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NEWS
FEATURES
CBCP official
awarded for work
with Mangyans
MANILA, Jan. 31, 2010—An SVD missionary
who has recently been appointed
executive secretary of the Episcopal
Commission for Indigenous People of
the Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP) has been cited for
his exemplary mission work among the
Mangyan people.
Fr. Ewald Dinter, SVD, who spent
more than 40 years of his life serving the
Mangyan communities of Oriental Mindoro
was given the Saint Joseph Freinademtz
Award for epitomizing “prophetic
dialogue and inculturation on his mission
contribution, following the charism of the
SVD and its founding generations.”
The awarding was held January
29 at the Fr. Peter Yang Hall, St. Jude
Catholic School, Manila capping the
three-year centennial celebration of
SVD’s “100 years of missionary presence”
in the Philippines.
Awarded together with Dinter were
other SVDs and a lay person who have
made significant contribution in the
mission of helping the poor.
Fr. Leo Schmitt, SVD, received the
St. Arnold Janssen Mission Award for
building low-cost housing for the poor,
while Fr. Wilhelm van Kuijk, SVD, a 98
year-old missionary who has spent 61
years in the Philippines was conferred
the Centennial Award for his missionary
and religious commitment.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Beatriz Buenavista-Evangelista,
a lay person who ministered
among the prisoners in Quezon
City Jail was given the Divine Word
Award for her meritorious contribution
in the mission.
Organizations and institutions who
are closely involved in the promotion
of SVD mission were also cited.
The Samahang Bagong Buhay
Foundation, Inc. was conferred the
Vivat Cor Iesu Award for its role in
accomplishing Fr. Schmitt’s housing
projects.
The Communio Award went to St.
Martin Mission Hospital of Sablayan,
Occidental Mindoro for helping and
treating poor and indigenous peoples
despite financial constraints.
The St. Jude Archdiocesan Shrine
and Parish in San Miguel, Manila was
210 million migrants on the move
for the New Year of the Tiger
BEIJING, China, Feb. 6, 2010—
Tens of millions of migrants begin
their exodus for the Chinese New
Year which falls on 14 February,
to return home from the big cities
where they work. But this time
many of them are hoping to find
work close to their rural village
and stay there.
For the vast majority of immigrants,
the New Lunar Year is the
only opportunity to return home,
where many have left parents and
children. The railways are besieged
by endless queues of people laden with bags and it is estimated there will be
no less than 210 million passengers in 40 days, the equivalent to the population
of Russia, even for trips lasting more than 20 hours on uncomfortable
wooden seats, carrying their homemade meals.
This year, many migrants hope to find work close to home and not come
back to the big cities, where for decades they live as second-class citizens
without health care or free schooling for their children, with little protection
at work and forced to pay high rents to live in several in-room dormitories.
On February 3 in Zhengzhou (Henan) the farmer Wu Xianmin stabbed
to death two migrant workers who were protesting against the wage cuts to
3 Yuan (less than 30 euro cents) per day.
In the crowded station in Guangzhou, Li Beiyong tells the South China
Morning Post that during the holidays she will seek "a decent job near home."
Li, 24, works as a waitress in a hotel in Ningbo, south of Shanghai, and earns
1500 Yuan per month. "The pay might be lower- she says-but the cost of living
is also less. There I might get on better".
Just a year ago, many migrants returned from their holidays to find their
factories closed, with no warning. Now, by contrast, there is a shortage of
manpower. Many migrants find work nearer home, now that the poor interior
provinces are becoming more prosperous in addition to the declining age of
the working population as a result of single-child policy and young people
seeking better jobs than manual labour.
Finally, government funding, to stimulate the economy, has created jobs across
the country and thus removed the workforce from the factories in the east.
Beijing wants to stimulate the creation of jobs throughout the country, to
make the economy less dependent on exports abroad. To the point that many
factories have even increased wages, in need of manpower. (AsiaNews)
conferred the Fr. Peter Yang Award for
its contribution to the SVD Chinese
mission in the Philippines.
The Catechists of Abra were given
the Abra Mission Award for their long
and enduring apostolate of religious
instruction particularly in the public
schools of Abra.
The SVD awards committee also
gave a Special Recognition Award to
the Congregation of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary (CICM) for the support
they have given to the SVD mission in
the Philippines.
The eight awardees received a goldplated
medallion and a P50,000.00 cash
reward each.
The SVD Mission Awards was
launched last year by the Society of
Divine Word in partnership with St. Jude
Catholic School during the centennial
celebration of SVD’s missionary presence
in the country.
The awards aim to recognize Catholic
and non-Catholic individuals, groups,
and, institutions that greatly contributed
to the realization of SVD's mission in
the country. (CBCPNews)
Volume 44 • Number 2 15