Coming of the Baptist Union of Sweden (BUS) to the Philippines and CPBC and Started Joint Ministry on Relief, Rehab for Typhoon Ondang Victims...

M E M O R I E S: Life and Time of Pastor Rudy Bernal, his Glimpses on History &
The People;s Struggle for Freedom

Chapter 43 –Coming of Baptist Union of Sweden (BUS) to the Philippines and CPBC in November 1984, Started a Joint Ministry on Relief & Rehabilitations & Cooperatives for Typhoon Victims…

The Baptist Union of Sweden (BUS) came to the Philippines in November 1984, seeking for their Baptist brothers and sisters, who they knew were here but have never met or heard from. Dr. Eric Lund, the first Baptist missionary to the Philippines who was sent by the American Missionary Society in 1898 was a Swed. He finished his theological studies at Betelseminaret, the Swedish seminary in Sweden. He went, first as missionary of the Baptist Union of Sweden to Spain. After the US-Spanish war, he went with Braulio Manikan, a Filipino from Aklan, who studied in Spain. The both came as the first Baptist Missionaries to the Philippines. They went direct to Iloilo and Panay Island.

The two representatives of Baptist Union of Sweden (BUS) came to Iloilo City, the headquarters of the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches, on November 4, 1984. They arrived in the morning in Iloilo City, accompanied with some floods and quite a strong winds in Iloilo City. But, without their knowledge, a raging storm, Typhoon Undang hit hard Northen Panay that night, hitting hard most of the northern part of Western Visayas – Northern Negros and Panay Island - Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique and and Guimaras Island. Typhoon Ondang brought catastrophic destructions to homes, crops, coconut plantations, fishing boats, fishponds, church buildings, homes and levelled much of the areas in Panay.

About two weeks before, I received a telephone call from Rey Natividad, staff of National Council of Churches in Philippines (NCCP) in Manila. Earlier, Rey Natividad was working with Center for Education and Research (CER), a project of CPBC started by Rev. Conrad Brown, an American missionary. He was assisted by Rev. Sammy Formellesa and Rey Natividad.

The CER, a very good program that helped start the conscientization of many Filipino Baptists, developed misunderstandings with CPBC leaders and became politically hot under martial law regime. The CPBC Board of Trustees under Rev. Edwin Lopez gave it up. It was not endorsed for funding and CER closed. It was not a natural death.

Rey Natividad was taken by NCCP to work in the national office. One day, Rey called me up at the CPBC office in Iloilo City. He said: “Rudy, two Sweds will be coming to Manila in two weeks time. We do not know them. We are planning to send them to Pampanga or Bulacan. But since they’re Baptists, we thought of sending them to you in Iloilo, if CPBC would accept them.” I asked Rey to send them to Iloilo. I told him I will booked them at Hotel del Rio. In about 3 days, our Baptist friends sent a telegram from Sweden they will arrive November 4, at 5:30 AM. I prepared to meet them and informed the General Secretary, Rev. Edwin Lopez of their coming. We prepared a program where we could have time for sharing and information with them and the CPBC staff.

The night of their arrival, there was heavy rains in Iloilo City. But the typhoon in Iloilo City was not strong. In Iloilo City there was flood in many areas. Near Jaro plaza, our rented room with my wife, Hesther was flooded. We have to carry our month old baby up the 2nd floor of the house, when we saw flood waters entered our room. At around 6:30 A.M. the flood subsided. I prepared to go to the airport.

When I arrived at the airport, our visiter was not there. I looked at the Airport Manifest to see the name of the passengers. The names of our visitors were there. I proceeded to Hotel del Rio. I met them about 7:30 A.M. They were having breakfast. I joined them. This was the first time they came to the Philippines. And Typhoon Ondang welcomed them. I shaked hands with our visitors, Rev. Olof Lindstrom and Mr. Leo Liljengren. They were both working with the Baptist Union of Sweden.

During our breakfast, they asked me about Dr. Eric Lund. I told them, I heard the name of Dr. Eric Lund, but have very scant idea of him. For some minutes, Leo Liljengren, shared with me their works in Sweden and in other parts of the world. They have Swedish missionaries working in some countries of the world, specially in Africa and Latin America. Both of them have little knowledge of the Baptist works in the Philippines.

Rev. Olof Lindstrom and Mr. Leo Liljengren shared with me some life of Rev. Eric Lund, the first Baptist missionary to the Philippines. Dr. Eric Lund was educated in Betelseminarit, the Baptist seminary in Sweden. After finishing his theological studies, he went to Spain as BUS missionary. Later, when the Philippines became a colony of the United States, at the end of Spanish -American war, Rev. Eric Lund became the first Swedish missionary to the Philippines, sent by the American Mission Society. I listened to their story. For frankly, I have a very little idea of the life and ministry of Rev. Eric Lund. Practically I have not heard of him during my 3 ½ years stay at CPU, including my 1 ½ years study at the College of Theology.

Rev, Lindstrom told me that while in Spain Dr. Eric Lund befriended Braulio Manikan,
a Filipino who was studying in Spain. He helped him get converted to the Baptist
faith. They worked closely together. They started to translate the 4 gospels
in Ilonggo. Even, if they did not knew how it would be used. Then, later, they translated
the Epistles and the Revelations. After finishing the New Testament translations, they
started translating the Old Testamant.

It seems, Dr.Eric Lund and Mr.Braulio Manikan, do not have ideas how they will make use of the Ilonggo translations. But, God has spoken to them, perhaps, that on some days of God chosing, he and Braulio Manikan who has some relatives and friends in the Philippines, will be sent to serve the Filipino people.

That morning, Rev. Lindstrom gave me a photo copy of a chapter of Eric Lund’s book in English. It told the story of how Rev. Eric Lund and Mr. Braulio Manikan started their ministry in Iloilo City, some towns in Iloilo and Panay. That chapter, also told the story of how Jaro Evangelical Church, the first Baptist church in the Philippines was started.

The two missionaries, came while the shootings between the Filipino forces and the Americans soldiers were still going on in Southern Iloilo. The photo copy, tells the story of how, one time, Eric Lund visited Leon, the mountainous area of Southern Iloilo. And there, he heard the continued firings of the Filipino and American troops in another village. The firing stops, after the Filipino troops retreated further into the hills.

It was sad that Dr. Eric Lund and Braulio Manikan have almost faded in the minds of the Baptists in the Philippines, as early as 1984.

Later, to remember their ministries and perpetuate their memories, the CPBC with the Baptist Union of Sweden had started the “ ERIC LUND & BRAULIO MANIKAN MEMORIAL LECTURES´ with Rev. Karen Lindvall as the first lecturer. The lectures were held at Central Philippine University, Iloilo City; in Filamer Christian College in Roxas City; at Bacolod Evangelical Church and the CBMA Assembly and in Manila in 1986.

A small book, a biography of Eric Lund was published later by CPU, authored by Dr. Linea Nelson. I heard, she was of Swedish parentage and grew in the United States. She came as a missionary to CPU and the Philippines. That small book, told the story of Eric Lunds life.

At CPBC office that morning, the two Sweds met some CPBC leaders. It was a very lovely meeting after the storm Ondang. That morning over cups of coffee, CPBC with Rev. Edwin Lopez, General Secretary and Baptist Union of Sweden, shared together some of their hopes, dreams and plans for a joint ministry in the Philippines.

At 11:00 A.M. we went out to visit some parts of Iloilo and Panay. By this time of the day, news from radio stations, flooded us with destructions stories in different provincies of Panay. We thought, what hit that evening was just an ordinary typhoon. We did not know it was a hard hitting typhoon. A typhoon, whose destructions and devastations was seldom seen and experienced. We made a new itinerary.

First we go to Central Iloilo from Pavia, Janiuay and Passi. We saw the devastations made by Thyphoon Undang on the homes, livelihood and villages of the people. Then we go to Banate, down to Barotac Viejo, Ajuy, Concepcion, San Dionisio, Sara, Estancia, Balasan and Carles. There, we again saw the great havocs and devastations made by the typhoon. We saw thousands people, trying to make shelters of sacks and small nipa huts, that will left unturned by the typhoon. We saw thousands of fishing boats destroyed along the seashores.

Thousands and thousands of homes destroyed. Many families have made some huts from whatever they can find to cover there families, specially the children and olds, from the sun during the day and from rain and colds during the nights. In Carles we saw thousands of coconut trees, mangoes and fruit trees blown down, homes blown down and thousands of small and big boats destroyed.

That night, Rev. Olof Lindstrom and Mr. Leo Liljengren, joined us in my parents home for supper and breakfat the following day, in Cawayan, Carles. That was a very hard days fot the people in the typhoon devastated areas in northern Iloilo.

The next day, we proceeded from Balasan to Pilar, Pres. Roxas down to several town to Roxas City. We saw the same destructions by the typhoon all over the towns and villages. The market place of Roxas City was destroyed and residents around, waiting on the streets.

Then we proceeded to Aklan. We saw thousands of coconut trees blown down. We saw thousands of fruit fruit trees blown and the homes destroyed. We saw the destructions of the Aklan market and the homes destroyed.

We proceded to Antique. We visited the market. The same destructions. We proceeded to Sibalom and San Remigio, the towns in the central part of Antique along the mountain range. We saw thousands of people in the river. And the river was devided. A new river, on the other side of the old river, was created by the typhoon and flood. The same devastation met us on the different part of the Panay. About 3:00 PM, we proceded to Iloilo City.

From Antique, we went back to Iloilo City. We arrived 7:00 PM. We have supper together at Hotel del Rio. Olof and Leo went to their rooms They need the much needed rest.

The following day, I accompanied our Swedish friends to the airport. We bid good bye. But the night before, they told me. They said: “We were very, very sad to see the devastations and the hardship of the people brought by the typhoon. We will be going home. But we will come again. We will helped together in the ministry of the Convention.” Then, Rev. Lindstrom told me. Please write on this piece of paper, the most pressing needs by the people.

I wrote: “Our people hit by Typhoon Undang need your prayers…they need foods, materials for shelters, relief goods, fishing boats, fishing paraphernalia, fishing nets, some money and seeds to be able to plant the fields again.” Rev. Olof Lindstrom took the piece of paper and put it in his pocket.

Mr. Leo Liljengrem said: “Rudy, disasters, natural and man made, happens all over the world. We do not know when it will hit us. But we must stand and work, to help those who were hit by disasters. God calls us to do this”. They promised they will try and see what help they can offer. Then we prayed. That morning, our new friends, Olof Lindstrom and Leo Liljengren, left for Manila. Two days later, they flew back to Swden.

In Iloilo City that morning, the government and the radio stations have mobilized themselves to help the people. Bombo Radio, GMA, DYRI and the other stations have mobilized themselves and requested donations to help the typhoon victims. Truck loads of goods and relief clothing materials were received which were sent to different areas in Iloilo province. That week, the government, church agencies, NGO’s, from many parts of the the world came and offered their assistance.

That day, I have a conference with Rev. Edwin Lopez, General Secretary. We explored ways how we can reached out to our partner organizations for some assistance for our church members and the community people. We worked and made plans how we will be able to assist people hit hard by Typhoon Ondang.

Slowly and gradually some assistance came for people in Panay. They came from different sources, different organizations and different countries.

About two months after the visit of our friends from Sweden, Rev. Lindstrom wrote me
at CPBC. Their assistance was coming. We organized the North Iloilo Relief and Rehabilitation Projects for Typhoon Undang victims.

We organized the process, methods and systems. We identified the people to assist in the relief and rehabilitation works. We identified the places which were not served by existing organizations and groups. We identified two villages in Batad, 6 villages in Estancia, 2 villages in Balasan and 6 villages in Carles, all in northern Iloilo. Ten full time staff and 10 part time staff, were trained and mobilized to assist in Implementing North Iloilo Relief and Rehabilitatron Project.

That moment, the staff of the New Frontier Ministries came together. We joined in prayer. We thank God for giving us the chance, opportunity and resources to help people affected by Typhoon Ondang in some villages in northern Iloilo. Other agencies came to assist people in Capiz, Aklan and Antique.

The NCCP came and assisted. The Church World Service came. The Philippine Independent Church came and assisted with resources from their partners. The new Frontier Ministries, through it’s different partners assisted churches and communities in Central Panay, in Capiz, Aklan, Antique and Northern Negros.