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 38 – UIM moved to 6 municipalities in Central Iloilo and Capiz working with rice farmers and sugarcane workers...with livelihood trainings, community organizing, cooperative and labor education....

The CPBC Urban Industrial Mission (UIM) project in Iloilo was implemented end 1982, about 9
years after President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law in 1972. From our UIM pilot project in Hinobaan, Negros Occidental, most of most of our experiences were brought to the 6 municipalities in Central Iloilo - Duenas, Paasi, Calinog. Bingawan, Lambunao in Iloilo and Tapas, Capiz.

From 1972, when martial law was declared to 1982, Katataang Makabayan, despite many of its members had been arrested and sent to Camp Delgado Stockades and in Negros Occidental stockades, KM continued to get members from students in colleges and high schools in Western Visayas. Young people, both men and women, students and out-of-school-youths, joined Discussion Groups (DGs) in the cities, munipaliities and villages in the countrysides led by KM activists. Soon they were integrated into the revolutionary movements.

Many of them joined the struggles against Martial Law. Some joined the New People’s Army. Some became cadres of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Others continued their participation in activist movements for social and political transformation. Some Catholics and Aglipayan priests, Nuns, Catholic Sisters and Convention Baptist pastors joined the Christians for National Liberation (CNL), becoming another member of the National Democratic Fronts of the Philippines (NDFP).

NDFP as a coordinating body of different revolutionary movement in the country, include the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), the New Peoples Army (NPA), Moro Resistance & Liberation Organization (MRLO), MAKIBAKA, a womens revolutionary organization, Christians for National Liberation (CNL), Kabataang Makabayan (KM) and other revolutionary organizations in the country.

As we implement some the CPBC’s development projects, known then as New Frontier Ministries from 1978 to 1985, I have seen the growing strength of the CPP and the NPA operating in many villages in the areas where UIM also operates – Duenas, Lambunao, Calinog, Bingawan, Passi, Tapaz and other hinterland towns.

I heard Josil Jaen, former KM member and his friends were operating in the hinterland villages of Lambunao. Maria Luisa Posa and her groups were working in Calinog, and open visit Barangay Camalungo and other villages around. Pastor Abelardo Hortada and his group were working in the hinterland villages of Tapaz. Charles De la Fuente and his friends were working in Libacao, Aklan. They have strengthened their organizations, and the revolutionary movements can be felt in the different hinterland villages and along the highways of Central Panay.

During this times, student demonstrations and people's rallies were made in different cities and towns in Panay and Negros Occidental. There were synchronized rallies from the hinterlands of Antique to San Jose Antique. From the hinterlands and towns of Capiz to Roxas City. And from the north, central, and southern part of Iloilo, the rallies were held in Iloilo City's Freedom Park or at Jaro Plaza.

Negotiating Panels were organized by the Ecumenical bodies - of Catholics, Aglipayan, Baptists and other protestant organizations to negotiate with the rally leaders and military leaders when there were problems that comes. The Negotiating Panels played an important part of the rally. Rev. Joel Valdez was assigned to be one of the top members of the negotiating panels.

And by this time, the military has become very aggressive and deadly. Our  personnels in the development projects and our organized associations among villages, were subjected to harrassments by the military.

The municipalities targeted as base for the UIM ministries were areas with heavy sugar cane plantations and 3 sugar centrals operating in Passi and Calinog. It was the ideal area for Urban Industrial Ministries that was implemented 4 ½ years after our pilot UIM was started.

Our UIM expanded project had a component of 5 full time staff with one part time worker, we recruited for special tasks. Pastor Job Santiago, a graduate of the College of Theology was the team leader. With him were Hernani Bautista, with training on agriculture, providing livelihood training on raising pigs, goats, and chickens dispersals, vegetables and fresh fish culture projects and technology transfer to farmers and farm workers.

Hector Belloga, Barangay Captain of Poblacion, Bingawan and Bonifacio Castronuevo, a graduate of education. They were the community organizers and helped in education works, community organizing, livelihood trainings programs, organizing farmers associations and cooperatives. A special training on labor education and organizing for those who were working in the sugar cane plantations, for them to learn basic laws and labor laws, in case they would be working in the sugar industry, both in the farms and the sugar centrals.

I provided the initial training  with my experiences in labor educations and organizing learned from the Philippine Associations of Nationalistic Employees, Laborers and Farmers Union (PANELFU), few years earlier.

I also shared with the staff the training and exposures I learned from the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), with Rev. Henry Aguilan, NCCP -UIM Director who exposed me to Labor Unions in Metro-Manila. Then, he requested Ms. Jorgette Honculada Malonzo, an official of National Federation of Labor (NFL), headed by Ibarra (Bong) Malonzo in Mindanao and Visayas to assist in my training.

They have organized NFL in Sipalay Mines in Negros Occidental. She assisted and helped provide me with study and exposures for 3 days on new approaches on labor unionism in Manila. She also recommended me to an officer of Sipalay Mines,   to see how mining operates and learn the life of workers in the mining industry. We also worked to help conscientize farmers and sugar cane laborers in the sugar industry.

To further prepare me and the 4 staff for effective UIM project implemention, I asked Rev. Edwin Lopez, General Secretary permission to request two staff of the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW) in Bacolod City for a one-week live-in training at Camp Higher Ground, Barotac Viejo.

After this training, we requested to further assist the UIM staff for a two- days assessment and re-directions every month for 3 months. This helped ground the staff on the demands of UIM project implementations. The three  persons sent by NFSW to help CPBC in training UIM staff, were veterans of the long Sugar Central strikes that nearly paralyzed the sugar central in La Carlota City sometimes in 1976 to 1980.

The CPBC project was supported financially by EZE of West Germany under Hienz Havercorn, in cooperation with the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva. We have a strong financial resources. With proper management of the resources, we will be able to build strong works in the villages – education, livelihood trainings w/ pigs, goats and chickens dispersals, fresh fish culture, cooperative educations, labor education, labor organizing and practical farming and animal raising technology transfers.

In 3 years time, from 1982 -1984, UIM worked hard to develop a strong core group in the 6 municipalities for the project implementations. A core groups of about 1000 farmers and sugar cane workers in 100 barangays in 6 municipalities with training on different aspects of our works.

IMiss Feraz Baclagon was our secretary. She proved to be an efficient secretary and office assistant

Our UIM staff in Central Panay proved efficient in there works - labor education, organizing and community development, livelihood training, cooperatives developments. Starting our work with 3 villages in each of the 6 municipalities, in about 2 years. we have established core groups in 80 villages in the 6 municipalities. By that time, we have developed a core of 800 farmers and sugar cane workers, who were involved in our education, community organizing, livelihood projects on rice farming, corn farming, pig, goat and chicken raising, fresh fish culture and bananas, fruits and vegetable farming cultures.

Our first training  were held in the villages where some 15 to 20 farmers and sugar cane workers were recruited, both men, women and youth. The first level of our training  were on socio-political awarenessness building  and conscientizations. After we have developed their social and political awareness, we started our community organizing. We slowly and gradually developed them in a farmers associations. About 3 seminars were held, before the participants could be received as members of the association.

Then officers of the associations were elected to provide the group with the needed leadership structures that would enable them to function with minimum assistance from the UIM staff. This 2nd level of our training were held in the Convention Baptist Churches in Lambunao, in Bingawan, Calinog, Duenas and in Tapas. Those who were involved in this trainings, where newly elected officers of the farmers associations. Most often, there were participants who were officers of the associations that were invited to attend. There skills were slowly and gradually developed and responsibilities were learned and studied to enable the officers to function effectively in their associations.

Our core of leaders in Lambunao, were provided training  at Lambunao Baptist Church. And from 3 villages we started our training, slowly and gradually we expanded to about 17 to 22 villages in each of the 6 municipalites we were working the three years time.

The core leaders in Duenas municipality, were provided training at Duenas Baptist Church. The core leaders in Calinog where provided trainings in Calinog Baptist Church and some churches in Bingawan. Our core of leaders in Passi joined the groups in 3 other areas –Calinog, Lambunao and Duenas, as we do not have a Baptist Convention church in Passi.

We made special training for livelihood developments. These were on rice farming culture, small corn farming, pig raising, goat raising, native chickens raising, fresh fish culture and bananas, fruits and vegetable farming. Our staff with agriculture trainings, Hernani Bautista undertake continued educations on this special group of people.The target was to provide the church and community people involved in our program developed different skills that will helped them plant rice and vegetables and raise animals for their family needs and the surplus for sale to the community.

Atty. Cesar Beloria, was requested  often to serve as Resource Person for Legal and Labor education, to help those working in the sugar cane industry gain knowledge and skills to be able to stand and fight for their rights – specially on the wages paid to workers by the owners of the sugar cane plantations. Some other times, Rev. Eliseo Fantilaga, working with NCCP, was requested to help in the education, conscientization and training of officers of organized communities, mostly held in Lambunao.

We have also organized farmers associations and cooperatives in some of the villages. We saw the force and strength of an organized, trained and educated farmers and sugar cane workers in the different villages and municipalities. Some of this cooperatives were registered and have legal personalities and can do business in their communities.

The 3rd level of our training, involving officers, training and developing their skills so that they can become  Organizers and Resource Persons in the different villages were new works were being  started and were expanding. Sometimes, this 3rd level training, mostly two days, we held in some beaches in Iloilo City and in Oton.

Unfortunately, our education, skills training, conscientizations and organizing works put us on the map of the military as a subversive group. The same with our staff at URM in Antique. The military began to think that the UIM involved in our seminars, training, exposures, labor education and organizing works were dangerous and were helping train new rebels forces that were growing and developing in Central Iloilo and Capiz.

The villages we were working with in 6 municipalites in Central Panay were:

In the municipality of Duenas, we covered the barangays of Cabudian, Bagongbong, Capaycapay, Inadlawan, Jagdong, Maribuyong, Monpon, Navalas, Pandan, Punong Pequino and Tinukwan.

In Lambunao, we worked in the villages of Daan Banwa, Madarag, Panuran, Poblacion
Ilaya, Walang, Agsirab, Bagongbong, Balagiao, Binabaan Tirador, Cabugao, Canigu-an and Cayan Este.

In Calinog, we worked in villages of Agcalaga, Badlan Grande, Badu, Bangga Central, Camalongo, Carvasana, Datagan, Gama Pequeno, Malitbog Centro, Maspasan, Owak, Baje San Julian, Ulayan and Supanga.

In Bingawan, we were working in Agbao, Alabidhan, Cairohan, Guinholacan, Malitbug-Ilawod, Quinangyana and Poblacion.

In Passi, we were working in Liboo, Jaguimitan, Cairohan, Dalicanan, Gines, Cabinga, Gibionan and Daan Norte.

And in Tapaz, we work in Abangay, Aglinab, Agpalahi, Agcococ, Gibionan and Daan Norte.

After we have undertaken education programs, we also provided livelihood projects for the community people, both members of the church and communities. We started chicken dispersals with 6 female chickens and 1 roaster. We started also some goat dispersals and pig dispersals among the Baptist church members and the community people.

The pig dispersals were mostly female piglets, we hoped to raise for breading. It will be raised until it gave birth. And we request the caretaker, to give 2 piglets after, and the mother pig and other piglets will be owned by the raisers. We hoped, as the years go by, our pig projects, will reached many residents of the churches and communities.

The same with our goat projects. The project provide goats. For three goats. After the goats have given birth to 3 goats, they gave 1 goat to the project for dispersal two other families.

Some families whose rice fields have areas with continued water sources, the project encouraged them to build small fresh fish ponds, for the family to care. Families have started to build small fish ponds. We provided them with fish fingerlings. We identified families who built small fish ponds, near their homes or farms, to serve as training ground and for technology transfer for the community people.

Our farming technologists on rice, vegetables and fruit trees, provided the training, and encouraged farmers to expand their sources of livelihood, with some bananas, papayas,
and other fruit trees, some corns and different kinds of vegetables, needed for daily life needs.

We tried to helped with training and encouragements to build communities with needed things for their daily life.

We have seen families with many native chickens, some with different kinds of vegetables, some with papayas near their homes, some goats and pigs with piglets. We requested them during our seminars to tell the participants, what they were doing to have most of their needs raised or planted for their daily needs.

The educational processes and technology transfers methods helped in the fish culture, animal raising, fruits planting and vegetable farming among families to help a little in improving their lives.

As we worked and reached out to more farmers in the villages, the UIM staff and the participants in our educational and organizing works, were subjected to harrassments by some elements of the military.

But I cannot blame them. Many community young people and some members of the the Convention Baptist Churches in the municipalities and the nearby municipalities of Bingawan and Janiuay, Iloilo and municipalities of Tapaz, Cuartero & Dumarao in Capiz have joined the NPA and the revolutionary movements in Panay.

Some of this young people in the churches and communities, send me notes. They asked for plastic raincoats as it’s now June and the rainy season has come. They did not asked food or money. Only plastic raincoats to cover them, against the rains and typhoons during rains. They will use the raincoats while working in the rice and sugar cane fields during rains. But some, I think, have joined the movement that called on them to participate in the struggle for change.

They have stood, resisted and fought against President Marcos martial law regime, fighting to help built a society that’s were free and progressive, freed from the deadly control of feudalism and US imperialism that imprisoned majority of Filipinos in life of want and poverty.

As I looked deep into the growing conflicts in the communities, I looked on the faces of the staff of UIM and there other projects of the Baptist Convention –the Sacada Development project, a Rural Program of the Convention working with poor farmers and Sacadas in Antique. I looked at the faces of the staffs – Rev. Job Santiago, Hernani Bautista, Hector Belloga and Bonifacio Castronuevo of UIM.

I sat down. I looked in the areas where we were operating. I thought of the danger faced by the staff, doing labor education and organizing under martial law carries dangers. I felt a strange tremour in my heart. I prayed. I asked for God guidance. “Lord, the situations is hard. We are afraid. The risked were growing. I feel the burden and possible dangers for our staff. Lord, please teach us what to do.”

We continued with our work. But on February 1984, our UIM staff and seminar participants in Cabudian Duenas were raided by the military at 5:30 AM, and brought to the military headquarters at the back of Calinog Municipal Hall.

After our released, immediately went  go back to our work. Despite the dangers and difficulties, we felt the work cannot be left. We continued with our ministry, helping farmers and sugar cane workers develop knowledge, skills, technology  and helped  organized  people for  strength and power. And we prayed God's guidance be with us.