Pulp Bits

Just a short one for the weekend. In researching for an upcoming entry, I came across a June 15, 2008 article by our erstwhile detractor, Fr. Tulabing. As expected, it is another hack and slash attempt to paint CFC and the IC in a bad light. What bothers me about it is the obvious slant of his topic, while proclaiming that he's researched "...on the matter through the internet and my consultations with some bishops and persons knowledgeable about the case". He still fails to make any reference to pertinent documents or at least be fair enough to present both sides of the issue. I find this almost hostile bias and unfairness incredibly disturbing and unbecoming of a man of the cloth. He should be leading the way in the search for truth, and not be swayed by the words of just one party, and it is quite obvious whose words he's almost repeating verbatim in his article.

That of course is just my opinion and I would welcome his take on the matter here.

Here are the 2 pages excerpted from the Negros Chronicle:



You may download the 2 pages as a pdf HERE.

UPDATE, July 13 article:

I missed this one, thanks to blogger TE for pointing it out, and his analysis of it.


Download the pdf HERE.

Here is TE's analysis:

(1) Fr. Tulabing is publicly advocating that CFC be dissolved. He is urging everyone to make a choice between GK and FFL. What does this make him? He probably doesn't know that CFC under the IC is the institution enjoying Vatican recognition; and that the recognition is based on the CFC Statutes approved by the Vatican. Further that GK is mentioned clearly in the approved statutes. The Vatican (not the CBCP nor the FFL Bishops) (through the recommendation of the Bishops) is the competent authority to judge the genuineness of an institution's charism. And the Vatican has not withdrawn it's recognition proving that CFC's charism is genuine and has not been lost, as being claimed by a disillusioned former leader. This is not rocket science. It does not take a lot of gray matter to find the proof. It's a no-brainer. Wake up Fr. Tulabing.

(2) He continues to sow confusion by claiming that FFL using the name CFC is not confusing but GK's would be. This is in flagrant disregard of the fact the GK, as one the 7 Pillars of CFC, has more right to use the name than FFL.

(3) Fr. Tulabing exhibits a complete disregard of facts already in the public domain that bear on this issue. He continues to show us that he arrived at his conclusions without weighing the merits of both sides and without giving the due attention to available evidence. Since it is inconceivable that a Vicar General would be this naive, I am forced to conclude that Fr. Tulabing is deliberately ignoring evidence and purposely refuses to engage in the mental deliberation needed to arrive at, what Bishop Claver calls, a prudent choice. In other words, Fr. Tulabing has thrown prudence out the window and is advocating a position which he knows to be either false or at least questionable. That, my friends, is blatant intellectual dishonesty.

(4) By writing the sentence "The leaders and members of CFC can do the same." immediately after his exhortation to read the Bishops' letter, memos and circulars, Fr. Tulabing clearly intends to give the impression to the public that CFC members and leaders have not read the documents he mentions. It further implies that CFC willfully refuses to listen to the Bishops. Now in his previous article he angrily reacted to the comments that came out in this blog. To me that proved that he does read this blog. Putting all that together, I conclude that Fr. Tulabing knows that CFC members and leaders have read the Bishops' documents he mentioned. A whole bunch of them are published in the various blog entries. So are the IC Statements which refer to the respective Bishops' documents. That leaves two choices: (a) Fr. Tulabing knows, chooses to ignore the truth, and writes deliberately to mislead the public into thinking CFC does not listen to the Bishops; and (b) Fr. Tulabing read them all but understood none and so could not consider them. I would not consider (b) as a viable alternative. So (a) it is. Unfortunately it shows Fr. Tulabing to be intellectually dishonest.

(5) Fr. Tulabing hopes we will not accuse him of causing division. He's right. He is not the cause. He is entitled to his own opinions. But since he also presents himself as a journalist (I suppose writing a column classifies him as one) he should subject himself to rigorous standards of reporting. The truth is that the cause of the so-called "split" was not some disobedience on the part of the IC. FFL came about because FAP created it. FAP did not have to resign. The IC practically begged him. FAP did not have to create FFL. You see - it was FAP who caused the "split". He did it in disobedience to the CFC statutes and to the CFC covenant ("I will relate in love and loyalty to the other families in CFC.."), which he was under at that time. FFL was born from a betrayal. If Fr. Tulabing has really done his research as he claims, then either he's playing dumb, fanatically loyal to FAP or gets his highs playing the provocateur.

(6) What recommendations from Cardinal Rylko is he talking about? The one about the ad was not a recommendation. It was an instruction. Do you think, given his penchant for intellectual dishonesty, that Fr. Tulabing will follow Cardinal Rylko's instruction not use our name for his pet organization?

My thoughts:

First of all, I don't understand why Fr. Tulabing is confused about GK's use of the name Couples for Christ. Maybe he is acting like an expert without truly knowing what he's talking about. He might want to consider studying up on CFC and its 7 pillars here.

He is basically calling for the disolution of CFC because it is not evangelizing? Please Father, apparently you are ALL seeing, would you please point out specific instances of that? Also, since you've given us such a rational solution, how do you propose the organization that is CFC move on after its members move to the FFL? Change its name to Gawad Kalinga?

I don't know what else to say. He is making claims that are not backed up with facts, and refusing to see anything but what is being fed to him by the Easter Group. I challenge Fr. Tulabing to come to this blog, look at all the documents here, and then make his judgement again.


The Negros Chronicle is published online by a fellow blogger, Jay Dejaresco, who apparently is a respected advocate of truth and fairness. It is my hope that he gives this issue a little attention, and at least give the CFC defenders a chance to air our side.

Goodness, the priests and members of the clergy are supposed to be our friends, leaders, and shepherds in our daily pursuit of Christian living and behavior. With friends like these, who needs enemies?

* * *

Do any of you notice the increased, insidious assault on GK by the Easter Group? I recently received another cyber bashing of GK by this mythical Salvador Macias using an old article by the Inquirer's Michael Tan. While preparing for an entry on it, I noticed the escalating aggression by the Easter Group against GK, in emails, in "sponsored" articles, and other forms of correspondence. It seems our rambuctious brothers in the FFL are going corporate on us. They have a competing product, and in order to have their product succeed, they must prove that theirs is better by disparaging the other one. Christian conduct? I think not.

There's something up, best be prepared my friends.

Pulp Fiction

Sometimes, one can get a bit frustrated at the far reaching effects of a well orchestrated misinformation campaign. Something that, sadly, the Easter Group is extremely competent at. We've just been asked by Tito Joe Tale to try and keep our emotions in check and to be careful about our defensive responses, so lets try and keep an open mind. I also don't want to give the Easter Group more issues to twist and have them say I'm now attacking a priest, which I'm not. In fact, I think the greater sin is not in inviting the clergy to a reasonable discourse, but in intentionally misleading them to achieve a questionable goal.

Sometime ago, I said that these rehashings of past issues by the Easter Group was not worth responding to anymore. I mean, they'll say it again, and we'll defend it again, and so on, ad infinitum, I GUESS. But in this latest "attack", I can't help but think that there is still much damage being done, much misinformation being spread, and that it is still hurting our brethen who are affected the most: Those on the ground spreading the good Word and the good work. So why should we not come to their aid? At some point, even our very own Multimedia Center felt the need to address the lies that are constantly being spun by the Easter Group in order to gain an audience and put down the organization they left.

An article by a Fr. Tulabing was published in the Negros Chronicle Sunday Edition and has been circulating in the commentaries for a while now, in fact eliciting several responses here, here, here, and finally here. It also seems the good father may have felt compelled to respond to our bloggers' reactions, esp. since one of them emailed the Negros Chronicle. There may have been just a single article planned, but an impromptu 2nd part was written by Fr. Tulabing and published last July 6, defending his views and claims. I say impromptu since, well, part 2 just seems....hurried.

You may download both parts HERE, but I'll be quoting and responding to some relevant portions.

Father Tulabing makes several claims in his article, specifically:

In part 1

"...Gawad-Kalinga has been over-emphasized, putting aside Family Evangelization, Spirituality, and Renewal."

Need we go into this again? It is a rehash of Frank Padilla's GK-3 paper, and has already been covered, discussed, attended to, and finally DEALT WITH. Please Father, if you have further, recent proof of this claim (other than what your FFL advisers have told you), come forward so it can be addressed.

"...reluctant founder of Couples for Christ Frank Padilla..."

"CFC-FFL has all the rights to use the name Couples for Christ because Frank Padilla is its founder and FFL is consistent with the vision-mission of the true and genuine Couples for Christ which has never veered away from its original purpose while remaining faithful and loyal to the Catholic Church authorities"

First off, it's been proven that Frank Padilla is NOT the founder of CFC. That's a done deal and this article in the CBCP states it in no uncertain terms. Also, using the term "reluctant founder" shows clearly where you are getting your information, as these are the exact same words the FFL use to refer to Frank Padilla.

Secondly, I hope you realize that your insinuation of "veering" are the words the FFL uses, if you are trying to make a case, then please show some tangible and documented proof. One can't just bring forward an FFL leader and say, "Here, take his word for it." I'd like to ask what you see that made you believe that CFC veered from its original charism? Do you also believe that all the CFC members in your parish are veering away now?

In part 2

Ironically the 2nd article starts with a quote from what I would guess is a CFC member, to which Fr. Tulabing responds,

"This kind of comment is surely missing the point."

To which I would most respectfully respond, surely Father, you are missing the truth. Have you seen the emails in this blog? The documents? How about the Playboy Bunnies' meeting minutes?

"So how can some leaders and members of couples for Christ Global GK..."

Now I might be nitpicking, but how badly edited must this be, to not only fail to capitalize, but to come up with a brand new term for CFC: couples for Christ Global GK? This is why I said part 2 seemed a little hurried. And no Father, I'm not making a big deal out of this. I just thought you should tell your newspaper's editors to pay closer attention. Yet, frankly, we'd appreciate it if you didn't corrupt the name any further. Thank you.

"...they try to poison the minds of their members about my purported “panaot” of Couples For Christ. And by the way, the Church is not expected to serve the interest of Couples for Christ. It should be the other way around: Couples for Christ should serve the interests of the Church."

Oho! Now we come to some strong words. Poison. I believe that is the gist of all our problems, tho not in the context in which you are using it. Also, yes, while Couples for Christ should be serving the interests of God, our priests have the moral responsibility to be well aware of what they are feeding their flock, lest they accidentally poison them.

"My intention really is to save Couples for Christ from utter destruction at the hands of the enemy."

Father, I really do not see any destruction going on here, other than the tearing apart of CFC by the Easter Group's continued attacks.

I also take it you don't believe these good men are doing a good enough job of saving us:

"Priests need to exercise authority over Couples For Christ in their parishes, after all it is within the realm of the priests’ duties to govern."

Agreed Father, it is also their job to show their flock the truth.

'The point is that there have been directives and guidelines, there have been dialogues and meetings to reconcile and check the errors, but the International Council of Couples For Christ-GK insisted on their mistakes."

Speaking of directives, guidelines, and dialogues, I'd like to remind you of Bishop Reyes' statement, made after the dialogue between the FFL and CFC. I quote:

"...Frank Padilla “will form the Couples for Christ for Family and Life” and “should start as a diocesan association, “then later can apply for recognition as a national association if it has branches in other dioceses and even later as an international association.”

I don't believe anybody in the Easter Group even as much as gave that order a second glance.

"All the members of CFC must be made aware of the existing problems within CFC."

To this, I heartily agree, and they should also all be made aware of what the FFL has been doing.

"The members should even protest about what their International Council is doing (disobeying the bishops).."

Actually Father, if you want to be more specific, it was the Elders Assembly who as a group discerned and decided not to follow the Bishops' recommendation. Must we define recommendation once again? Does this mean that since the FFL did not follow the orders of the Bishops after the dialogue, you believe the FFL members should protest as well?

"...the donations that they still receive from Pharmaceuticals manufacturing and distributing contraceptives. The Church still considers contraceptives anti-life, and Couples For Christ is supposed to be Pro-life."

A picture to refresh our memories:

Frank Padilla at the launching of Gawad Kalusugan, sponsored by Pfizer, Wyeth, and Unilab.

The statement alone is patently false, since that partnership with Pfizer had been rescinded this past May upon the instructions of Cardinal Rylko and was printed in a paid ad by the IC. Father, might I remind you that Frank Padilla was present and part of that partnership. Shouldn't some accountability fall on his shoulders too, even as he passes the blame while still claiming to be the founder? Also, if that was the case, why do you not question all the other religious organizations accepting donations from pharmas who distribute contraceptives? You may also want to ask Frank Padilla why he holds office in the establishment of a known anti-life politician.

"I like and I commend CFC-Foundation for Family and Life headed by Frank Padilla because they work very hard for the RESTORATION and the REFORMATION of Couples for Christ. May the other members follow your example."

Heaven forbid. I don't think the Supreme Court has enough space in their building for all the landscam cases that will arise from that. Ok, I'm joking, but seriously, if the examples being set by Frank and Co. in document forgery, accusing the Vatican of trying to save face, accusing Bishops of "twiddling their thumbs and smoking pot", were to be used as guideposts, I would be quite afraid of what would become of the FFL's members.

In all seriousness Fr. Tulabing, I think your words say it all: You "like" the FFL. What this is based on I don't know, but it comes across as unobjective. You like them, therefore you are pushing for them. Isn't that a tad unfair? In liking them, did you then overlook the questionable actions of the Easter Group? The documents, emails, the honest depiction of the events that led to the fateful split are all here for you to see and peruse. They've been made public for exactly that reason; so you can be fair to both sides. That's all we are asking. Give CFC a chance to make its case, a chance you've obviously given the FFL. Give us a chance to present proof, to show that we are sincere in our efforts to better ourselves. If we've somehow made a mistake in your eyes, then show us forgiveness by example. Your obvious bias for the FFL and your trumpeting their cause's repetitive and oft rehashed chants of veering and disobedience hurt people who care about you and what you say.

That is all.

* * *

Just for the record, and to finally set things right, the CBCP has acknowledged LNP's role (through Vic G and Fr. Schneider) as the founder of CFC. Here's the article in full, it's also linked in the Archived Documents section on the right column.

CFC-International Council to reinforce tie with RP bishops

MANILA, July 6, 2008--Couples for Christ-International Council (CFC-IC), has been seeking the support of Philippine Bishops to strengthen cooperation between them.

“CFC-IC has designed suggestions and recommendations on how to improve and strengthen the relationship between our shepherds [bishops] and CFC-IC so that together, we can fulfill our shared mission of spreading God’s will to all,” said Joe Tale, executive director of CFC-IC International Council, in a letter addressed to all the bishops of country, dated June 4.

Tale also said that CFC-IC is gearing up for a new springtime of its evangelization and values formation mission.

“We have lined up Christian life and community values programs for 62,000 settlers along the railroad tracks now recoated in Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Taguig, and take care of OFW’s and their families left behind in the Philippines,” Tale said.

CFC-IC also asked the bishops to pray for CFC-IC that its resolution of the conflict that has embroiled CFC-IC community may grow in positive manner.

CFC is a lay Catholic group established in 1981 by Fr. Herb Schneider, SJ and Vic Gutierrez. CFC got split from its original group “Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon Community” in 1993.

Last year, CFC got split further into two--CFC-Foundation for Family and Life (CFC-FFL), which is headed by Frank Padilla, and the CFC-International Council (CFC-IC), which works with Tony Meloto and Gawad Kalinga, the social arm of CFC-IC that builds low-cost houses for the poor across the country.

Last month, both the groups were battling each other for the use of the CFC name after the Securities and Exchange Commission lifted the 2003 revocation order on the use of the name Couples for Christ Foundation Inc.

Meloto and Padilla, both founding members of one of the country’s biggest Catholic lay group, stepped down from the board of CFC last year over debates on the group’s direction.

CFC-FFL and CFC-IC are trying to win the support of Philippine bishops and trying to show their allegiance to Church hierarchy in the country. (Santosh Digal)

post script:

I apologize about the typos and other errors, I've edited what I found. As you may have noticed, this was a late night entry because I was trying to make the Feedburner blast at 9am, so coffee and lack of sleep is not good for spelling and getting some facts straight, hehe. If you catch anymore please do let me know.

Ploughshares or Hammers?

Update:
Pic and Video added.

Update July 3, 2008:
Long version of talk added for downloading in PDF format.



Last week's relative silence in this blog was dedicated to the incredible 27th Anniversary celebration we had at Luneta. It was my hope that the manner in which God spoke to us then would be received in similar fashion by the FFL leadership, I believe you all know what I mean.

There were several statements released by Frank aka Servant General since then, and I will get to those. You can visit their Multiply site if you can't wait to read them, but now I believe Mr. Tony Meloto's piece from the Philstar deserves our full attention. He will get no praise from me since he already gets it in heaps from everybody else. What he gets is something I do not give easily, and that is, my RESPECT. And that friends, is something no psuedo-militaristic titles can ever force, or deserve.

I want to be a good Catholic

By Antonio Meloto
Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Theology Class Public Lecture
Ateneo de Manila University
July 1, 2008

There is a time to speak and a time to be silent. Tonight is the first time that I will speak publicly about the upheaval that rocked Couples for Christ.

For over a year, I chose to keep quiet out of respect for long cherished friendships and refrained from adding fuel to the fire while emotions were high. What was an internal leadership transition within an organization I felt should not have been made into a public issue and prudence should have been taken not to drag the Catholic Church into the conflict. I must admit that it was tempting at times for me to speak out and defend myself but I listened to the voice within my heart that kept telling me “keep still, I will defend those who defend the poor.”

Now I understand how God shielded me by making me computer illiterate. The fight for control over CFC was being waged in the internet, while the struggle to ease human suffering was happening in the GK communities. During the most difficult moments, I went to the poor for consolation. It became clear to me that the poor are oftentimes the victim when there is conflict among leaders. When politicians fight, it is the poor who suffer. Ironically, when religious leaders fight it is also the poor who suffer, just like the CFC controversy where Gawad Kalinga became the central issue. My stand on this is clear; I will always be on the side of the poor. As a Christian, I believe that this is also the stand of Jesus. I have remained with CFC that is building the church of the poor.

As I turn the page to start a new chapter in my life, I want to make one thing clear. Contrary to allegations, I have not veered away from the Catholic Church and set aside my faith for social work. I have put my social work inside my faith.

It is my personal conviction that I am not a good Catholic if I do not love my country or if I allow my countrymen to remain poor even if I live a devout and decent life. Within our context, where 85 percent of our population profess to be Catholic, faith and patriotism must go together to address the twin sisters of underdevelopment — poverty and corruption.

Bishop Francisco Claver, SJ., comments on the reluctance before of the Church to address this issue in his new book The Making of a Local Church. “Economics, so the charge went, is outside of the Church’s competence. Not so much now. It is readily seen that if, faithful to Christ’s concern for the least of his brothers and sisters, we must feed the hungry, teach the ignorant, heal the sick, we can and must do something about the causes, not just the symptoms, of their hunger, their ignorance, their sicknesses.” When addressing corruption, which is a moral issue, the Church is also being accused by the powerful and those with vested interests, “of meddling in politics.”

Central to my being Catholic is Jesus’ love for the poor. He saw the world through their eyes. His world-view was from the bottom up. His value system was always skewed in their favor — the last shall be first, the lowest shall be raised to the highest. The challenge for me is to care for them in a manner that will help them rise to their highest potential. My piety and pity alone will not save them; the squatters need land, not alms… justice, not dole-out. Without land, they cannot build homes or produce food. Without decent homes, they have no dreams. Without dreams, they have no desire to study or work. It is terribly unchristian for Filipinos to be squatters in a country where there is so much land in the possession of a few.

One interesting issue raised about me was that I was talking too much about nation-building when I should be preaching about Kingdom-building. For me, there is no dualism: nation-building is Kingdom-building. We need to make every Filipino passionate nation builders. Our country needs more builders, not just more preachers. The Jesus of history that I know, before he became the transcendent Christ to us, was a carpenter and the builder of both a physical and a spiritual kingdom. His disciples followed his example and built the early Christian communities where believers shared their resources with one another and no one was in need. This was the inspiration to start the first Gawad Kalinga village in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City. Building sustainable GK communities is about values as well as economics. It is also about politics. It is our antidote to corruption by promoting servant leadership. Our slogan for leaders is “Una sa serbisyo, huli sa benepisyo” (First to serve, last to benefit! ).

What happened to us?

At the heart of Christianity is social justice anchored on Jesus’ love for the oppressed and the spirit of democracy is equality for all but looking at the vast social inequity in wealth and opportunity in our country clearly shows that we have been unfaithful to our core values and belief systems.

God is not about structures and rituals but about caring. Nation is not about politics but patriotism. Politics is competition for power; patriotism is giving up our lust for power, sharing our wealth and making heroic sacrifices for the weak to build our collective strength as a people.

We have not invested enough in building the church of the poor. We missed Jesus’ point of view and wisdom when he spoke about leaving family as a condition for discipleship. The poor not only deserve our attention but investing in them will catalyze economic activities, create opportunities, and build a safer environment for our children. Our greatest asset, our biggest market — the poor — are just waiting to be mentored, empowered, and harnessed as our engine for growth. The stones that were rejected will become the cornerstone for nation-building.

Knowing this, how do we face the future as Catholics in a country of immense potential but mired in poverty of spirit and body?

My personal response is simple: Gawad Kalinga — the Filipino expression of integral evangelization that seeks to build good citizenship on earth as it is in heaven. Being Catholic is my choice that demands conviction and action from me.

1. This is my anchor: faith in God, love for family, and pride in being Filipino.

2. This is my compass: Christ as the core of my conscience, my model of citizenship, and the source of commonsense. He is my navigator through controversy and conflict, the mirror to my soul, my companion and consolation.

3. I go to Church for mass and communion every Sunday but I strive daily to be in communion with the masses and those who want to see their lives improve. To many, going to church is an end. For me, being Catholic begins the moment I step out of the church.

4. To build solidarity, I am guided by Pope Benedict’s spirit of ecumenism in this country divided by religious intolerance and partisan politics. For me, Catholic fundamentalism is just as bad as fundamentalism that we deplore in other religion. Hypocrisy and bigotry in any language and form are unacceptable to me as a Catholic as they were to Jesus.

5. With all our imperfections, I am proud to be Catholic and I want to bring passion in the Church to serve God by serving the poor. There are rumors that I am doing all of these because I will run for public office. To set the record straight, this is not my desire or calling. I value the freedom to serve more than the authority to rule. To gain freedom, I will not seek political power or personal profit from business. Real power is in not wanting it. True wealth is in not loving money but sharing it with those deprived of a dignified life due to lack of it. To be free is not to put a price tag to one’s soul. To end, let me share with you my wish before I die. I want to see the Philippines as the first Catholic nation in Asia that will rise from third-world poverty and corruption. I will not rest until we put Fr. Damaso and Dona Victorina finally to rest.


Bishop Claver's response:

Download the longer version of this talk HERE.

* * *

And that, is how you affect lives, empower people, and inspire change.

Also, here's something interesting from the PCIJ blog, circa August 2006.

Lipa Archbishop Arguelles Speaks.

If you all can recall, Lipa Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelles was accused of lawyering for CFC by Frank.

He responded to William Esposo's April 29 article.

Updates on the Pharisees, GK and CFC
AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR By William M. Esposo
Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Lipa Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelles responded in writing to my previous columns denouncing the Pharisees who continue to pester Gawad Kalinga (GK) and the Couples for Christ (CFC).

Archbishop Arguelles’ letter, dated April 29, sought to explain the circumstances behind Stanislaw Cardinal Rylko’s letter which had put CFC and GK in bad light after a media report gave a misleading impression that the letter was hitting both organizations.

Archbishop Arguelles’s letter stated:

“On March 03, 2008, I was with Mr. Joe Tale and Mr. Roquel Ponte, two of the seven members of the International Council of the CFC, to meet Cardinal Rylko in his office in Rome. In fact, I admit that I facilitated that encounter. I was berated for doing so by some sectors opposing the present CFC International Council. But I was in Rome for another more important reason.

“Cardinal Rylko did not at all chide the CFC. He regretted the division in the CFC. He asked for prayers and urged efforts to heal the wounds of disunity. The Holy See insists on reconciliation especially because the CFC is the only Lay Association of the Faithful originating in Asia and recognized by the Vatican. He suggested that it would be good that the present International Council will humbly declare:

1. That CFC would no longer accept donations from or enter into partnerships with individuals or groups perceived as promoting anti-Catholic principles (the Holy See is aware that these partnerships were entered into long before the split in the CFC);

b That CFC would publicly acknowledge the authority of the local Church (the so-called ‘disobedience’ to the bishops was a criticism of the CFC leadership long before the June 2007 elections of the new International Council which three bishops advised against);

b That the excellent ‘charitable or social works’ should remain as a result of the recognition of the primacy of love and service of God and not independent of it (GK is an essential part of and the necessary result of the evangelization and spiritual commitment of CFC);

4. That the CFC by the public declaration of the three above-mentioned issues would strive to bring the unity of the leaders;

5. That the crisis of the leadership in the Philippines should hopefully be kept as a Philippine problem so as not to disrupt the successful evangelization efforts in other countries.”

I give Archbishop Arguelles and Cardinal Rylko the benefit of the doubt that they mean well and seek to reunite CFC and the CFC-FLL breakaway faction of Frank Padilla whose members claim to be workers in the Lord’s vineyard.

The Archbishop’s letter failed to address though two issues that need to be clarified. One is about the supposed ‘disobedience’ of the CFC International Council when it held elections in 2007. Bishops Gabby Reyes, Soc Villegas and Angel Lagdameo had requested a postponement of the election date although the majority of the other Bishops did not oppose it.

The second issue is about Cardinal Rylko’s request for CFC to make a public apology for the ‘scandal’ the rift had caused. Archbishop Arguelles’s letter downplayed the suggested apology in Cardinal Rylko’s March 11, 2008 letter to CFC’s Joe Tale. Cardinal Rylko’s letter can be read on the ABS-CBN/Newsbreak website.

Anyone who reads the letter of Cardinal Rylko can easily deduce that he had fallen for the position of the Pharisees, a position that was apparently espoused and presented by Bishop Reyes who heads the National Council of the Laity here. In the CFC-FLL blog, Frank Padilla admitted having briefed Cardinal Rylko in 2007.

Bishops Gabby Reyes, Soc Villegas and Angel Lagdameo should not have asked the CFC to postpone its International Council elections for two very good reasons.

One, CFC is a lay organization and a lay initiative. Church interference in its organizational policy and procedures is therefore out of the question, especially when this is fueled by sour-graping Pharisees who don’t mind subverting the will of the majority of CFC.

Two, the elections followed CFC statute and it is neither right nor fair to compel CFC to set aside a statute just because Bishop Gabby Reyes favors the side of the Pharisees.

I was told that Bishop Gabby Reyes met with the CFC International Council last Wednesday afternoon and that he was fuming mad over the negative publicity he attracted. During the meeting, Bishop Reyes reportedly declared that recognition of CFC in the Philippines is on a diocese-to-diocese basis. However, this assertion runs counter to the pronouncements of the CBCP and the Vatican.

CFC and GK have a long history of being overly loyal and subservient to the Church leaders. CFC leaders will unquestioningly apologize even for things they are not guilty of — as a Christian gesture of turning the other cheek.

It’s not un-Christian however to refuse to turn the other cheek — not when it involves repercussions that will badly affect others. It is following in the footsteps of Christ to denounce Pharisees.

Misguided religious leaders can do more harm to a nation than a succession of bad temporal leaders.

Thank you Archbishop Arguelles, for clearing that up. It's unfortunate that you even have to address it, and that the Easter Group had to question your actions publicly, "lawyering" they say.

I linkified "chided" in the article to show what context the word was used in by the Easter Group.

Much like "admonish", and "chastise", Frank should really look into their actual meaning before using them. These are words whose definitions are far removed from the actual event, so I can only assume they're being used for effect. I'm not sure how Christian that is.

Credibility, Frank. You write books don't you? I would think using words in the right context will be almost automatic to you by now. Using words for effect and not for their actual meaning belong on gossip columns. Surely I don't need to chide you about that?

Choices

We appear to be staring at the edge of a very high cliff. There are choices to be made in how we react and deal with the present situation. To use another (safer sounding) analogy, we are now at a crossroads. Do we take up the staff or do we become lambs once again and watch as the FFL attempt to claim the name and continue with their divisive plans.

In seeing comments from both CFC and FFL members, I'm starting to realize that no matter what kind of proof or facts are put forth, the other side will NOT want to look at it, because they already feel righteous about what they do. The same argument will get thrown back no matter how much evidence is put out that there were personal and selfish reasons for the split. (Yes, that's the bottom line.) To quote the FFL's Naning Roxas who is posting in the ABS-CBN Poll:

"Brother, you are being mislead by saying that we left Couples for Christ and joined new group of FFL. WE ARE STILL MEMBERS OF COUPLES FOR CHRIST and nobody can removed us from CFC. Only that we disagreed on how GK is being administered by the concerned leaders. We know for a fact that GK has flaws. FFL is added just to distiguish us from the other group who supports GK. THe commitment of CFC-FFL is continue the evangelization works left and mandated by Jesus Christ ledaing to therkingdom of God. CFC-Global is always telling that CFC and GK are unseparable. But in all GK villages, the name of COUPLES FOR CHRIST is not metioned at all; only GK and its respective partners have it. That's why it puzzled many CFC members considering GK is a product of CFC. Just asking because unseparable and yet one is only there.

Thanks and God Bless."

My thanks to bro Deo Volente is who has taken up the arduous task correcting their misconceptions with humor and love.

So it's almost like rote: When questioned or faced with overwhelming evidence, they resort to repeat after me tactics,

"You veered...

"You don't evangelize..

"You don't listen to the bishops...

"You don't accept your mistakes...

"You partnered with anti-life Pharmas...

It really doesn't matter if we're doing something about these issues, or whether they're even valid points. It seems their minds have been made up, and they will believe what they want to believe. They feel that two CFC's won't cause further confusion among the members, and that it will not be damaging to our reputation when one goes to a church to inquire about us and finds out that there are two organizations, seemingly warring factions who are either on the defensive or offensive against each other. How very Christian, right? It's sad really, and it was what I was afraid of from the start. That in trying to stay true to our beliefs, the worst of our traits gets shaken from the tree to fall to the ground for everyone to see.

It truly has been a purifying process.

Let's be careful how self righteous we become, lest we fall into that trap. Keep an open mind, and try ALWAYS to see things from the other perspective...I believe the term is empathy.

Remember that Jesus exhorted us to:

Forego vengeance...

Bear the burdens of others....

Forgive debts...

Share our goods with the poor....

Refrain from passing judgement on others for their sins...

And love our enemies.

This firestorm ignited by that first ABS-CBN article has elicited various reactions from people within and without our community. For archival purposes, and of course for our own perusal, I'll try and list them all down.

First was Conrado De Quiros' opinion article in the PDI. An excerpt:

"How in God's name is it possible for anyone to do too much social work in this country? That is like accusing a doctor of prescribing too much medicine to someone fighting for his life. At the very least that a lay organization like Couples should somehow betray the Christian spirit by moving heaven and earth to feed the hungry and house the homeless is batty. What, they get to be more Christian by spending their time attending Mass and avoiding de-coupling while living sad, sad lives?"

Next we hear Boy Montelibano in ABS-CBN News Online. An excerpt:

"The history of CFC includes the formal leadership through a 7-man Council which, in fact, was one man who could overrule the others - if they at all attempted to get in his way. Behind the formal leadership of one was the informal leadership of the spouse. It is not a strange situation in renewal communities and many painful transitions have occurred in communities when traditional leaderships begin to experience growing resistance to the absolute rule of one from the other members. Breaking away after being spurned by a community they had long ruled absolutely is part of a pattern, not an exception. History is full of failed leaders, and they are so many that we do not know of them anymore. History is kind only to the victors, or remembers the ones who went berserk and inflicted massive damage to others."

We also have a wonderful letter from Fr. Tomasito Veneracion of Doha, Qatar, with a message of courage and hope:

Dear Brothers and Sister of CFC Qatar,

I send to all of you warm greetings and felicitations!

I write as your Parish Priest and Spiritual Director with much concern about this letter of Cardinal Rylko and the propaganda it has caused. Reading the letter gave me the impression that the Vatican is very much concerned with your community just like a mother to her children which is contrary to some interpretations coming from the other sides. There is no room for doubt that Cardinal Rylko and the Church is looking after the growth of CFC.

Br. Joe Tale should be commended for admitting the past mistakes. I do not know him personally but I should express my admiration for a man who can do this. A good leader doesn't ran away from his responsibility and point an accusing finger to anybody and everybody. You have with you an admirable leader.

I pity those who use Rylko's letter as a propaganda to discredit CFC. If they think you will simply let go and leave CFC, please tell them what your heart says. Tell them you will not run away and abandon your community. Tell them you have the courage to face all the criticisms they accuse you of. Tell them you will not leave just because you had disagreements with one another. Tell them you have found a family in CFC. Tell them you want to obey and listen to the Church authorities. Tell them you are willing to change for the better. Tell them to leave you alone and instead do what they think they want to do. If they do not leave you alone, beg them or even kneel down before them so they may realize how much you love CFC.

Courage dear brothers and sisters! Today is the time to stand up and admit the mistakes of the past. Today is also the time to move forward and face the future with hope.

Sincerely,

TV

Tomasito Veneracion OFM Cap.
Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Rosary
PO Box 12230
Doha- Qatar

There are many, many others I'd like to point out, like the commentary by WillyJ, Deo Volente, Ernie S, Jonitanitayturin, SleeplessInNJ, and many others who have brought many different perspectives on the table and practiced the gift of gentle correction to our misinformed brethren. You guys who populate the comments make all this worthwhile.

Let it be said now that the REAL substance of this blog lies not in the entries, but in the comment sections. Please keep it up.

Thank You Dear Bishop

The Inquirer's less biased article on the supposed "admonition" is on the front page today:

Vatican ‘corrects’ Couples for Christ’s ‘GK’ focus

By Jeannette Andrade
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:38:00 04/18/2008

MANILA, Philippines—The Vatican merely intended to guide and correct Gawad Kalinga’s “overemphasis on social work” when it sent a letter to Couples for Christ (CFC) chiding it for its “erroneous steps,” according to an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes, chair of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on the Laity, Thursday told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the Vatican had the authority and duty to remind and guide lay groups.

He said he did not think that the letter from the Vatican referring to Gawad Kalinga—a social action group that was founded by the CFC and which has become hugely successful in building homes for the poor—was an admonition.

“It is more of a guidance, a correction. It is merely correcting the overemphasis on social work. It is correcting receiving funds from pharmaceutical companies [who support or manufacture contraceptives]. It is saying, stop acting like that,” he said.

The bishop was asked to comment on a report on the ABS-CBN website that said the CFC had been chastised by the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Laity in a March 11 letter to the CFC president, Jose Tale.

In that letter, the Vatican noted Gawad Kalinga’s purported shift of focus from the spiritual to the social, as well as its willingness to receive donations from companies that promoted artificial family planning.

Giving ‘too little’

According to Reyes, the letter carried a quote from Pope Benedict XVI that said: “Whoever does not give God, gives too little.”

“That’s before the part where it says CFC should counterbalance the overemphasis on social work,” the bishop said, adding:

“Overemphasis on social work is not good when you are already neglecting your relationship with Christ.”

Reyes further said the CFC had always been against artificial family planning but that Gawad Kalinga had been receiving funds from companies manufacturing contraceptives.

“If you do that, you are forgetting Christian values,” Reyes said.

“You can always work with everyone—Muslims, Buddhists—but still not forget Christian values. We can remain Christians. We should not forget our Christian values,” he said.

He added that when he discussed the letter with some CFC leaders, they assured him that they would abide by the Vatican guidance.

Asked if the Gawad Kalinga had placed the CFC in a bad light, Reyes answered in the negative.

Split

He said the letter was probably intended to prevent a similar conflict from occurring in other CFC organizations in other countries.

That conflict had actually resulted in a split between Antonio Meloto and his group and the breakaway group led by CFC founder Frank Padilla.

The letter from the Vatican appears to be taking the side of Padilla’s group, which had protested Meloto’s style of managing Gawad Kalinga.

Together with Padilla, Meloto, received the 2006 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Leadership. He said his organization would continue to serve the poor and the country.

“Our work is nation-building,” he said, adding that Gawad Kalinga had the support of more than 350 partner-corporations.

“We do not judge politicians as corrupt. We engage them in our work. We are a divided country already in terms of politics, religion. We want to unite everyone through our work,” he said.

Meloto stressed that he was a devout Catholic and remained an active member of the CFC. “But I am more focused on nation-building, in our work at Gawad Kalinga,” he said.

Asked to comment on the letter from the Vatican, CFC president Jose Tale cut short a phone interview with the Inquirer, saying: “We (CFC officers and members) are preparing a statement … We will be discussing that … We already came out with a paid ad on April 7.”

That advertisement merely reiterated the mission of the organization and its four core values—pro-God, pro-family, pro-life, and pro-poor.

It stated: “We will continue to pursue the work for the poor through Gawad Kalinga and our social ministries. Gawad Kalinga is an integral part of our life and mission resulting from our spiritual growth and our commitment to God to love the poor.

“We will continue to defend, protect and promote life in accordance with the guidelines set by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. We sincerely apologize for any scandal that the Couples for Christ leadership, past or present, may have caused among the faithful with our previous partnerships.”

“We will do our mission in full communion with the hierarchy of the Catholic Church and in observance of the statutes of Couples for Christ as a private international association of the faithful as approved by Pontifical Council for the laity.”

Limit on donations

“We will continue to welcome back our brethren who have left the community and help promote the spirit of our brotherhood and reconciliation.”

Asked whether the CFC would move to impose limitations on the donations to be received by Gawad Kalinga, Tale merely said the matter was part of the discussion among CFC officials.


Copyright 2008 Philippine Daily Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Suffice to say, that's it in a nutshell. Thank you Bishop Gabby, for debunking the other article. That's exactly what we needed and expected from the spiritual adviser of CFC. In basketball terms, we call it, "GREAT D!"

Have a great weekend my friends, it has been exciting. A safe and blessed trip to those going out of town, you know who you are. Subic will be a holy and happy place this weekend.

My greetings to all in HOLD, have a great event and God Bless you all.

ADmonishing

UPDATED AT THE BOTTOM! [4/18/2008]

Is it just me or does the latest article about CFC on ABS-CBN look more like an advertisement for the FFL than an actual journalistic piece?

Once again, the FFL makes clever and twisted use of context to attempt to sway the court of public opinion in their favor. Little do they know they are hurting themselves as much as they think they are hurting CFC. Such a nice act by a supposedly religious organization, eh? Also, this poor excuse for a reporter Carmela Fonbuena needs a few protest emails sent her way. She has supposedly written a non-biased article, without consulting with all parties relevant to the piece.

My dear, you have some explaining to do, like for starters:

In your irresponsible rush to come out with your "scoop", did you bother to check your facts and sources?

But I'm not suprised, I would have thought the FFL would find a better mouthpiece than someone who declares , "I turn gossips into information" on her Myspace site.

Anyway, what's the whole brouhaha about? It sure has gotten us stirred up, hasn't it? Lets look past the headline first, after all, it was concocted by someone who seems to have a thing for using a sensational headline to sell a story or hide its lack of substance/truthful content. She's also going to have to learn the meaning of chastise as opposed to admonish, it just might help her journalistic credibility.

Let's pick this story apart at the seams, why don't we?

"The Vatican has chastised the Couples for Christ (CFC) group supportive of Gawad Kalinga founder Antonio Meloto for the "erroneous steps [it has] taken" when it decided to shift its focus from the spiritual to the social. The group was instructed to make a public apology."

What's sad is that it is painfully obvious that all the information being fed to this hapless reporter is coming from one place. The Vatican has NEVER chastised CFC, only one person keeps on doing that and though he may have designs on a saintly position someday (good luck brother), he sure doesn't work for the Vatican.

Also, only the FFL will use such wording as, "...decided to shift its focus from the spiritual..." Tell me again, WHO decided? Was it an official decision? Did the IC release a statement we didn't know about? Sheesh, you guys, this is getting old.

"The Vatican disapproved of CFC’s "overemphasis on the social work"

Ok, I'm assuming they snatched this quote from a line in the next paragraph which goes,

"...said that CFC should "counterbalance the overemphasis on social work...."

How they can squeeze "disapproved" from this statement, I don't know, but I would call it a fair amount of overzealous misinterpretation, which they do quite a lot. I'm trying to be politically correct, but the actual thought in my head is telling me to request that they take remedial english courses.

The article goes on to describe a series of letters, four to be exact, that were supposedly obtained by ABS-CBN (I wonder from who? Hmm. It sure wasn't from the IC, and the FFL is obviously not copy-furnished in these communiques.). It also details a phone interview with Tony Meloto, though I'd wonder why they would try to interview him as he hasn't been a part of the CFC-IC for a year.

Oh let me guess, interviewing one of the IC might let the cat out of the bag?

First off, YES, Bro Joe Tale DID go to the Vatican. Every local area head should know about this. He went there to get a clear picture of what CFC should be doing to comply with Vatican directives on dealing with agencies that promote artificial family control, among others. It is also true that Cardinal Rylko wrote a letter to the IC, defining what should be done by CFC to comply with The Vatican's directives. The letter was a re-iteration of what was discussed during Joe Tale's visit.

What they conveniently forgot to quote in Cardinal Rylko's letter is the part where he said that he recognizes one CFC only and will not allow others to use the name.

Why do I know this? Well, the letter was read to the area heads and leaders last Sunday, that's why. The IC has also started taking the steps outlined in the Cardinal's letter, the first of which was this full page ad in the Philippine Star placed almost 2 weeks ago:

click to enlarge

Why are we doing this? The answer is evident. Obviously we are not thumbing our collective noses at the authorities. The IC recognizes that some actions it has unknowingly taken may have not been in line with Vatican policy. They've asked for clarity and forgiveness, and are taking the necessary steps to correct it, hence the Cardinal's letter and it's instructions. Isn't that what a good person who's made a "mistake" should be doing? It's just sad that the FFL jumped on it with glee, thinking they can use it to fuel their fizzling attempt to lay claim to the CFC name and snipe its members. That letter should now be released by the IC, and if I may humbly suggest, an official letter to ABS-CBN to protest and demand a retraction/correction for the very misleading and obviously biased article.

At least one good thing has come out of this.

"Reyes has sided with the breakaway group of Padilla."

Why good, one might wonder? Well, it's one TRUTH that has come out in the open, proving once again that God works in mysterious ways. All this time he has acted as our official spiritual adviser. I'd now like to pose the question directly to the good Bishop, respectfully of course: Where does your heart belong?

Quo Vadis, Pontifex?

Is it true that you were asked to appoint another adviser for CFC considering your loyalties, but you refused, saying you will NEVER resign as the CFC's spiritual adviser? I am in no position to question your judgement dear Bishop, but how can you possibly remain an impartial party to both groups after such a public announcement of your loyalties?

Wouldn't that be a case of the shephard neglecting his flock?

In closing I'd just like to share something I got in my email. I was not able to get permission to reprint it, so if the author would prefer not to have it on the blog, please let me know and I'll remove it.

Re: GK enough or more....Are We a Church of the Poor?

Thank you, Dody, for your sharing. At this stage of our lives, we may be repositories of vast experiences and, hopefully, wisdom. This wisdom and the concern we have for mankind and the ensuing generations are the greatest gifts we can offer.

As I write this, media has already reported what was a private situation deliberately made public by some who wish to taint and destroy GK. It is the work of wolves in sheep's clothing, reminiscent of the high priests and pharisees who sought to destroy the truth and perpetuate their governance of hypocrisy. The news say that the Vatican has admonished Couples For Christ over Gawad Kalinga. Through Cardinal Rylko, triggered by Bishop Gabby Reyes, an instruction was given to CFC to publicly apologize for the sacndal caused over GK's partnership with a pharmaceutical company - and then terminate the concerned partnership.

There was an effort to keep the situation between those directly involved. Unfortunately, letters between Cardinal Rylko, Bishop Reyes and the CFC Council were leaked to media in a continuing efrfort to discredit both the leadership of CFC and the work of GK. The damage, contrary to what enemies of CFC or GK may think, is less on the CFC community or GK. CFC is a renewal community; adversity and trials are part and parcel of the spiritual journey of members. CFC may be shaken, but it will stand and then move on. The 26-year history of CFC was wisely guided to be autonomous of the Church in its operations. Frank Padilla who led CFC to pursue its mission with or without the approval and support of bishops and parish priests is the one now trying to force CFC to be under the full ambit and governance of the Church beyond matters of faith and dogma. It is too late, though, as most members are fully confident that they are not only good Christians but, through the mission of their community, go beyond the usual behavior of average Catholics.

The greater and more dangerous damage will be felt by the Church as an institution and its influence over the flock. The conflicting messages and actuation of the Church hierarchy among themselves and oftentimes in full viedw of the public contribute to the lessening of the credibility of this same hierarchy. Worse, the participation or intrusion of the Vatican in a controversy which it should keep away from can lessen its own credibility from the high point where the late charismatic Pope John Paul II had brought it. The Vatican should review history and how it lost its dominant primacy over Europe, and how Catholics in Brazil and trhe Philippines, two of the most populous nations contributing tens of millions of faithful to the global Catholic population, experience a constant losss of members to other faiths.

What is heartening, though, is the present trip of Pope benedict XVI to the United States. The US is one of the leading anti life nations of the world by definition of the Church of what anti life is. The US is host to almost everything anti life like abortion, divorce, contraception and aggressive global promotion of condoms and other contraceptives for population control . The Pope eagerly prepared for his US trip, and rightly so. Before global audiences, the Pope basked in the welcome of the leading anti life preseident of the world who has aggressively waged wars which the Church has declared anti life over and over again.

It is apparent and enlightening that the Pope chooses engagement over condemnation, that the Pope chooses evangelization over Inquisition and fundamentalism. The Pope has not ceded his crusade against anti life issues, but he is not afraid that his faith will be threatened by engaging those who believe otherwise. I am convinced that the Pope also believes that his witnessing the love of Christ to all people, and most especially to the lost and to the poor, is primordial and clearly superior to religious bigotry and fundamentalism.

Thank you, Dody, for strengthening my resolve for the mission I have embraced.

Boy

UPDATE: The IC response, and I have to say...THANK YOU. I believe I'm not alone when I say that I love the pro-active IC!

Dear brethren:

We view with concern reports that the brethren are being unduly disturbed by the article that appeared in ABS-CBN News Online on April 15, 2008 entitled "Vatican Admonishes Couples for Christ Over Gawad Kalinga."

We would like to inform you of the following actions that the International Council has taken in this connection:

1. We have brought to the attention of ABS-CBN News Online the fact that the article quotes out of context portions of the letter that Cardinal Rylko, President of the Pontifical Council of the Laity of the Vatican, wrote to Executive Director Joe Tale last March 11, 2008. Please see attached.
2. We have also written to the Cardinal apprising him of this article and seeking his guidance on how to address the confusion that has arisen because of this article.
3. We shall issue statements in the future as it becomes necessary.

In the meantime, we would like to assure you of one important thing: NOWHERE IN THE LETTER OF THE CARDINAL IS IT EXPRESSED THAT THE VATICAN HAS SIDED WITH THE GROUP OF FRANK PADILLA.

This is still part of the trials that the Lord has seen fit to allow us to undergo as a test of our humility and obedience. We ask everyone to pray for the community that we love so much and to continue to relate to everyone in love. We remind everyone that the Lord's message for each and every one of us is "Love one another as I have loved you."

May God bless us all.


THE CFC INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL

Here's the official response to ABS:

Download HERE.

Thank you again IC. For you I dedicate this song:

Nothing to Complain About

A heartwarming article in the Philippine Star website proves that CFC is on the right track, and because of it, the Aetas are now much better off, with nothing to complain about.

Gawad Kalinga reaches out to Aetas
By Patricia Esteves
Sunday, March 2, 2008

In a Gawad Kalinga village in Burog, Bamban town, Tarlac, neatly dressed Aeta children gather inside a Sibol classroom, GK’s pre-school facility, listening intently as their teacher reads books and counts numbers.

Their parents, meanwhile, are out in the field, harvesting fruits and vegetables or tending to livestock.

A few years back, Aeta children and their mothers picked through trash for bottles, metal scraps and newspapers that earned them around P50 a day, while others simply roamed around the city begging for food.

For a time, Aetas in Tarlac have been used to living in poverty, with misery and ugliness all around them, and people paying little or no attention to them.

But today, things are different. The 100 Aeta families in this town now live in brightly colored, clean and sturdy homes and are beneficiaries of free schooling and sustainable livelihood.

Apart from this, Singles for Christ (SFC) and Couple’s for Christ (CFC) members continue to care for the Aetas through various “Kapatiran” and fellowship activities meant to “reinforce GK’s thrust on building not just homes but more importantly, relationships.”

CFC members conduct values formation programs among the Aetas.

Last February 12-14, SFC members from Zamboanga Sibugay, Metro Manila, Tarlac, Canada, Australia, United States and the Middle East spent three days in GK Burog to bond and interact with the Aetas.

After having built more than 150 houses for the Aetas, GK said that by bringing volunteers to the Aeta sites, they are able to show that GK genuinely cares for them.

SFC members like Delson Villanueva, an engineer from Qatar who participated in the event dubbed “Kapatid, sa GK walang Iwanan,” said they did not only teach the Aetas but also learned their culture, history and way of life.

“The event wanted to highlight the beauty and the treasure within the Aetas. It also aims to awaken participants on some social issues affecting the Aetas,” GK champion Tony Meloto said.

‘Survivor series’

The SFC participants did not just construct houses but activities, patterned after the “Survivor Series”, were integrated in the building process.

A total of 33 participants were divided into three tribes such as Manwelek, Oyha, and Abukay, Ayta Mag-antsi for a large forest rat, deer and civet cat, respectively.

Some of the workshops/challenges were the “Hunt”, where participants were taught how to use the bow & arrow used by the Aetas for hunting; and archery.

The participants were given an overview of the history and culture of the Aetas and were oriented on the Mag-Antsi language of the Aetas.

The indigenous people harvest and sell papaya, the main source of income in GK Burog, for only P10 pesos per kilo (farm-gate price).

‘Love the other’

Filipino-American Justin Claravall said he felt a profound calling to “love the other” when he spent time with Aetas in Burog.

“When I first got off the minicab and saw the children playing, shouting, rolling on the dirty ground, a thought invaded my head: ‘These kids are dirty.’ How embarrassing it was for me to judge these kids so immediately,” Justin said, recalling his first visit to a GK site.

He said he reflected on his guilt and asked for God’s forgiveness and this drove him to be close to the children.

“After a couple days, the Aeta children returned love in spades. Little girls followed me around, hugging me and telling me they’ll cry when I leave,” Justin said.

“From the initial prejudice up to the time we left, I felt more accepted and I cared more for the well-being of the villagers, especially the children, who lavished me with so much affection,” he added.

In totality, he said the whole experience brought him closer to God by showing him that to love Him, he must learn to love his neighbors.

Justine was raised in California and is a member of the GK Builders Corp for six months.

Delson, who also spent time in GK Burog, was introduced to GK by SFC-Qatar. As an overseas Filipino worker (OFW), he realized that GK was the perfect vehicle for him to express his love to his poor kababayans, particularly street children.

“Everytime I do GK work, I’m very inspired because I know that it is full of love – love for people, love for country and love for God,” Delson said.

“It’s a different experience for me. We were very happy to be welcomed by the Aetas. You can see that they were very willing to learn and improve their lifestyle. They do not want to beg but they would rather crave for attention, understanding and love,” Delson said.

“My commitment to GK is to continue to support their program and as an OFW, I will continue promoting GK in our area in the Middle East particularly in Qatar. By God’s will, I want to be a full time GK worker someday. We in SFC-Qatar have a GK pledge and that is going to GK San Martin every year, that’s the place we want to build a village,” Delson said.

The Aetas’ homes, free school education and livelihood programs are part of GK’s Indigenous People (IP) program, which aims to help indigenous communities build ecologically sound and sustainable villages, sharing a common vision that is economically progressive, promoting social equity and providing a good quality of life.

“So we are bringing in the programs for health, education, food production together with improvement of shelter that respects the history, tradition of indigenous peoples,” said Meloto in an interview.

Their goal is to preserve the beautiful culture and unique qualities not only of Aetas in Pampanga, Zambales and Tarlac but also of the Mangyans in Mindoro, the Dumagats in Aurora and Rizal, the Palawonons of Palawans, the Bilaans, Tibolis, Mamawons, Subanens and other indigenous peoples in Mindanao.

Newsworthy

GK is starting the year right.

An excerpt:

Meloto said Panlilio's brand of leadership and the close partnership of the private sector and government led him to believe that "we are seeing the future of the Philippines and it is going to happen here."

"The leadership here enjoys public trust. We are nonpartisan but we always like to work with national and local leaders who believe in the vision of Gawad Kalinga which is simple: To bring the Philippines out of the Third World; to make it a First World nation," Meloto said.

GK has already partnered with more than 300 local government units and seeks to increase its partners this year. So far, it has helped establish 1,500 villages in the country and has facilitated land donations for an additional 150,000 families.

Meloto praised Mayor Marino Morales for helping GK put up the Tabun village in June 2007 with the support of Couples for Christ, the Santos Ventura Hocorma Foundation and the Cabinet spouses.

Panlilio described the problem of homelessness in Pampanga as "urgent" due to migration and lack of housing units in the Pinatubo resettlements. Because of this, he said he would exert efforts to convince the provincial board to pass the 2008 budget.

"If that does not push through, the mayors and I will lead the GK campaign in the private sector so that the housing needs of our poorest constituents are addressed," he said.

Crisis in Makati

There appears to be a new attempt to bring about a military coup being staged at the Peninsula Manila in Makati. It has garnered support from some civil society groups as well as some bishops, but I am hoping that it ends peacefully.

Here is a prayer from Joe Tale, please help me get it out to as many friends and family as you can.

Heavenly Father, our country is against facing a great trial.
We implore Your divine intervention and bless our country with peace.
We pray that the incident in Makati end without bloodshed.
Please heal our land and grant us peace.

Amen.

I will keep my opinions on Trillanes and co. to myself, but in the spirit of the season, I hope they find their senses soon. Seems somebody's always calling for people to join them, sometimes resorting to desperate measures. =)

Humor:

Oveheard,

GMA: Ma-coup-lit talaga itong si Trillanes!

UPDATE:

The siege ends bloodlessly, thank God.

FFL Statements and Reactions .... again.

Possibly in connection with this recent Bishop Reyes clarification letter, the FFL has released their own translation of what Bishop Reyes meant to say, I believe, to help those of us who can't understand plain english - a very worthy cause.



Here is their statement:



Pdf file HERE.

I would think that Bishop Reyes meant for his letter to be understood by one and all without the need for clarification from no less than the FFL, I mean, he did after all pay for it to be published in the Philstar and the Bulletin (?). Maybe the FFL believes the Bishop didn't quite make himself clear enough.




I have to go now and try and explain to my 2 year old nephew once again that my celfone is not a toy. That seems an easier task.