Chapter 29
Visited Sweden for 17 days ,
Joins Rev. Olof
Lindstrom in
North, Central and Southern Sweden in 7 Days
In
June 1989, I received a letter from Rev. Olof Lindstrom that two churches in Sweden were inviting
me to go there for a 17-days visit, September 19
to October 6, 1989.
During
this time, the Baptist Convention was
under the leadership of Mr. Wilson Guanzon,
President and Rev. Delbe Dianala, General Secretary.
With
the coming of new leadership, under Mr. Wilson Guanzon, BUS decided to re-start
relationship with CPBC. Rev. Olof
Lindstrom, during the 3 years when the relations was cold, made sure a
continued dialogue between BUS
and some CPBC leaders were made. Whenever, he visited Manila,
Rev.Lindstrom took time to come to
Iloilo City and visit CPBC National
Office. He was preparing for a renewed relationship with the new CPBC
leadership.
My
trip was sponsored by Bromma Baptist
Church and Farsta Centrum Kyrkan, both members of BUS. The trip
was my second trip outside the
Philippines. It was my first in Europe.
I
arrived in Sweden on September 19.
Winter has not fully come. Temperature was 9 Degrees Centegrade. Hearing that winter was really cold in
Sweden, I put another wallen trouser and shirt under my trouser and
shirt. That way, I will not feel extreme coldness when
I arrived with snow. Rev. Olof Lindstrom met me at Arlanda Airport in Stockholms.
He was incharged of my exposures
in major places – northern, central
and southern Sweden.
This
visit to Sweden was one great
learning opportunity for me. Before going¸ I made researched on how cold
winter was and its effect on the Filipino body, used most often to
4 months of hot weather and dry season.
I also studied the maps of
Scandivnavian countries, where Sweden
lie. It was a big country, surrounded by Finland, Norway and Denmark. It
has a sparse population. In
1989, it’s whole population was
only about 10 million,
nearly the same as the
population of Metro Manila.
I
learned that in Sweden, married
couples mostly have
only two children. There were couples with only 1 child and some with 3. Few Swed have 4 or five children. I think, that was
one reasons for the progressive
life of most Swed . They have mastered the beauty, arts
and methods of family planning, including the use of pills and other methods of birth
control.
I am glad, I was nurtured in a Baptist faith and Protestant
traditions, where freedom was stronger and new methods for living were being
taught and practiced. Most of us in the
Baptist and Protestant faith, now have 3-4
children, because we practiced family planning.
God
enabled the Scandinavian people
to learn the wisdom of family planning
in their countries, years before Family Planning was introduced by our
government to our people.
I
saw this on my visit, where most
families I met have only 2
children, others 3, and some with only 1 child. Few families I met have 4 children. Their were couples with no children at
all.
I arrived
at the Arlanda Airport, about
5:00 PM. It
was a very good and long
flight. We were moving between
33,000 feet to 36,000 feet above sea level.
Rev. Olof Lindstrom met me at the airport. We proceeded to their home
where I met his wife, Ann Marie. We have dinner and after some sharing, we have
our night rest. I am glad I met again Ann Marie. She had visited Iloilo and Bacolod.
That morning, we have breakfast with Olof’s sons. Staffan, the eldest wasa a teacher,
guitarist and musician. Urjan, a
mechanic and entrepreneur. Hakan, the youngest was a computer expert. They were
still unmarried. But have their girlfriends. They joined me for breakfast. Something new, I discovered among big and
strong Swedish men.
Several years later, Staffan, a singer and musician went to the Philippines. He held music workshop and concerts in 4 cities in Panay and Negros, the Dr. Eric Lund & Pastor Braulio Manikan Memorial Concerts.
Each drunk nearly
a pitcher, about 4 glaases of
fresh milk. It was the first time
I saw, young men, drinking fresh
milk at breakfast. In the
Philippines young men drunk pitchers
of coconut tuba, beer and whisky starting at 10:00 A.M.
The next
morning Olof brought me to several places in Stockholm,
visiting some of his friends in the
seminary. There, I met some
teachers in the seminary and saw the
library. While I was looking at some of the English books, the head teacher told me. “Sir, you can get any copy of books
you like in this area.” I can get
any copy of the books, which I like and
bring home to the Philippines. I took some 15 volumes. But I found it difficult to bring home. It
was too costly. Olof brought it later, when he came.
We visited also
the Philippine Solidarity group. These were groups from different countries who
were struggling with their governments. Many of them have fled their country. The Solidarity group, provided opportunity for sharing and strengthening. I met some Filipino members of the National Democratic
Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in Stockholms.
That
afternoon, I accompanied Olof to the
Office of the Baptist Union of Sweden.
The Development Committee was meeting that afternoon. When Leo
Liljengren came, a close friend,
and saw me, he went to me immediately and exclaimed: “Oh,
Rudy! Is this you?”
He hugged me. His big and
tall body of nearly 7 feet, towered beside
my 5 feet tall
figure. It was a great feeling
to be with Leo again, after about three
years that we did not met. I was introduced to all the members of the
Committee.
It was a
great moment to met the Committee
members. They worked together, and
served as partners, helping struggling people and communities in
different parts of the world, including the
Philippines. I was given a
heartful welcome. And given the chance
to bring my message to the Development Committee of the Baptist Union of Sweden. I told them. “Thanks
you, my sisters and brothers for your
support for our ministry in the Philippines.
“The
Baptist Union of Sweden came to us, the
second time in 1984, and for some 6
years assisted us with several projects to help in the educations, skills training, labor education and organizings to help
build the capacity of our people “
“But
a great Swedish minister and
evangelist, first came to our country in
1899, and preached,
God’s message of salvation and development to the Filipinos in Iloilo and the Philippines. Dr. Eric Lund was the gift of Sweden to the Philippines.
“Thanks
for your support in some communities and churches in Aklan. Bromma Baptist
Church has supported many project in our country. Our Farners Associations, was
able to reforest some 74 hectares of government barren lands
in the mountains, which we planted with trees
on stewardship basis, the government providing funds and we provide
labor. The reforested areas now helped
much in controlling soil erossions of the mountains sides and lessen
distructions of our farms with landslides.
Thanks
also for Farsta Centrum Kyrkan for
assisting us in our Radio Ministry, enabling us to reach wide circle of people from several islands through
messages on the air, via radio. Thanks for your assistance.”
The Development
Committee was incharge for many projects that provided livelihood, training and technology to
some people in Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle
East/
After the
committee meeting, I left with Rev. Olof
Lindstrom for home. I bid good bye to the Committee, expressing hope, we will have
a chance to meet again someday
I
slept well that night. The coolness of the coming winter,
was soothing to me.
On my 3rd day, Olof, brought me to a public high
school. I met one of the classes with
about 30 young students that morning. I
was given time to speak. They were 3rd year high schools. I was
requested to tell them about the Philippines, I told the students. “I
came from a small country, the
Philippines. Our country was colonized
by Spain for nearly 400 years. Our grandparents fought the Spaniards some
200 battles and wars during that time,
including the Revolution against Spain in
1896.
“We
were already winning the war against Spain. But the United States
who dreamed to build an empire in Asia
came. They took our freedom.
We fought the Americans. It was a
war that lasted for nearly 13
years. It was a deadly war. It
cost some 2 million Filipino lives,
killed by American bullets and
diseases and sickness brought by the war.
“The
Americans colonized us again for nearly
50 years. Then, they gave us freedom. They gave us a semblance of
political freedom. But they controlled
our lives and economy with treaties and
agreements. These one sided treaties and agreemets were imposed on our
government. It favoured greatly US interests and buried most Filipinos in poverty and hard life.
“We
are a country with great resources. But the wealth and resources of our country
were owned and controlled by the few Elites, the very rich and powerful and the
oligarchs. They owned and
controlled almost everything. While the
70 percent Filipinos were suffering from poverty and oppression.
“In
1972, after ruling for nearly 8 years,
President Marcos declared Martial
Law and ruled our country with iron hands with support of the United States. It was the most brutal
and deadly rule in the country by any Philippine President.
He put the country under his
thumb. Our people resisted and fought. Thousands and thousand were put in jails
across the country. Thousands have fallen. Our people resisted and fought.
“We gained a little freedom in 1986, when Marcos was
overthrown by the people. But the
Americans took him and sent him to Hawaii, in the United States. And the
US ruled the country again, under a new
President, still, under the control of US imperialism and
the bureaucrat capitalist. We saw no
substantial change coming.
“With
the limited freedom, we worked to
help build and improved the lives of our
people with new practices –we have Bible reflections and social analysis, we
learned new methods of farming and
animal raising technologies. We also helped strengthen the social and political
lives of our people with organizing and mobilizing them for
political power.”
I realized that quite a number of high school
Sweds knew the Philippines. A
few questions were asked me by the students. “Sir, I
read that President Marcos has stolen
billions of dollars from the Filipinos and kept it banks in the Unites States
& Switzerland. Will these money be returned
to the Filipino people”.
I told the student. “Three
(3) years after President Marcos was thrown out of power, the investigation on
his stolen wealth continued to be reported by the press. But no money was yet recovered and returned to the people.” That
was four years after President Marcos was overthrown.
The following day, we we went to
Northern Sweden by car, where Rev. Olof Lindstrom visited his parents
and their home church. There, his younger sister was the pastor. We visited the forest which their parents owned. There in the
forest, I saw wild red and blue berries. I gathered a lot, for
it was the first time, I ever saw wild red and blue berries. And it was free. I met his parents. We visited the
Municipal Hall. I was interviewed by some newspapermen in the local
newspapers. I have seen the rural life of Northern Sweden.
They were progressive
people. In the villages, the people have
higher incomes. There monthly salaries were ten 10 times more than a Filipino workers earned monthly. There children were in school, given free education up to high
school, technical and vocational schools.
And to make sure their bodies and minds were well developed, they were provided two
snacks and lunch daily while
attending school. And all residents,
from young children to adults, have free medical cares, including free hospitalizations and surgeries.
That afternoon, I
kept thinking. What’s the difference between the people and government of
Sweden and the Philippines. Why there governments can provide the basic
necessities of the people –free education, snacks and lunch for all students attending
school, free hospitalization, including surgeries and higher pay for their
workers? Why were these basic
necessities in among students in Sweden, were available only to the rich students and people in the Philippines?
We visited, Olof
sister and her husband Sture. They were farmers. They have more than 100 milking cows for their dairy business. They have also
about a hundred female cows they were raising as replacements to the older
cows. They took care of the cows in the barn, with their 2 young children
who helped them some ways before going
to school and after school. The couple
worked together feeding their cows, cleaning the barn, preparing the
feeds. They milked the
cows every morning. They
used Automatic Milking Machines.
I think, they have
about 5 or 6 Automatic Milking Machines,
which they attached to the tether
of the cows when milking. In 3 hours,
the milking of about aa 100 cows were finished.
And at 9:30 AM, a big Containerized Vans, came and brought
the fresh milks to the factory
to be pasteurized and produced into
different milk products. The milking process was, untouched by human hands. The fresh milks reached many countries of the world.
I have seen how
technology, enabled a family of four, raised about 200 cows, 100 for milking and another 100 cows, being raised
and prepared for milking later. The cows were raised in about a half hectare farm. They raised cows in
confinement.
In Iloilo and
in the Philippines, some farmers have cows, mostly 1, or two or three
cows. But we do not milk the cows. We
sell the cows for the meat. And we buy milk from Sweden, Denmark, Norway,
the Netherlands, Australia, USA
and other countries who sold us fresh and powdered milk.
After the trip to Northern Sweden, we returned to Stockholm. Along the
way, we passed Orebro Mission, a Protestant denomination in Sweden. It was
founded in Orebro in 1892 and was part of the Baptist Union of Sweden
until 1936. Then, the denomination became part of the Evangelical
Free Church of Sweden.
In Orebro Mission, I visited their library, their theological school and got
some ideas of their ministry and mission
works. Orebro Mission was a strong church, consisting of more than 300 local
churches with about 31,000 members. They shared with me their missionary
efforts and their works among women. As we bid good bye, I told the minister, I
looked forward to meeting him again.
Some years later, Rev. Rev. Per
Axel Sverker, from Orebro Mission came to the Philippines. He held a
lectures on women and liberation in
different churches, institutions and
ministries in the Baptist Convention.
On the way to Stockholm, we passed a river. This river also passed the the town of Dalicarlia, the birth place of Dr. Eric Lund, the Swedish
Baptist missionary who came to
the Philippines in 1899 and first
preached the gospel of Jesus to the people of Panay Island, in the Philippines.
I went down
car to the bridge. I stood
on its beautiful railings and looked down on the water below. The water was not moving now. It has started froze. About 60
kms., away on the eastern side, was
Dalicarlia. I sat down for some
minutes. I looked
up on the eastern horizon.
I tried to reflect
on the early years of the man, Eric Lund, who first came to Iloilo City and preached the gospel of
Jesus to our people. He, with Pastor Braulio
Manikan baptized the first 20 Baptists
in the Philippines. I meditated in silence. I whispered a prayer. I thanked
God for the privilege of seeing the river near Dalicarlea. The place
with Eric Lund lived, studied and played
We
arrived in Stockholm. The following day, we
visited Diakonia’s Main Office.
It was in this office, that plans, decisions and actions were
made for Diakonia’s involvements
in development, education and advocacy
works in some countries of the world –
in Africa, Latin America, in
Eastern Europe, Asia, including the
Philippines. I have a very good sharing
with international staff of Diakonia, including
Dr. Bo Forsberg, Director.
He
shared with me Diakonia;s works in the world including Vietnam, after the
US-Vietnam War, a war that killed
about 4,000,000 Vietnamese
fighting on both side of the war that
perilous times.
A
year later, Dr. Bo Forsberg visited the Philippines and Iloilo City. He visited CPBC with three Diakonia staff. He
was also with us at home, with my wife
Hesther with our simple dinner. Dr. Bo Forsberg, spoke over “Hour of Discovery” radio program
at DYRI at 2:00 PM Sunday and DYFM-Bombo Radio at 5:30 PM, both In Iloilo City. It was during
this time, that a possible new program were planned that will be jointly undertaken by Diakonia with CPBC and
some NGO’s in Panay.
I thanked
Olof for showing me some of Stockholms and Northern Sweden. It was a new learning
experience.
The
following day, Olof sent me to Uppsala University. He requested Mrs/ Agneta Magnusson to meet me at the bus terminal and accompany me in some visits. Mrs. Magnusson was member of BUS Development Committee. I would like to see some books at Uppsala and some
writings of Dr.Eric Lund. I would like slso to see the Museum, were some important
documents and pictures were kept for posterity. I have seen some 30 books
written and published by Dr. Eric Lund.
Only 2 books were in English. Dr. Lund was one of the prolific
writers of his time.
Two
days later, we took plane flights to
Southern Sweden, in Hilsingborg. I
looked at the sea, and the mountains.
On the coast, I can see the shores with some houses and smokes from factories.
The place was part of Denmark, which was
about two hours by boat from the city of
Hilsingborg.
We
visited the church, we met with the pastor and the leaders of the church of
Hilsingborg. I was interviewed in two
radio stations, one owned and operated by the church. They used it for the
teachings, evangelizations, education, broadcasts and entertainments. The other
stations, I was interviewed was a
commercial radio station. The station did
not play, Singles and Long
Playing musics. They use a small, quite
transparent gadget, to play musics.
I
asked the Disc Jockey, what he calls that
beautiful thing. He said, these are CD’s
and VCD’s. “Yes, it was the first time, I saw CD’s and VCD’s . In 1989, there were no CD's and VCD's played in radio stations/ And it brings lovable musics and sounds.”
One
thing, I found. Unlike in the Philippines, Sweden do not advertise on radio liquors, beers and lotteries. The political
and business leaders saw the power
of mass media and tried to lessen the negative impact of beers and liquors among the youth of
their country.
Over
the radio, during an interview. I shared
something of our lives in the Philippines and the struggle of our people for
social, economic and political changed.
I
shared, unlike in Sweden, where you can hardly see very, very poor Swed, in
Philippines slums and countrysides, the poor were too many living in abject
poverty. Many lived in subhuman conditions in city slums. The poor in the Philippines were just too many. The rich
and very rich were too few. But they
controlled the lives of 75 per cent of the people.
In the Philippines, in 1989, few finished college education. Only 7 per cent
finished 4 years college education recognized by the government. The elites and oligarchs send their children to the best universities in the country and abroad. They have the best education that money can buy. They always hold top business position. And the top political position. They controlled the country. And buried the poor and most uneducated, in the hardest life and poverty imaginable.
There
were too many slums in the Philippines, with most people living in the hardest
situations in life. I have seen, in my visits to different parts of Sweden, that
they have no slums. The government made efforts to really educate the people by
giving free education, including lunch and snacks, from primary, elementary, high school to vocational and technical
schools.
Corruptions
in Philippine government was very, very rampant. I asked myself, why? These is a country where 70 per cent of the populations were catholics.
Why corruption was so powerful and rampant in a country, whose leaders
were mostly of the catholic faith?
The
following day, we returned to Stockholm. In a week, I have seen a little of Sweden, from north,
central and southern Sweden. It left some impressions in my mind. Perhaps one reasons, why Sweden is one
of the progressive countries in the world.
It is a country, like the other Scandinavian countries, with less corruptions
in government and in private lives. Most
Swed, were of the Episcopal Church. They were from the faith
traditions of Martin Luther, the great Protestant
religious reformer of the previous century.
