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24 from previous page instead of the normal Reverend or Father. Some have the rank of SPO1 – Sunday priest only for 1 Sunday in a month, SPO2 – Sunday Priest only for 2 Sundays, SPO3 Sunday Priest only for 3 Sundays, SPO4 – Sunday Priest for four Sundays in a month. The rest of the days of the month they are nowhere to be found. So have I heard that the ranks upgrades proportionately as they advance in age. parables the child friendly and animal rightist So I have seen and heard that the ministers after all are always there easy to be found, baby sitting the whole week until the spouse would take a break for the weekend. On weekends, these CFPs transfigures as ARs, Animal Rightist, so I heard, weekends are times to gather camote, taro, gabi and haul feeds from the agricultural supply stores for the lovely chickens, ducks, goats and pigs. Charity begins at home, so I heard, and animals are also God’s creation, so also I heard. learn from the domesticated in the great cities So I have seen and heard of graduates of St. Andrew’s Theological Seminary, ministers, who upon deployment would submit requisitions for: complete sets of liturgical materials, hymnals and or songbooks, bibles, interpreters dictionary of the bible, typewriters or computers, Lighting systems, cooking gas range, motor bikes, hiking shoes, hardship allowance, as accordingly they are too domesticated in the great cities of Metro-Manila and the rural areas would be unbearable without these amenities. So I have read and heard of the Carpenter’s son of Nazareth traveling the expanse of the lake of Galilee on foot, climbed the hills of Galilee of Judea on foot, sometimes pluck grains along the way to relieve their hunger pangs, no known rectory or kombento, no motor bike except occasional boat rides, I have heard and read people go to him in multitude that he barely have time to rest. Whatever happened with the sons and daughters of man graduates of St. Andrew’s at the present.? parable the Concordat ecumenism So I have seen and heard that, the concordat churches, have regional formations, Regional Concordat Councils (RCCs), however these Regional Concordat Councils seldom meets as if there is nothing in the ecumenical world to be concern about. In the very rare meetings, many substantial matters indeed are taken up like: “bonggang kumustahan” and “bonggang chikahan” and the rest of the day is spent with anything under the sun in the context of “Inomenical” collegiality. The Philippine EPISCOPALIAN the struggles and miseries of the indigenous peoples So I have heard and read that there are over 115 ethnolinguistic groups (of people) in our very own Philippines stretching from Batanes to Jolo, with over 150 distinct dialects, with a combined population of over 16 million. Almost half of these indigenous peoples are concentrated in the island of Mindanao, the so-called Lumad (born and grew up in the area) while the other concentration is in the Cordilleras, the so-called Igorots (people of the mountains which in the Bahasa language, Orang-utan). Being one of them, so I have seen these people lives in mountainous areas, mountain valleys and slopes, hill sides, along rivers and brooks. These are the people who consistently resisted colonial rule and live as organized communities in defined territories since time immemorial, have retained much of their social, economic, cultural and political institutions. They have a long history of struggle, oppression, Discrimination, dislocation and marginalization brought about by the colonizers. So I have learned that the church(s) which came along with the colonizers are party to the struggles and miseries of the indigenous peoples even to this day. So I have read and learned that the indigenous peoples are not safe in their remote habitations from the greed of the colonialist and even some people of today, who exploited the mountains and rivers resources. Protestations and resistance from the inhabitants fell on deaf ears. The churches contributed in the capitulation of the indigenous peoples, calling them pagans, heathens, imposed upon them a foreign religion subverting them from their inferior religious culture in order to save them from the fiery furnace of hell. (why did we have to change our names into foreign names? why have we not retained our indigenous names? Why not Anggako Wandag instead of Alexander the great? Why not Malakas Fagutagana instead of Ephraim? Why not Limahong Tanhuanco instead of Patrick? Why not Ikatlong Pagkabuhay Reyes, instead of Resurrection III? This is not conversion, this is the crime of subversion.) the founding of the state government So I have heard that the founding of a Filipino State and the eventual turnover of governance to the natives of the Philippines only aggravated and institutionalized the oppression of the indigenous peoples. Several bureaus and or commissions were set up to deal with the concerns of the indigenous peoples. Several land laws were also enacted to the detriment of the indigenous people. All of these enhanced the cycle of expropriation of the ancestral lands and next page
from previous page domains of the indigenous peoples as corporate properties by the Agribusiness, Logging and Mining companies, thereby perpetuate their discrimination, dislocation and marginalization. So I have heard and seen the churches realizing their sins against the Indigenous people tried to make amends. However, in the guise of Enculturation, Indigenization, the churches managed to enriched their liturgies and religious celebrations with indigenous arts (music, musical instruments and dances), craft and symbols without proper recognition of their ethnic intellectual property rights. So I have seen the need for the churches to be serious about Enculturation and Indigenization as Christians have much to learn from the theology and spirituality of indigenous peoples as many have remained pure and not yet corrupted. The challenges to the very existence of these indigenous people have not been so severe at the present times brought about by the liberalized mining act of 1995. So I have seen and heard the wanton destruction of the mountains, rivers (Home for the IPs) as well as sea coast from Batanes to Jolo for the precious metals, stones and minerals. So I have heard and seen communities from north to south are organizing their ranks and are actively participating in the struggle for genuine land rights and self-determination within the framework of the Filipino peoples struggle for genuine democracy, National Industrialization and Quest for Genuine Peace with Justice. So we have heard their cries to the churches and church people but may be the churches have not heard or simply refuse to hear it. learn from the struggling Filipino People So we have seen and heard the noise of the peasant farmers in the rural areas marching almost daily for a share of the lands they could till. The protestations of others that the piece of land they are presently tilling be spared from the giant agri-business, logging and mining. The cries of the urban poor facing demolition of their houses and eviction in favor of the malls and aggressive development projects. The anguish of those in the evacuation centers due to wars and disaster. So we have seen and heard of the factory workers, Civil workers, drivers in the picket lines and or marching through the streets daily for just wages and or protest against oil price increase. So we have seen and heard the young peoples and students marching through the streets for improved instructions and protest against tuition fee increases. A new form of peaceful protest is being popularize, “Noynoying”. The Philippines so we have heard has the biggest refugees in the world in terms of people gambling their luck A seminarian receives a medal for academic excellence. in foreign lands not for greener pasture (because there are no green pastures here in the first place) but by force of poverty. So we have seen and heard of the anguish of families being torn apart and dislocated as a consequence. The silent anguish of HIV/ AIDS afflicted people is so loud not to be heard. So we have heard the number and it is growing, of pastors, priests, Media people, Students, ordinary peasant farmers, fisher-folks, victims of Extra Judicial Killings and or enforced disappearances perpetrated by the government and or its agents. Simply speaking in the attempt at making a difference in society and trying to exercise the prophetic ministry is a dreadful crime, the sanction of which is death by EJK or ED. The culture of impunity pervades throughout the land. These are the people, the very people of God upon whom He sent his only begotten Son to minister and even offered his life and died on the cross. These are the same people we are being ash to go minister. Don’t bother with the powerful and mighty and rich, they are non-people unless they repent and return unto the Lord. Mary in her excitement sang “the mighty He had removed from their throne and sent away the rick empty handed”. Let the non-graduates of St. Andrew minister to them. Prophesy and pronounce judgment upon them instead until they would have repented and become real people. The biggest blunder of the church and the ministers is somehow we have eyes but because of blurred vision we cannot see, have ears but because of but because earwax we cannot hear, nose but because of common colds we cannot smell, skin but because “manhid” we cannot feel, minds but scared to think, heart but cannot love genuinely, loving only those who can love us in return? Do we have to wait for Yahweh to appear again to another Moses in Mt. Midian? I am convinced that the noise, cries, anguish, protestations of the People we hear are the words of God, while the disasters, devastations, massacres, the face of the earth being torn apart, the murder of its natural resources we witness almost daily is the burning bush. next page The Philippine EPISCOPALIAN 25
Page 1 and 2: Episcopalian “Why seek ye the liv
Page 3 and 4: “Will you go and do likewise?”
Page 5 and 6: NBW AT THE MISSION CENTER Cathedral
Page 7 and 8: from previous page The words Jesus
Page 9 and 10: 18 Graduates from Saint Andrew’s
Page 11 and 12: DIOCESE OF SANTIAGO “Keep on the
Page 13 and 14: from page 11 (Misio Dei). For the A
Page 15 and 16: from previous page Naimbag a Damag
Page 17 and 18: from page 10 Paul, faith is meaning
Page 19 and 20: DIOCESE OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES “
Page 21 and 22: THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION Archbishop o
Page 23: OPINION/REFLECTIONS Thirty two year
Page 27 and 28: EDNCP from page 14 completing requi

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