Chapter 2 – The Baptist Faith in Dayhagan, Pilar & Caawayan, Carles
It was also in this settings, at Dayhagan, Pilar, Capiz that my uncle Ernesto Carvajal, about 14 years old, learned and developed his Baptist faith. In his youth, he joined the group in singing gospel hymns, attend prayer meetings, joined Bible study groups and attend a Baptist worship in a house church. My uncle, Ernesto did more.
I was told he started preaching in our village among young people and adults. He preached whenever there were persons who would listen to him. He preach even when only 2 persons willing to listen to him. Later, a well known preacher, Rev. Genaro Diesto, an Evangelist of the Iloilo Kasapulanan of Baptist Churches came to Dayhagan and Cawayan and preached. Ernesto Carvajal was one of those who came to the altar and gave his life or dedicated his life to His lord and saviour Jesus Christ.
On that day, he joined Rev. Diesto visiting the members of the church in Dayhagan, Pilar and Cawayan, Carles, a neighbouring villages. During that Evangelistic meeting, Rev. Diesto preached during the nights for the whole week. They visited homes during the day. He preached in the evenings. He was a great preacher. I heard him preached a long but interesting message. The people do not go sleeping when he preached. Though, I often slept on the side of my grandmother, when Rev. Diesto was preaching.
One time, I was told, he gave Ernesto Carvajal time to give a testimony. Which he loved doing. Later, Rev. Genaro Diesto asked also to preach in the Prayer Meeting. Sensing the interest of Erning Carvajal to be a pastor, he advised him to join him in Iloilo City and pursue his studies in high school at Central Philippine College. Rev. Diesto provided a room in their home for him to stay. He assigned him to work in Barasan Baptist Church in Dumangas as week--end pastor. His love- gift of money and rice, provided by the church gave him opportunity to continue his studies in high school and later in the College of Theology
Ernesto Carvajal’s ministry in Barasan Baptist Church continued for 4 years. He was later called by Patlad Baptist Church, also in Dumangas, when he was in college. This was in the midst of a political upheavals of the late 1950’s, with the fighting between the government forces and the rebel forces under the Peoples’ Liberation Army, of the Communist Party of the Philippines from 1946 down to late 1960’s were going strong.
My father told me a day before Ernesto Carvajals wedding with Irene Duco, my father and 2 of his relatives, went to Patlad, Dumangas to help prepare food for the wedding. They brought with them a sack of rice, about 70 kilos of pig meats, some dried fish and their knives to use in the wedding preparation. They were stopped in Barotac Nuevo by the Philippine Constabulary and brought to the headquarters for investigations.
The military would like to know why they have a sack of rice, pig meats, dried fish and bladed weapons. They were suspected as rebels or supporters of the communists. And the rice, meat and dried fish were supplies intended as support the communist rebels. They were held for investigation. They stayed there for nearly three hours. They were released only after their story of attending the wedding in Patlad was corroborated by people in the village near Patlad.
This were the political situations in the coastal central towns of Iloilo during that time. The revolutionary movements was going strong, Dumangas was one of the towns in Iloilo where e strong rebel forces were present.
The wedding celebration was held. Irene Duco who was 4th year high school student during her wedding, pursued her studies in Dumangas High School. Ernesto Carvajal continued his studies in the College of Theology, later became Pastor of Dumangas Baptist Church, the church he worked for 14 years. There 3 children were born –a daughter, Erne and their two son, Ernest and Rene Billy. They grew and became professionals and leaders of the Baptist churches in Iloilo City.
When Dr. Billy Graham, the world well known Evangelists came to Manila in late “50’s for a one day crusade, Pastor Ernesto Carvaual, who was still a student at CPU was invited to come to Manila and attend. It was his first exposure to Manila where he got one of the biggest opportunity of his life – attending the Billy Graham Manila Crusade, giving him the great experience of his life, seeing and hearing the world known evangelists of his time.
According to Ernesto Carvajal “Billy Graham’s preaching was simple but his message pierced the hearts and souls of people who listened to him. His eyes were so powerful and penetrating. There was something great when you looked at his face. And when he asked the people to come and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, they came to the front of the altar, thousands of them, many silently weeping. The power of Billy Graham’s preaching came, according to Pastor Ernesto Carvajal, with a thousand people, behind the altar, that joined hands in solemn prayer for Billy Graham and the thousands who came to listen.”
During that time, the revolutionary movements headed by Guillermo Capadocia, a member of the Political Bureau of the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas and other rebels in Panay, including Commander Waling-Waling in the hinterlands of Panay Island, the labor movements in the city of Iloilo under the Federacion Obreros the Filipinas (FOF) and the peasants movement in the towns of Iloilo was moving with strength and vigour. It was a growing revolutionary movement, that reached different towns in Panay.
In Carles, the northernmost town of Iloilo, my father during that time, put a “trencera” inside our homes, both during the nights and day. He piled 3 sacks of rice, three levels, around one of the room. We were instructed to get inside the “trenchera”, if we hear gun fires or when he gave his signals. And every night, we slept inside the "trenchera". There, father told us we will be safe. A bullet will not be able to penetrate tow sacks of rice. It was a place for our safety. There we will stay, on our stomachs, if ever an occasion forced father fight and shoot it out with possible enemies….which, during that time I am not sure, who? The soldiers of the government or the rebels fighting their cause.
In several villages during that time, the military and rebel forces always figured in frightening fights. Ambuscades. Raids and arrest. I heard people saying that the Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon (HUKS), renamed People’s Liberation Army were the defenders of the people. And the Philippine Army, who were organized and trained by the rich people and powerful generals, under the guidance of the army of the United States were enemies of the people. The army, I heard were the protectors of the landlords, owners of big sugar haciendas, big businesses and thousands of fishponds owners which they own and controlled. This little information I learned, I kept stored in my mind in childhood.
Part of the series Memories - Life and Time of Pastor Rudy Bernal (chapter 3 of 71)
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