time: 96 min. state of anxious expectation. Then the Title: THE SANTA CLAUSE 3:
Cast: Ann Curtis, Kristine Hermosa, Marvin visuals, sound effects and music en- THE ESCAPE CLAUSE
Agustin, Cherry Pie Picache, Celine velope the film in an atmosphere of Running Time: 93 min.
Lim, Raymond Bagatsing Cast: Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell,
fear and impending doom. However,
Director: Jerry Lopez Sineneng, Eric Lloyd, Martin Shor
some scenes that are too gory and Director: Michel Lembeck
QuarkHenares gross may turn off some viewers. The
Producers: Vic del Rosario Jr., Veronique Producers: Tim Allen, Robert
joining at the end of two seemingly Newmyer
del Rosario-Corpus, Charo Santos separate stories is cleverly done and
Cancio, Malou Santos Screenwriter: Ed Deeter, John J.
puts all the pieces of the two stories Strauss
Screenwriter: Ricky Lee together. Good editing is evident in the
Music: Carmina Robles-Cuyan Music: George Clinton
juxtaposition of light moments with the Editor: David Finfer Genre: Fantasy
Editor: Marya Ignacio Genre:
Cinematography: Chris Manjares, Lyle
dark events. The acting of the cast is Cinematography: Robbie Greenberg
Sacris very good especially that of the leads Distributor: Columbia
Distributor: Viva Films, Star CINEMA Ann Curtis, Marvin Agustin, Cherry Pictures
Location: Province Pie Picache, Kristine Hermosa and Location: North Pole
Technical Assessment: ½ newcomer Celine Lim. Technical Assessment:
Moral Assessment:
Some positive values in the film Moral Assessment:
CINEMA Rating: For viewers 14 and above
are evident in the closeness of the fam- CINEMA Rating: For viewers 13
ily shown through their love, and con- and below with parental guidance
Huwag Kang Lilingon has two parts. (Celine Lim) moving into a huge man- cern for each other (2nd story) and in a CHRISTMAS is nearing and Santa shift set. The story is told in a
Part I, Uyayi (Lullaby), is about Mel- sion, uninhabited for a long time. An- person’s willingness to work hard to Clause (Tim Allen) is swamped with simple and straightforward way so
issa (Ann Curtis) a nurse at the Angel gel is the sole breadwinner because benefit others. Huwag Kang Lilingon stress issues; a delay in the pro- the audience gets to enjoy the
of Mercy Hospital, who came back they were abandoned by the father and shows that childhood experiences, duction line, Mrs. Clause’s (Eliza- movie effortlessly. Not much is
from the U.S.A a year earlier. She has the mother is sickly. Hard-up and particularly those that encroach upon beth Mitchell) pregnancy tantrums asked from the performers to de-
been telling her boy friend James ejected from their former residence, forbidden realms—like invoking spir- and depression, his visiting in-laws liver their roles but overall they
(Marvin Agustin) about mysterious they are glad the rental is very low. its, communication with the dead, and the mischievous Jack Frost were fairly convincing. Martin
deaths at the hospital. There are ru- Discovering a mirror in the basement, etc.—can leave lasting and damaging (Martin Short) who secretly wants Short is excellent as a scheming
mors of ghosts. However, she thinks the two daughters light a candle in impressions on the human psyche. to take over his job. Forced to bring cold-hearted Frost.
the doctor has something to do with front of it during a full moon at mid- The seemingly normal but terrifying in his in-laws to please his expect- The beauty of the movie is that
the deaths as he is unpopular, un- night, concentrating on a wish to see life of Melissa attests to this. Not only ant wife and take in Jack Frost as although its main characters are leg-
friendly and keeps to himself. Being a the images of their future mates in the is it dangerous to invite spirits or to be an apprentice after he was almost endary figures aimed nowadays to
writer, James wants to have a scoop. mirror. They did not see anything but open to them as shown in the movie. It suspended from the Legendary commercialize certain holidays, it is
He pretends he is sick so he can be the house turns out to be haunted is also forbidden as stated in the Bible. Figures association, Santa faces able to deliver a powerful message
confined. Part II, Salamin (Mirror), Huwag Kang Lilingon is a well The Church teaches faith in the Living seemingly minor glitches and about family and valuing your role
shows Aling Rosing (Cherry Pie crafted film that delivers the suspense, God overcomes fear of the spirits of breakdown in his workshop and for society. Very obvious is how
Picache) and her two daughters An- thrills and shocks that horror film fans the dead. Prayer is the best recourse home. This compromises his al- Clause tries hard to make his rela-
gel (Kristine Hermosa) and Mina expect. The well chosen milieus exude when we want or need something. ready bitter relationship with his in- tionship work with his wife, in-laws,
laws who are displeased that their son, ex-wife and even the daughter
Title: Maging Akin Muli nagtambal sila ng talino ng mga daughter was yanked out of their of his ex-wife. He values family and
Running Time: 100 minutes Hesuwita, makakaasa kayong tumpak lives and Santa tries hard to pro- treats every child he gives a present
Cast: Marvin Agustin, Noel Trinidad, Sandy at makabuluhan ang men-saheng hatid tect his secret and pretends they to as his own. In the end he beauti-
Andolong, Ronnie Lazaro, Missy nito. Lapat naman ang are in Canada. Unknown to him, fully summarizes his realization, “We
Maramara, Pen Medina, Jaime Fabregas sinematograpiya at musika sa istorya, Jack Frost is behind all these as he don’t have to be a perfect family, we
Director: Marilou Diaz Abaya at sadyang maganda ang simbahang schemes to make Santa regret he just have to be together.” The movie
Producers: Jesuit Communications ginamit sa pelikula. Isa lamang bagay took the job so he can take over. also talks about “social responsi-
Screenwriter: Marilou Diaz Abaya ang hindi “swak” o tugma sa buong Frost manages to trick Santa into bility”. Santa was called from his
Music: Nonong Buencamino larawan ng pelikula, at iyon ay ang
Genre: Drama
saying “I wish I was never Santa at normal life to become Father Christ-
pagganap ng mga artista. Kulang sa all” and everything is reversed with mas and live a secret and stressful
Location: Guagua, Pampanga
lalim, maikli sa damdamin, at salat sa Frost taking over the North Pole. lifestyle round-the-clock. The pres-
Technical Assessment:
Moral Assessment: ½
kaluluwa ang pagganap. Sapagkat Now, Christmas is an unhappy holi- sures are tremendous that one can
CINEMA Rating: For viewers 14 and above napakalalim ng tema ng Maging Akin day. For Frost decided to stop toy stop and ask if it’s worth it. But real-
Muli—ang bokasyon o ang tawag ng production and turn the North Pole izing the joys, love and hope that
Ang Maging Akin Muli ay salaysay kanyang dating kasintahang ngayo’y Panginoon sa isang magpapari—ang into a Theme Park for the public. are lost if he ceases to perform his
tungkol sa bagong ordinang diyakono, nabuntis ng isang may-asawa at tagos-sa-butong pagganap lamang Santa realizes the value of what he Santa duties, Santa realized no sac-
ang 26-taong gulang na si Reverend isinisisi ang kanyang kapalaran sa ang makapagtatawid ng pahatid was doing for the children and the rifice is too great so the world can
Junjun (Marvin Agustin). Pumasok kanilang pagkakahiwalay ni Rev. nitong mga isipin. At ito’y hindi Christmas, so he teams up Lucy have a Merry Christmas. It is advis-
siya sa semi-naryo noong 12-taong- Junjun. Hahamunin ng mga pang- maaaring “i-arte” lamang sa harap ng with (Liliana Mumy) to make Frost able that mature adults accompany
gulang pa lamang siya subali’t masaya yayari ang bokasyon ni Rev. Junjun, kamera; hindi ito puwedeng “i-peke”, unwish his being Santa and every- the young impressionable audi-
din naman ang kanyang dinaanang at susubukin nito ang kanyang ika nga. Marahil magiging higit na thing can be the way it was. ences to stress that the happiness
pagbibinata, at katunayan ay palihim pagnanais na magpakabanal at kapani-paniwala ang pelikula kung The movie is neatly done with Christmas brings does not come
pang nagkaroon ng dalawang girl- magpaangkin nang tangi sa Diyos. totoong pari, diyakono at ina ng decent visual effects and a magnifi- from the ho-ho of Santa but from
friends. Matataas ang kanyang mga Hindi na bago ang Maging Akin diyakono ang mga ginamit ditong cent production design that does the story of hope in the manager
grado sa eskuwela, at bagama’t wala Muli, kung kaya marahil nang artista, sapagkat ang mga katagang not make you feel you are in a make- and the love we give each other.
siyang pag-aalinglangan sa kanyang panoorin namin ito ay walang laman mamumutawi sa kanilang mga labi at
bokasyon, pinag-iisipan pa rin niya ang sinehan kundi dadalawang tao. ang damdaming masasalamin sa
kung paano ito isasaka-tuparan sa Ito’y isang pelikulang ginawa ng Je- kanilang mga kilos ay magmumula sa From Danger/ from p13
hindi karaniwang paraan. Ang unang suit Communications para sa malalim na balon ng karanasan sa
assignment ni Rev. Junjun ay bilang telebisyon, at unang inilabas ito noong tunay na buhay. 4. There is discrimination among set- Housing and Urban Development
assistant ng konserbatibong kura Disyembre 2005 upang makatulong sa tlers from Tondo, Makati, and Paco. Coordinating Council Secretary
Sa kabila ng kakulangan ng 5. Patrols in the area of Southville
parokong si Fr. Salvador Bautista pagninilay-nilay ng mga tao tungkol and Vice-President Noli de Castro
pelikula, makabubuting panoorin ang harass private vehicles that trans- to address immediately the basic
(Noel Trinidad), sa Parokya ng sa kahulugan ng pag-asa sa panahon Maging Akin Muli ng mga pamilya lalo port workers once a week to Makati. needs of the relocatees; i.e. po-
Santiago Apostol. Sa kanyang ng kapaskuhan. Bagama’t luma na, na kung may nadaramang bokasyon 6. The promised market area is till table water, electricity, provisions
trabaho makikilala ni Rev. Junjun ang minarapat pa rin ng CINEMA na suriin ang mga anak nito. Maganda ring only at the map. for proper disposal of waste and
mga masalimuot na takbo ng buhay ang Maging Akin Muli sapagka’t isa panoorin, suriin at pag-usapan ito ng 7. There is not enough supply of health centers, among others.
ng mga parokyano, kasama na ang ito sa mga nagtamo ng nakaraang mga pari at seminarista, ng mga “taong potable water. Dirty water (mire)
isang bilanggong takdang bitayin paligsahan ng CMMA (Catholic Mass simbahan” (halimbawa, ng mga parish is pumped from water wells. “Love of neighbor is thus shown
(Ronnie Lazaro), ang isang matulungin Media Awards). Si Marilou Diaz Abaya workers), upang matulungan silang 8. Installation of electric services is to be possible in the way proclaimed
subalit mapaghanap na benefactor ng ang sumulat ng kuwento at nagdirihe mapalawak ang kanilang pananaw a very slow pace. by the Bible, by Jesus. It consists in
simbahan (Jaime Fabregas) at ang ng Maging Akin Muli, at sapagkat tungkol sa pagpapakabanal. 9. Frequent trouble among settlers, the very fact that, in God and with
with no authorities to pacify. God, I love even the person whom I
10. Hold-up, bag and cell phone do not like or even know. This can
snatching, drug addiction and only take place on the basis of an

CBCPMonitor
prostitution are rampant. intimate encounter with God, an en-
Name ___________________________________________ 11. The area becomes the hide-out counter which has become a com-
(Family Name) (Given Name) (Middle Name) of “hoodlums” from other places. munion of will, even affecting my feel-
12. Serious crimes happen, i.e. one ings. Then I learn to look on this other
night a couple riding their motor- person not simply with my eyes and
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Mailing Address __________________________________ cycle was stopped by a resident my feelings, but from the perspec-
of Southville and raped the wife at tive of Jesus Christ. His friend is my
_________________________________________________ knifepoint in front of her husband. friend. Seeing with the eyes of Christ,
The CBCP Monitor is published Based on the above mentioned I can give to others much more than
Phone No.: _______ Fax No.: ______ E-mail: __________ finding my fervent prayers to the con- their outward necessities; I can give
fortnightly by the CBCP Media Of- them the look of love which they
fice, with editorial and business of- Mode of Payment cerned authorities are the following.
1. Complete rehabilitation of the crave” (DCE # 18).
fices at 470 Gen. Luna St., Check/PMO enclosed Cash Payment dumpsite and the enforcement of May Mary, the Mother and
Intramuros, Manila. PO Box 3601, (Payable to: CBCP Communications Development Foundation Inc.) vital pollution prevention mea- Model of the Poor, be our intercessor
in our quest to be in unity with our
1076 MCPO sures to minimize its adverse im-
least fortunate brothers and sisters.
• Domestic pacts on public health and the en-
______________________ vironment. For the whole Diocese of San
1 Year Php400.00 2. We say No to further expansions Pablo, on the occasion of the Blessed
2 Years Php 750.00 Signature of the Southville Relocation Virgin Mary’s Birth Anniversary, 8th
• Foreign: Asia Project. September, 2006.
PLEASE SEND TO:
1 Year US$ 55.00 3. Delist Laguna as further reloca-
CBCP Monitor, P.O. Box 3601, Manila, Philippines tion area. In Christ,
• All Other US$ 80.00 470 Gen. Luna St., Intramuros, Manila, Philippines | Tel (632) 404-2182 • Telefax (632) 404-1612 4. We urge the national and local Most Rev. Leo M. Drona, SDB. D.D.
Or e-mail this at cbcpmonitor@cbcpworld.com government specifically, the Bishop of San Pablo

vol10-n16.pmd 15 11/24/2006, 9:07 PM


16
Bible Quiz Wins Award for Excellence
AN initiative to spread the Good
News in the country has been rec-
ognized with a prestigious public re-
lations award in the country today.
The National Catholic Family
Bible Quiz (NCFBQ) has won an An-
vil Award for its efforts, which re-
sulted in the better understanding
of the Bible among many families.
The award is described as the
“Oscar” of the public relations in-
dustry and given to outstanding pro-
grams that have lasting and effec-
tive impact and value.
The prize was presented in rec-
ognition to the “Excellence in Insti-
tutional and Corporate Programs” of
the Bible quiz and was received by
Elvira Go, the NCFBQ secretariat
chairman.
Anvil ward embodies the high-
est level of excellence in public rela-
tions that reflect and promote public
UST Installs New Rector
THE new rector of the University of
Santo Tomas (UST), Fr Ernesto
Arceo, OSP, has been officially in-
stalled to office at a ceremony inside
UST chapel on November 9.
Leading the solemn rites was
Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Car-
dinal Rosales who said that Arceo’s
appointment means serving as the
“conscience and guide” of the uni-
versity.
“The Catholic educator must
teach, encourage, motivate and guide
in the formation of right and true
Christian conscience necessary to
harness morality, honesty and de-
cency,” said Rosales.
During the ceremony, Arceo—
a 50-year-old Dominican philoso-
pher—was given the ceremonial
rector’s robes and was greeted by
members of the academic staff and
students before giving his rector’s
address.
Arceo underscored, in his
speech, the significance of develop-
Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales led a mass at the Malate Church for Our Lady of Remedies fiesta
celebration on November 19. To intensify the fulfillment of Mary’s role in the Church, the parish set up last year
a ministry for children, an educational assistance program for 250 students, a strong prison ministry and a
vicariate Remedies Health Training Center.
vol10-n16.pmd 16
People, Facts & Places
interest, good values, and genuine
service to the community and soci-
ety.
The NCFBQ was also concep-
tualized by Go and held in commemo-
ration of the National Eucharistic and
Marian Year.
NCFBQ secretariat said: “The
task of creating a nationwide com-
petition would have scared lesser
people, but the Secretariat, the rep-
resentatives of the CBCP commis-
sions and the numerous volunteers
all came together to fulfill the dream.”
The special event was made
possible with the help of Cebu Arch-
bishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal and
the CBCP Permanent Committee on
International Eucharistic Con-
gresses, Episcopal Commission on
Biblical Apostolate and Episcopal
Commission on Family and Life.
(CBCP News)
© varsitarian.com
ing “morally upright” students aside
from making them adept in their cho-
sen field.
“The best mentor develops
positive values by showing good ex-
ample,” he said.
Arceo, the 94th rector of the uni-
versity, is expected to continue
UST’s tradition of orthodoxy and
loyalty to the Church.
Established in 1611, UST is the
oldest university in Asia
A prior provincial of the Philip-
pine Dominican Province and rector
of the UST Central Seminary, the new
rector has a licentiate in Sacred The-
ology and a Masters and Doctorate
in Philosophy from UST.
He also studied at St. Louis Uni-
versity in Missouri, USA, and Gali-
lee College in Israel.
Arceo’s four-year term will see
him lead the bulk of preparations for
the university’s 400th founding anni-
versary celebration in 2011. (CBCP
News)
Markings
APPOINTED. Bp. Romulo
Valles, 55, as Archbishop
of Zamboanga, by Pope
Benedict XVI, November
13, 2006. Valles who has
been Bishop of Kidapawan
since 1997, replaced Arch-
bishop Carmelo Morelos
whose resignation upon
reaching age 75, based on
the Church Law, was ac-
cepted by the Holy Father. A native of Bohol, Bishop
Valles was ordained as bishop on August 28, 1997.
He took up A.B. Philosophy and Theology at St.
Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary, Davao
City, 1968-1972 and 1972-1976 respectively. He
earned his Licentiate in Sacred Liturgy at Pontificio
Ateneo Sant’ Anselmo in Rome, Italy, 1985-1990 and
MA in Religious Education Ignatian Institute for
Religious Education at Ateneo de Davao Univer-
sity in 1997. Among his Pastoral Ministries were in
1976-1978 he became the Asst. Parish Priest, Christ
the King Cathedral Parish, Tagum, Davao then Par-
ish Priest, San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish, Mati,
Davao Oriental; 1982-1984, Parish Priest, Christ the
King Cathedral Parish, Tagum, Davao and Vicar Gen-
eral, Diocese of Tagum; 1983, Teaching Scripture,
Queen of Apostles College Seminary, Tagum, Davao;
1990 Fundamental Liturgy, Sacramental Theology
and Coordinator, Spiritual Formation Year at St.
Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary, Davao
City; 1992-1993, Vice-Rector and in 1993- Rector, St.
Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary, Davao
City. At present he is also the chairman of CBCP’s
Commission on Liturgy.
APPOINTED. Bp. Sergio
Utleg, 63, as Bishop of
Laoag, by Pope Benedict
XVI, November 13, 2006.
Before being transferred as
Bishop of Laoag, he was the
Bishop of Ilagan, Isabela.
Bp. Utleg was ordained as a
priest at the age of 24 on
March 30, 1968. He earned
his Bachelor in Philosophy
at UST Central Seminary in 1963; Licentiate in Phi-
losophy also in UST Central Seminary in 1964; Bach-
elor in Theology at Gregorian University in Rome,
1966; Licentiate in Sacred Theology Gregorian Uni-
versity Rome, 1968 and MA in Sociology at Fordham
University, New York, 1967. He was appointed as
Coadjutor Bishop: February 10, 1997 and ordained
as Bishop on March 17, 1007 and became Bishop of
Ilagan on July 26, 1999. Before becoming a Bishop,
his assignments includes in 1971, Procurator, San
Jacinto Seminary, Cagayan; 1971-1982, Social Ac-
tion Director, Archdiocese of Tuguegarao; 1973, Pa-
rochial Vicar, St. Peter’s Cathedral Parish; 1973-1987,
Parish Priest, Cordova, Amulung; 1977-1997, Chair-
man, Commission on Social Action; 1987, Parish
Priest, St. Philomene’s Parish, Alcala, Cagayan; 1993,
Pastor, St. Peter Thelmo Parish, Aparri and Episco-
pal Vicar, Vicariate of Aparri. As of now, Bp. Utleg is
the Chairman of CBCP’s Commission on Indigenous
People.
Leo Reinier (left to right), Msgr. Nestor Cerbo, Zenas Lozadas, Cealwyn Tagle, and Atty. Jose Flores in a press
conference held at the Manila Cathdral last November 10 to formally announce the restoration of the Cathedral’s
pipe organ and the holding of the first pipe organ festival on December 1 to 10.
11/24/2006, 9:07 PM
CBCP Monitor
Vol. 10 No. 13
16
November 20, 2006
WILL CELEBRATE. Bp.
Cirilo Almario, 50 th
Priestly Ordination, No-
vember 30, 2006. He was or-
dained to the priesthood on
November 30, 1956 in Ma-
nila, and ordained bishop
on October 18, 1973 in Lipa
City Cathedral. He was the
CBCP Secretary General
from 1976 to 1981. He was
once the Chairman of the
CBCP Public Affairs Committee and CBCP Commis-
sion on Biblical Apostolate. He studied elementary
at St. Helen’s Academy, San Pablo City, 1943; High
School at St. Francis Seminary, Lipa City, 1950; Phi-
losophy, UST Central Seminary, 1952 Also obtained
his Bachelor and Licentiate in Theology in 1955 and
1957 respectively at UST Central Seminary. He also
became a member of CBCP Commission on the
Collegio-Filippino in Rome.
CELEBRATED. Paco Catholic
School, 94th Anniversary, No-
vember 10-11, 2006. Paco
Catholic School (PCS), consid-
ered as the largest parochial
school in the world celebrated
their 94th foundation anniver-
sary last November 10-11 with
the theme “Telling and Retelling the Story of Jesus
Today.” PCS was established and founded in year
1912 by Fr. Godfried or Godofredo Aldenhujsen, popu-
larly known as Padre Godo. In June 1913, following
an increase in enrolment, Fr. Godofredo asked the
Belgian Mothers (CMSA now ICM) from St. Theresa’s
College to help in running the school. Thereafter, en-
rolment steadily increased by one grade level every
year until the primary course (Grades 1-4) was com-
pleted. Finally in 1916, the grade school was fully
recognized by the government. Fr. Carlos Van
Ooteghem, the last CICM parish priest to serve PCS
managed the school from 1980-1984. He stayed on as
coadjutor in the parish until his health prevented him
from continuing his ministry. It was during his term
when the Karel Hall, Covered Court, Fr. Godofredo
and P.A.(Practical Arts) Bldgs. were constructed.
After 72 years of dedicated service to the ministry
and education, the CICM missionaries (Congregatio
Immaculati Cordis Mariae/Congregation of the Im-
maculate Heart of Mary) turned over the manage-
ment of the school to the Archdiocese of Manila in
1984. Bp. Teodoro Bacani was the first Filipino to
take over the parish and school after the Belgian CICM
missionaries. The population in PCS continued to in-
crease especially when Kindergarten 1 was introduced
in 1995. The start of Nursery Level was noted a year
later. In 1996, Monsignor Domingo A. Cirilos Jr. re-
placed Bp. Bacani as parish priest and director of the
institution. Bishop Teodoro Bacani, presided the an-
niversary mass on November 10, 2006. Joining him
were former Paco parochial vicars led by MAPSA
President, Msgr. Gerardo Santos, and Rev. Fr. Roy
Bellen, the newly ordained alumnus priest. The PCS
motto is “Noblesse Oblige”—Nobility Obligates—
which means that because your nobility and dignity
is great, so is your responsibility.