MEMORIES: Early Life & THE UNSEEN FUTURE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 -My Early Life

Chapter 2 – Japanese Navy Attacks America’s Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941

Bombing by Japanese Airforce of Pearl Harbor, US Forces in Hawaii

Chapter 3- US-Japanese War in Dayhagan, Pilar, Capiz

Japanese Zero Aircraft during World War 11 that flew in Dayhagan, Pilar, Capiz

Chapter 4-The Japanese -American War in Panay

Chapter 5-The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki in Japan

The deadly Atomic bombing & the Unconditional Surrender of Japan surrender.

Chapter 6 – Japanese Ameican War……………

Chapter 6- My Grand Parents on Father’s Side

The mangoes of my grandparents in Guinticgan provide us with fruits yearly.

Chapter 7- My Grand Parents on My Mother’s Side

My grandmothers, Aurea Bartolome Carvajal‘s rice fields blooms, fertilized with carabao manures only.

Chapter 8 - My Mother, Estrella, a Dressmaker & Her Store at Home

My mother’s made dresses for women and young girls in our village and nearby villages

Chapter 9 - Mother’s Flower & Vegetable & Gardens

My mother’s native roses always have small red flowers

Chapter 10 -My Primary School & the First Local and National Elections

(Cawayan Elem School Now

The school were I studied from Grade 2 to Grade 1V. During that time, it has only 4 rooms.

Chapter 12,- 1949 Campaigns in the Local Elections in 1949

Chapter 13– First Year High at Salaman Institute, Libak, Cotabato 1954

Lovely Manobo girls in Ihe mountains of Libak.Cotabato in 1954 .Girls had dozens of air rings on their ears, to make them more beautiful.

Chapter 14-The Malaria in Libak & Other Experiences

This hilly mountain ranges on the Eastern side of Libak from the town resides many immgirants from Luzon and Visayas who went to Mindanao. Some were hit by malaria.

Chapter 15- Nearly Drowned at Salaman River’s Strong Water Currents

Salaman River where I nearly drowned, when carried by a strong water current when I was 12 years old

Chapter 16-Got Lost in Salaman Village’ Wide, Wild & Lovely Virgin Forests

The bamboo bridge where people crossed going Salaman’s wide & wild, virgin forest

Chapter 17- By Twilight, My Classmates Found Me in Deep Forest

Chapter 18- Unable to Enroll in 2nd Year High, I Go Shallow & Deep Fishing

A “Basnig” Fishing Boat in Estancia in the ‘60’s. for deep fishing. It has about 25 workers going to the sea every night. It has a “Manager”, a Marinner in charge of transportation and some r workers. We fish in deep seas, Iloilo seas, Masbate, Negros, Cebu seas.

Chapter 19–God Led Me to Good Shepherd’s Fold Academy (GSFA), Guimaras Island

at GSFA I studied in 2nd Year High School and learn skills in carpentry and fruit planting

Chapter 20- My 3rd Year High School in Dumangas, Iloilo

The Dumangas Public Market. One of modern and prosperous market in the province of Iloilo in 1960’s/

Chapter 21- My 4th Year High School & Life After Graduation

(Pictures of Our Classmates)

Chapter 22- Ministry of Rev. Ernesto Carvajal in Dumangas Baptist Church

Chapter 23-Some Secrets and Strength of Rev. Ernesto Carvajal’s Ministry

Chapter 24- Rev. Angel Dofeliz,Sr.

Angel NOW, and Angel THEN!

Chapter 25 –Rosemary Digdigan-Divinagracia’s Letter on Nov. 4, 2016

Chapter 26- My 1st & 2nd Year College (AA), at CPU, Iloilo City

Central Philippine University (CPU), in Iloilo City, is one of the biggest, beautiful and well-known university in the country and the world.

Chapter 27-My “Call” to Help Iloilo Baptist Youth Fellowship in 1962

Chapter 28 - Three Semesters Study at CPU College of Theology

..

Chapter 29- Adventure: Baguio City, w/ a Camera & Enroll at Saint Louis University

Mines View Park, one of the beautiful landscapes in Baguio City, where I often go to get pictures of Philippine tourists.

Chapter 30 –Feeling Uncertain, I Went to God in Prayers

Chapter 31- Lyceum: Struggle for Social, Economic and Political Change

.

Chapter 32- Ruther Batuigas, Photo Journalist

Chapter 33- Batuigas & the Social, Economic & Political Situations

Chapter 34- News Editor of Agence France Presse (French News Agency)

Chapter 35 -First Interview with a Senator in Congress

Chapter 36– Kabataang Makabayan (KM), Organized in Iloilo and Panay

Chapter 37- PANELFU, a Labor Union Fighting for Equality and Land

Reforms

Chapter 38 –“Hour of Discovery” Reaches Hearts and Minds

Chapter 39– Leasehold System & Land Reforms with Nenita Dagohoy & Frank Carilimdiliman

Chapter 39 – 1971: First Arrest of Rudy Bernal

Chapter 40 – Covid 19: Experiences in Brgy. Buntatala ,Leganes, Iloilo

Chapter 41- Experiments on Life & Living After Stokes

Chapter 42-(Retrospect 1) -We Did Not Kept Silent. We Stood and Spea

Chapter 43 –(Retrospect 2) -Hesther Alvarez Bernal, My Partner in Life & Living

Chapter 44 – Retrospect 3) -Goodbye Hesth!

Chapter 45= What Friends & Classmates Say and Do in Older Age

Chapter 46 – Books We Published

 MEMORIES: Early Life & THE UNSEEN FUTURE

Chapter 1 -My Early Life

I was christened Rodolfo Carvajal Bernal. At home, among friends I am called Rudy. I grew in Dayhagan, Pilar, Capiz. When I was 4 years my father bought a 2 ½ hectare farm in Cawayan, Carles, Iloilo. He bought it from his back pay from the Army. Here, most of my brothers and sisters still live these days. I go home to Carles every 3 or four months for a few day's stay.

Dayhagan, Pilar, Capiz and Cawayan, Carles, Iloilo were two northernmost villages in northern Panay.m It is near each other. I was born November 23, 1940. I am now over 79 years old in 2020.

I was told by my father that a month after I was born, the Japanese Navy bombed Pearl Harbor in Honululo, Hawaii December 1940. The Japanese-American war in Asia started. In Europe. The 2nd World War was raging with Germany and Italy fighting against Great Britain, France, Russia, United States and some other European countries.

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the biggest US naval installation in Asia- Pacific was greatly damaged. In one day, the American Air Force and US Navy in Asia- Pacific was almost paralyzed.

My father told me that 7 hours after attacking Pearl Harbor, Japanese warplanes attacked the Philippine Naval Force and Air Force base in Subic Bay, Clark Air Field and Baguio City, destroying the US- Philippine war capabilities. Gen. Douglas McArthur, years earlier strengthened Corregidor, a small island west of Manila, that served as major defense of Manila in case the Philippines was invaded by foreign forces. Powerful cannons were placed in Corregidor, all permanently, facing the sea on the west.

When the Japanese Imperial Forces invaded the Philippines, they did not pass through Corregidor. The Japanese knew the formidable cannons placed facing the western sea. They moved to the south and landed in Lingayen, Pangasinan and proceeded to Bataan towards Manila. Despite the gallant stand by American and Filipino soldiers that fought bravely, the US-Philippine resistance fall in three months.

To prevent the destruction of Manila, Vice President Jose P. Laurel, declared Manila an Open City, on January 2, 1942. The deadly fighting of Japanese and Filipino –American forces continued in different parts of Luzon. American and Philippine forces on Bataan Peninsula surrendered. About 13,000 survivors on Corregidor Island surrendered on May 5, 1942.

Earlier, on April 9, 1942 about 75,000 American and Filipino soldiers who were defenders of Bataan surrendered. The soldiers were already starving and sick. They were part of the infamous Bataan Death March. Some 10,000 died of exhaustion hunger and thirst or bayoneted by the Japanese on the way from Bataan to Capas, Tarlac.

By this time, President Manuel Quezon was in the United States. He was asked by the United States to leave the Philippines so that he would not be captured by the Japanese and forced to surrender.

The American & Filipino forces in Luzon were surrendered by Gen. Jonathan Wainright to the Japanese Imperial commander. The American-Filipino forces in Visayas and Mindanao were still fighting the Japanese. General Yamamoto Yamashita would not accept the surrender of the Luzon forces. He demanded that all American and Filipino forces in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao must be surrendered together. General Wainwright did not want to do that, because the forces in Visayas and Mindanao were under different commanders. General Yamashita strongly pressured and told General Wainwright that the entire Filipinos and Americans forces in Luzon will die. They were already sick, hungry and defenseless. The Japanese would continue the offensive. Thousands of Luzon defenders would die.

The United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), the combined American and Filipino forces surrendered. Following Luzon, the USAFFE fighters in Visayas and Mindanao surrendered. My father, Restituto A. Bernal and my uncle, Bienvenido Carvajal, were artillery gunners who were part of the defense forces in Bukidnon that fought against the Japanese invasion of Mindanao surrendered.

The Japanese ruled the country for 4 years until late 1944. But the fighting continued. Filipino and American guerrillas were organized and fought the Japanese soldiers in many parts of the country. The Japanese occupation of the Philippines was a brutal rule, with nearly 2 million dead in 4 years.

When I was nearly 5 years old, my grandmother, a member of a Baptist Church, started to bring me to a “House Church” to worship on Sundays. My mother, a Seventh Day Adventist brought me to Sabbath school on Saturdays. I often had a Sunday school and a Sabbath school every week. We were taught to sing and pray during the war years.

During the war, often in the morning, we had to run and hide in our “air raids” shelter, about two hundred meters away from the house. Japanese warplane often came roaring, just a hundred meters in the sky above us. The Japanese built an airport in Balasan town, a few kilometers from our village..

At the Balasan airport, Japanese warplanes were maintained and used in surveillance and attacks in Northern Panay, Cebu, Northern Negros and Masbate. I often saw Japanese warplanes passing, as the Japanese airport, was about 7 kilometers away from our home.

One time, I saw Japanese warplane and an American Lockhead, a fighter plane, in a “dog fight” just about a hundred meters above us. A few minutes later, another American Lockhead joined the fight. I saw the Japanese plane hit and flamed, roaring fast, then hit the sea about a kilometer from the shore. Two weeks later, aluminum combs, plates, glasses, pails, spoons and fork, were brought to the houses for sale. The downed plane, provide materials and business mostly needed home equipment by people in Dayhagan, Pilar Capiz and neighboring villages.

There were two spiritual forces that made strong impact on the lives of simple people of Dayhagan, Pilar, Capiz and Cawayan, Carles, Iloilo. These spiritual forces touched the people's lives in some parts of the country Firstly, Ernesto Carvajal and Kaupay Colinggan developed their Baptist faith. Secondly, Pateno Diaz, strengthened his Seventh Day Adventist's faith and shared his belief with others.

Ernesto Carvajal became a well known Baptist pastor and evangelists in Panay and Negros Occidental. His sermons touched and empowered thousands of lives in Western Visayas. He pastored Barasan Baptist Church, Patlad Baptist Church, Dumangas Baptist Church. He later became the Provincial Minister of Iloilo Kasapulanan. His evangelistic prowess reached all over Panay and some churches in Negros Occidental. Then, he was called to pastor Jaro Evangelical Church, the First Baptist Church in the Philippines

He was asked by CPBC leaders to be General Secretary of the Convention of Phil. Baptist Churches. Mrs. Josefina Ruiz, an official of Jaro Evangelical Church requested CPBC leaders to allow Rev. Ernesto Carvajal to remain pastor of Jaro Evangelical Church as they were building several satellite churches in the city and nearby towns.

Another young man was Kayupay Golingan, He was trained in the Baptist Convention faith as a young man. His parents immigrated to Mindanao. He learned the rudiments of his faith, thru his mother, Mrs. Tacing Golingan in Dayhagan, Pilar , Capiz. . He studied Theology in Mindanao and became pastor of a big Baptist Church and became one of the top leaders of the Southern Baptist Church in Mindanao.

Another youth in Dayhagan, Pilar, Capiz that made strong spiritual impact on the lives of Filipinos was Paterno M. Diaz. Paterno was an Adventist. He learned the rudiments of his faith in Dayhagan, Pilar, Capiz during the US-Japanese war. He studied in high school at the Adventist Academy in Pototan, Iloilo. Then pursued his theological studies at Mountain View College in Bukidnon. He became a pastor. He was elected President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Mindanao and later in the Philippines. He was the longest, ever President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church of the Philippines.

These three young people, whose lives were molded in an ecumenical community, were guided with strong faith and wide vision.

They came from a rural community in far- flung villages in the northern Panay. They studied hard. They started as pastor of small village churches. They rose to leadership of their church organizations. With God’s guidance, the flaming embers of faith touched lives in the villages, towns, provinces, regions, country and the world.

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 PREFACE

We love stories. All we know about people -their lives, struggles, their successes, failures, acheivements, works for change, are just words. Yes, only words woven in the looms of the minds And these stories we read and witten reaches out to the hearts and minds of some people in different places and times.

The book, MEMORIES: Early Life, Studies & the People’s Struggle for Freedom” shares his life, starting when he was 3 years old, during the middle of the Japanese-American war in his small village in Dayhagan, Pilar, Capiz, in the northernmost towns of Panay Island. He shared the influence and powers of “words”, the life of three young people in his village growing out to be pastors.

Ernesto Carvajal, later became top Baptist Convention Pastor & Evangelist in Iloilo, Panay and Negros. “Kayupay Goliggan also bacame Southern Baptist leader in Mindanao and Paterno Diaz, a Seventh Day Adventist, who became Pastor and President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in the Philippines.These three church leaders influenced greatly the people’s faith in the country and the world.

Rudy Bernal’s story in this book, reach out from his earliest childhood, until 1974, two years after President Marcos declared matrial law and ruled the country as a dictator. His story shared the life he lived, in elementary grade from Grade 1 to Grade V1, which he finished in 7 years. The hard experieces he had as a student in high school, which most students finished in 4 years, but he made it after 7 years. He studied in high school in 5 schools. He studied his first year high in Salaman Institute in Libak.Cotabato, then transferred to Balasan High School,n Balasan, Iloilo.

He continued his 2nd year high in Good Shephered’s Fold Academy in Guimaras, Iloilo. He finally finished his 2nd and 3rd Year high school in Dumangas, Iloilo. This were years of many experiences, including 3 years as a fisherman in shallow waters for for 6 months.. And deep sea fishing for 2 years, riding in a boat called “Largarete” with 4 companions during the nignts. Then he went on fishing in a big boat called “basnig” with 25 people working together, catching small and big fishes, with 10,000 watts lights, big fishing nets and throwing dynamites when fishes, thousands of them, were around.

Rudy struggled to get college education. He tried studying at 3 big universities in the Philippines: Central Philippine University in Iloilo City June 1961 until after first semester of 1964. He went to Baguio City and studied summer classes at Saint Louis University in Baguio City. Then he went down to Manila and enrolled at Lyceum of the Philippines in Manila, where challenges pushed him hard to get higher education.

In all his efforts, Rudy succeeded in getting top jobs, including at Philippines Herald, one of 5 national newspapers in the country. He worked later as News Editor of Agence France Presse (French New Agency), one of the 4 International News Agencies, like the and Agence France Presse in France.

God guided him to work as labor organizer and full time Pastor, involving him in God’s works and ministry as Director of New Frontier Ministries, the development arms of the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches (CPBC). He also served as Committee Member of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, reaching out to some people of the world.

3Dofeliz Sorensen, Wilson D Guanzon and 1 other

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