Chapter 22
New Frontier Ministries Consolidated Development
Projects from 1978 -1987
(PART 2)
6. The New
Frontiers Ministries continued to expand.
It also started a project in Oriental
Mindoro ,
a combined Bible School, that will
teached young people to become pastors &
Evangelists.
at the same time, trained in practical agriculture –farming and animal
raising.
It was
based in Bongabong Municipality in 1985.
It was headed by Rev. Sammy Fabila, a graduate of CPU College of
Theology. Rev. Fabila was teaching at the Convention Baptist Bible College in Bacolod City, when we challenged him to serve
with the school in Mindoro.
The project has 4 full time staff – Rev. Fabila, the
coordinator, 2 teachers, an agriculturists
and a community organizer. Another staff, was in-charged of the kitchen and food. The project bought six hectares of agricultural land near the
river. The farm will help provide
food –rice, corns, vegetables, bananas, coconuts and different root crops, to
help sustain the students in training.
It built several permanent
buildings with two small dormitories, a building with 4 classrooms, a staff house and office. The funds was provided by two
groups - the Baptist World Aid Australian Baptist Churches and Baptist
World Alliance.
The school was envisioned to provide theological and practical
agriculture training for young people in Romblon, Mindoro, Manila and Southern Luzon churches, with community
organizing component.
The project became hot with the military leadership. It continued
for more than 7 years, and have graduated several theology students that were assigned to churches in Mindoro, Romblon
and Luzon. They have specially trained
skills, theology and agriculture with
farming and animal husbandry. .
The project survived martial law.
Several years later, its operations
was stopped. One major reasons? CPBC
and the local project leadership, was not able to resource funds for its continued
operations. It also became hot with the
military leadership. Later, the school
stopped its operations and one of the school buildings was used by the CAFGU for their shelters.
7) In Aklan, in 1987, a project was also started
under the leadership of Ptr. Domingo Bernal,
Ptr.
Dionita Irao –Villanueva, Mr.Giovanii Iguiz and Mr.
Nestor Ebiel. The project served
churches
and communities in Kalibo, New Washington, Balete and Libacao, in Aklan through
livelihood
assistance. The project was assisted by Bromma Baptist Church, in Sweden, whose
President
Mr. Ake Svalfors, his wife Mrs.
Kikki Svalfors visited the Philippines and
Aklan.
The
project initiated farmers education and
community organizing works in Calizo Sur Baptist
Church
and Calizo Norte Baptist Church, New Washington Baptist
Church, Kalibo Evangelical
Church, Ochando-Dumaguit Evangelical Church, Libacao Evangelical Church, Can-awan Baptist
Church, Rosal-Ortega Baptist Church;
Loctuga Baptist
Church and Rosal Baptist Church, the hinterland
villages of Libacao, providing
them with technical studies on farming,native chicken and swine raising and training on some skills to help improved their earning capacity.
Ake Svalfors and Rev. Olof
Lindstrom were responsible for challenging Bromma Baptist Church for this project. One of the works initiated by the project was
planting of timber trees on some 75 hectares of barren mountain areas, through Rosal-Ortega Farmers Association.
The members of the Association
were paid by the Department of Energy
and Environment and the Bureau of
Forestry for making plant
nurseries. They were also paid for planting the seedlngs on the 75
hectares field on the barrem side of the mountains. The members of the association, were also
organized and trained to take care of
the plants.
They were paid for the labors, with conditions
they will share
in the future harvest. And 15 years later, when the timbers were cut and
made into lumbers, the income were shared
by the farmers association and
the Bureau of Forestry & DENR.
After seeing what Rosal-Ortega Farmers Association have done,
some groups have organized their associations and together with the Bureau of Forestry and DENR, planted more vacant
mountains with lumber trees to reforests the mountains. The reforestation was
planned to help reforest the mountain
areas and prevent erosions and landslides
that often destroyed the farming communities during
rainy season.
During this time, encounters
between the military and the NPA happened
always in hinterland villages of Libacao. One time, in Can-awan Baptist
Church, Libacao, where our project
operates, the shootings happened in the
vicinity of the church, between the military and the NPA units. The
fighting continued for about an hour. Bullets hit and pierced the hollow block walls
of Can-awan Baptist Church.
A number of
Baptist young people in Aklan
joined in the military. And some Baptist
young people also joined the New People’s Army.
These were hard moments for our people in the Baptist churches.
Rev. Bernabe Pagara, Dean of the
College of Theology in 2015,
started his educational
journey for higher education. It was a long and determined journey for Rev. Bernabe
Pagara. After serving
as Pastor of Ochando-Dumaguit
Evangelical Church, he started
his masteral studies in
Manila with assistance from Bromma Baptist Church and Aki Svalfors, who
was church president of Bromma that time.
When
Rev. Pagara graduated in his Masters of Theology, Mr. Ake Svalfors came to Manila to join him. I was also invited by Ake to join him in Manila during Rev.
Pagara’s graduation. It was a wonderful
day for us and for the future of the College of Theology.
Rev, Pagara continued in his Doctoral
Studies in Theology. He finished his
doctoral studies with honors. Behind him was Bromma Baptist Church.
Dr. Pagara was appointed professor at the
College of Theology. And slowly, he
moved on to become the Dean of
the College of Theology until today, 2017.
His journey for
higher education, was started
Ochando-Dumaguit Evangelical Church, where Ake and Kikki Svalfors lived for a week during their exposures in Aklan and the Baptist Convention, with
the development projects, supported by
Bromma Baptist Church in Sweden.
It was during this time, that the
idea for Rev. Pagara’s further studies
was planned with Ake and Kikki Svalfors. It was an investments of Bromma
Baptist Church and the Baptist Union of Sweden, in the
training CPU Theological
students thru the ministry of Dean Bernabe Pagara, as Dean of the College of
Theology.
8. It was
in 1985
when we implemented the CPBC Woodcraft
Project with Toymaking &
Bamboo
Craft, in Iloilo City. The project was designed to train young people in
woodworking and bamboo craft. Skills training was one of the need. Persons with
skills, can easily land jobs anywhere in the country. Toys and woodworks, were
were potential source of income.
The Bamboo
Craft projects have opened business in partnership with organizations in Australia, USA and West
Germany. We send deliveries of these products by mail. These was
in the midst of a political upheavals. When Students demonstrations
and Peoples’ rallies were going on in differents parts of Panay
and Negros.
Thousands
of rallyiests marched from the hinterland villages in Southern, Central and Northern Iloilo. They march to
Iloilo City to bring before the country’s
leadership the problems and suffering
of people under the martial regimes.
In some areas, in Negros, like Sipalay, their were hamlettings going on.
The same were true with
situations in Aklan, Capiz and
Antique. Hamlettings were in several villages. The residents
were forced to go down from the
hills, lived in make nipa tents and huts made of sacks, due to continued fightings by the military
and NPA in the hinterland villages.
Rev. Joel Valdez was the Coordinator of the Project. His skills in Wood Craft and Bamboo Craft projects,
provided skills and income for many
out –of- school -youths in Iloilo
City and southern Iloilo.
The project bought woodworking equipments, electric
operated for the training and
productions and for fast and easy
workings.
Project Coordinator, Rev. Joel Valdez has 3 full time staff working under him - Eric de la Cruz and Norberto Bernal. The
bamboo craft projects were done by 5
self-employed young people from
Romblon and Iloilo. The project was funded by Church a association in
Norway with the World Council of Churches (WCC). They have several
equipments, electric operated for fast and fine production.
Woodcrafts products were sold in Iloilo City. Bamboo Craft products were sent and sold to
church organizations in Australia, USA and West Germany.
Rev. Joel Valdez and the church and community leaders in the
area helped much in strengthening the spiritual, social and political awareness of
the church and community leaders, in the
slum areas of Jaro, in Iloilo
City and in Alimodian and Leon. After
their training, the people organized
themselves and participate
actively in peaceful people’s marches and rallies from
Southern Iloilo to Iloilo City. It continued until
President Marcos and his martial law regime was overthrown in 1986 by the People’s
upheaval in Manila.
Rev. Joel
Valdez helped much the rally
participants during the years when people’s marches and rallies
were happening in the region. In Iloilo City, he has a big part in
mobilizing Pastors and church leaders to
serve as “Members of the Negotiating Panels”
that could help negotiate when there were conflicts rising among marchers and the
military in “People’s Marches”.
In Negros
Occidental, Panay and Manila, in 1985 to
1986, the “People’s Rally” were going very strong. Linda Bulaclac Tyler, one of
our Young People in Maao Central Evangelical Church, Bago City, who married an Australian Engineer, said she and her husband left Manila in December
31, 1985 about 10:00 PM., because her husband was worried they would not be able to leave the Philippines, due to peoples' marches.
“We were flying over Mindanao going to toward
Sydney. We hoped we would have New
Year Celebration on the air, with Qantas
Air. But the pilot did not say anything.
Not even, Happy New Year. It was a very,
very quiet New Year in December 31, 1985. And this is Qantas up in the
air. Unbelievable!!”
Pastor Edwin Lariza, helped me and Rev. Valdez in some tasks in
the Woodcraft Project. He served as
Resource Person on seminars held – at
the Woodcraft Project and with UIM seminars going on in many areas in
Iloilo.
While Pastor Edwin Lariza was
struggling to continue with his
Theological studies, he talked to Rev.
Olof Lindstrom, if he can be assisted.
Rev. Lindstrom talked to me one day. He said:
“ Edwin Lariza is struggling with his finances but wants to
finish his studies. What, do you think of him and his plans? And what do you think of him as a
person?” Pastor Edwin
Lariza has new girl friend always. He often changed
his girl
friend. That seems one of his
weakness as Baptist pastor.
I told Rev. Lindstrom. “If you
can find some financial
resource, please assist
Pastor Lariza. He have some
weakness and problems. But he was
also struggling to change. I have talked to him about these.” Rev. Lindstrom provided some amounts
for Pastor Lariza’s studies at
the College of Theology and Social Works.
The funds
for his studies was coursed to
me. It was sent thru Iloilo Standard
Chartered Bank. I gave it to Rev.
Lariza every
first Monday of the month.
But when he transferred to Manila,
two years later for his Masteral studies, I asked
Rev. Lindstrom to sent the money direct to him .
It was a mission,
Rev. Lindstrom made, to help
develop a pastor with strong social,
political
and
revolutionary perspectives.
There was a big hope that Pastor Edwin Lariza could influenced
students of the
Department of Social Works of
CPU, with new socio-political perspectives.
The investments from friends of the
Baptist Union of Sweden and some churches there,
helped somehow in the development of the CPU Social Work, specially when Rev. Edwin Lariza, became
Officer-in Charge (OIC), of the Social Work Department.
8) In
1987, The North Negros Development Project
was implemented with 2 full time staff and
a parttime assistant. - Mr. Benedicto,
as Coordinator. He was assisted by Rev. Jessie Belza
and another part time staff. It operated in 5 municipalities in Northern Negros. It was funded by World Council of Churches (WCC). About
a year earlier, I wrote the Project
Proposal and sent it to the World Council
of Churches, requesting WCC to find a group that will assist our project. But circumstances made
me resign from CPBC, which changed much the scenario of the development ministries.
It has a story
I would like to share. One
morning, I went to Bank of
Philippiine Islands in Jaro. The bank
staff, who I often do business, saw me.
He came to me, and asked if I have received the money that was at there
main office, in Iloilo City. He
said it was addressed to me and it was there for several months. I told him, I did not know. I will follow-up.
At the head office, I Iearned there was amount, sent in response to our proposal,
course thru the NCCP. Since, I was
unemployed after my resignation from CPBC, I was tempted to implement the North Negros Development
Project, recruit the 3 staff needed
to implement it, with myself as
Coordinator. It was a kind of a temptation.
I looked
again at the copy of the project proposal sent to
WCC. The proposal has no signature from the CPBC Board.
It appreared not an official CPBC Project.
I prayed for guidance. I planned to implement it direct. I will be the
Project Coordinator. But God seemed
to tell me “No,
Rudy. Do not do it. You will lost your
name. You will lost your relations with CPBC. You may never return in its leadership, even with change in the leadership of CPBC .”
The following
morning, I went to the CPBC
office. I talked to the
Treasurer, Mr. Bonifacio Eslaban and the
General Secretary, Rev. Penuelito Sacapano.
I told them there was money for
North Negros Development Project at the main office of Bank of Philippine
Islands. It was in my name. I will released it to the Baptist Convention.
I told them,
we will go to the bank together. There, I will
sign the Withdrawal Slip. But the
amount will be re-deposited
immediately in the Account of the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches of
their choice. I will accompany them to the bank and deposit the money. The North Negros Development Project was
implemented.
The New Frontier Ministries (NFM) became a forceful program for
development and change. The community organizing works empowered the poor and
weak. The labor education, awakened the
minds and potentials of sugarcane and
farm workers.
The farm workers began to realized the power they have when they were
trained and organized. NFM became a powerful advocate for human dignity and
human rights protections. We helped much in exposing human right
violations in Iloilo City, brought cases
of abuses to Manila thru NCCP and to
other parts of the world.
Each of this 8 NFM projects, the
staff and participant have wonderful, beautiful, hard and painful stories and
experiences to tell. But we will leave that for the moment, and for them to
tell at in another time.
The martial law regime became violent and tyrannical until it has fall
down with President Marcos excile to
Hawaii. But UIM and NFM staff and
trained participants, joining hands with other sectors of society in Panay and Negros fighting with the
instruments they have on their hands –
truth, freedom, love and justice.
The revolutionary fighters - the
NPA and CCP - who were working in most
villages where NFM and UIM were also working, stood against Marcos martial law, fought with
truth, and mimeographed News Letters in
villages, and with guns to protect their lives and the causes they stood
for.
UIM and NFM staff experienced military raids and arrests. We stood and fought. Our instruments
were truth and justice. We brought our
case to the media and national and international churches and organizations. We helped kept the peoples’
struggles for change alive and the work for development and advocacy going on.
We continued to fight, during the presidency of Cory Aquino
and President Fidel Ramos. And the fight for economic and political change,
continued under the leadership of
President Noynoy Aquino.
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