Chapter 2 – The Baptist Faith in Dayhagan, Pilar & Caawayan, Carles

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 4^th 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.