Chapter 13 -UIM Pilot Project in ILCO, Hinobaan, Negros Occidental on Labor Education

                                                        

      Chapter 13 

        UIM Pilot Project  in ILCO,   Hinobaan, Negros Occidental  on  Labor Education  

                                

It was  in mid -1977 when  I was called by the  Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches  to join as one of it’s   staffs.  I  was  assigned to head the  pilot project on Urban  Industrial Mission (UIM).  It was a pilot  project that targets to learn and work in   urban and industrial seatings, with labor education and organizing as it’s activity. 

It was a new project. A  maiden ministry of  CPBC.  For years, our ministry were focused  on Evangelism, Christian Education and Stewardship. It’s girded towards salvation of the soul. In Europe, the United States. Australia and South Korea,  Industrial Missions has become a new focus and directions.

 It’s major thrusts is to save lives,  people’s lives,  specially the poor, weak nd helpless, struggling to live under  the control of  the elites,   the rich and powerful in society.

Labor education and organizing of workers and laborers, were the thrusts UIM, a ministry for social, economic, political salvation of the exploited people.

Our  UIM pilot project  was  based  at the vicinity of Insular Lumber Company, Inc.  (ILCO), in Bacuyangan,  Hinobaan, Negros Occidental.   ILCO was  owned and operated by  American businessmen. It has mostly  Filipino staff, workers and laborers.

During the 50’s and 60’s,  ILCO was  was the biggest lumber company in South East  Asia.   It operated first in Fabrica, Sagay, Negros Occidental, since it’s founding after  the end of the 2^nd World War.  It   continued its operations in Northern Negros  and  part of South Negros, until almost all the timber lands, until about two third (2/3) of the timberlands  in  Negros Occidental were  cut down and devastated.  

Then,  ILCO transferred      operations  to the mountains and forested areas of in  southern  Negros, with its main office at Bacuyangan,  Hinobaan,  about 200 kms., from Bacolod City.  First class  lumbers  were produced at ILCO  and sold    to  the United States, Japan, Australia and the  European countries.

For several years ILCO operated in Hinobaan.  And when all the  forests  trees were cut down in southern Negros, Insular Lumber Company, Inc.,  just disappeared.  The   company ceased  its  operations. The top leaders left. The second liners were left with the workers.  The   many big equipments   remained  long damped  in the vicinity. Some were later,   cut and  sold as scrapped iron  by  ILCO former workers. 

The decision of Rev. Famillaran & Rev. Lopez,  to start  UIM ministry  was a response to the call of the hour.  It was  a study and  search for another  relevant ministry that will reached  out to the  many  exploited labourers and workers  in industrial settings.  For many  years,  CPBC ministry   reaches out to employees and   farmers.  There were  barely  no   CPBC involvements in  industrial setting.  CPBC has never involved in a very important ministry, labor education,  organizing and  training  for workers’ empowerment until 1977, under the leadership or President Molley Famillaran.  

The job of labor educationa and organizaing, were done  mostly by labour unions. But many labour unions, these time were  considered “yellow unions”. These were  unions that were organized, financed and managed by lumber, sugar and mining corporations themselves.  These were  organized to show   they have a labor union, with Collective Bargainng Agreements  (CBA’s).

The CPBC involvement was a venture to help provide Christian guidance in development of a  progressive labour unions in Negros and Panay.

This time, the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW),  in Bacolod City was one of the few progressive and   militant labour union in Negros Occidental, serving  the   clientele in the sugar industry of  Negros.   Another   militant labor union, the National Federation of Labor (NFL) was  organized in Mindanao.  It has branched  to  Negros Occidental with NFL having a CBA with Marinduque Mining Corporations in Sipalay Mines. NFL was serving the lumber industry in Mindanao and a  mining industry in Negros Occidental.

The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), UIM ministry, headed by Rev. Henry Aguillan, was instrumental in building of National Federation of Labor, headed by Ibarra (Bong)  Malonso, Chairman of the Board. Bong Malonso’s father, Rev. Malonso, was a Cbristian Marxist. He told me during one of our meetings at   NCCP, he had attended Labor Union meetings in Moscow, Beiging and  Warsaw. These were   organized by Communist Internationale to assist labor unons in different parts of the world. 

The first choice of  Rev. Edwin  Lopez to lead   pilot UIM project  at ILCO  was Mr.   Fred Bat-og and  Mrs. Victoria Bat-og.  She  was a registered nurse.     Fred Bat-og, was a progressive youth leader. He   was   chosen   as he has skills  in  community organizing.   Their    family  were managing  and  operating more   than 500   hectares of sugar plantations in north Negros.  Fred Bat-og was the best person to head the pilot UIM project.   But he decided,   not to accept the CPBC  offer. He had other priorities.

The UIM pilot project was funded  by the Board of International Ministries (BIM) of the American Baptist Churches, USA. Rev. Lopez asked me to lead the  UIM pilot project. I  accepted  the offer. Why?  “First,    I like the challenge. To  get involved in a new kind of Christian ministry-- Labor education, organizing, building of socio-political awareness among workers and farmers.   Secondly, UIM was a pilot project.  If it  will succeed and  expanded,  I will be taken, most probably  to  lead in it’s expanded works”   It was worth the risks.

We started UIM  pilot ministry with 3 full time staff and 1  part time worker.  We took    Pastor  Billy Manuva,  a  graduate of  CPU College of Theology.  Assisting him  was Pastor Marjorie Bactan,  a graduate of  Convention Baptist Bible College. We opened the “People’s Center”, at the heart of the community of Bacuyangan village.

 What did we offered.  “We will helped   enriched  the lives of people, the church and the community with Bible studies and reflections,  conscientization processes, labor education and organizing,   community organizing, skills training, food processing  and youth  trainnings.”

Pastor  Nilda Jocson, also a   CBBC graduate  assisted with  training on   food preservations  and sales. We have also started bamboo craft training for the youth. But during that time, the labourers and workers of  ILCO were already organized and have a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with ILCO. I befriended the President of the  Union and   tried to learn whatever I could on the labour  front. I  joined  him, often when the Board has meetings.

The Parish Priest of Bacuyangan, an Irish, was a progressive priest. He was always on the go. He visited villages and organized the people. Their Bible Studies, which carries social analysis and conscientization, has opened the minds of  many catholics   on the evils of US imperialism and feudalism. It  have  become a powerful force for change.

After working for few months and befriend many  people in the communities learned that many young people have joined the NPA in the far flung villages of Hinobaan. Few years later, villages in  Kabangkalan, Candoni,  Sipalay and Hinobaan were the centers of the people’s revolutionary struggles in southern Negros. Young  KM members and Communist Party cadres were working in the hinterlands villages of Hinobaan, often  times   reaching.  teaching and organizing people in the  sitios of Bacuyangan village, in Hinobaan.

In Hinobaan, we started education and community organizing works around Bacuyangan  Proper,   South Bend area and near ILCO. We also started some studies and works in Barangay Bulwangan, Daeg, Pook, Sangke and Talakayan. We started education and organizing works with 5 to 10 people in the sitios. Gradually, more people participated in  studies,  community organizing and skills training activities.

In Bacuyangan, our ministry,   led to the conversion of a family of 9 - the father and mother and their 7 children - who were members of the Iglesia ni Kristo. After attending several months of our Bible Studies at People’s Center, they joined our church.   A  Baptist congregation was started also in Bacuyangan Proper, about 300 meters from the Bacuyangan Public Market.

It was headed by Mr. & Mrs. Custodio and his sons and daughter. Mr. Custodio has a Repair  Shop, and worked as a small entrepreneur assisted by his 3 sons. Slowly, this community of faith, grew.

In the Municipality of Sipalay, we started  education and community organizing works in Barangay Cabadyangan, Canturay, Maricalum, Nabulao, Nauhang and in Sipalay  Mines. We started education and organizing works with 5 to 10 people in the barangays. And gradually, more people participated in the  education,  community organizing and skills training works.

We were able to start church ministry in the periphery of  Sipalay Mines, enabling us later to help organized  a church community  in a village,  outside  Sipalay Mines.

In mid-1978, I was pulled out by Rev Lopez from Pilot UIM project. He asked me to  assist him  in the national office, develop and expand UIM pilot project  into a national  program.  He assigned Rev. Harry Delgado  to  take my place in Hinobaan. 

Rev. Lopez involved me in the  National Council of Churches of the Philippines (NCCP),  with  different  training and exposures,  preparing me  for a  wider involvement in the ministry of the Convention.

One  of the training, was on labor education and organizing  with Ms. Jorgette Honcolada. She assisted in my training and exposures. She was  an   officer of National Federation  of Labor (NFL) They have a labor  union operating at Sipalay Mines, in southern  Negros Occidental.

Another   trainings I was involved in, was the    5 -days  seminar on   Project Proposal writings under   Rev. Henry Aguilan, UIM director of NCCP.   About 40  participants  from different denominations of NCCP nationwide attended.    During the seminar,  Rev Henry Aguilan told us. “Remember, the  Project Proposal you  conceptualized and wrote  that will be  selected by the Committee will be sent to     the World Council of Churches (WCC), in Geneva for possible funding  and parnership.” 

We worked hard  the last 4 days.  Each of us was challenged  to conceptualize a  project proposal.  I have looked hard into project  proposals writing  earlier. The  project areas of operations, the target groups,  a social investigations of the community. The  thrusts of  the project. The personnel, their trainings and exeriences. The area of operations. The budget and financial requirements.

The new project I conceptualizing was based  in  Duenas, Iloilo.  It’s operation included the   municipalities  with sugar cane plantations, sugar workers and   sugar mills – Calinog, Lambunao, Bingawan and Passi, in Iloilo and  Tapas in  Capiz.

We   proposed  a budget of  P2,500,000 for three years. It has  a component of 5 full time staffs. One staff with theological training.  Another  with agriculture  expertize.  Two with   involvements on  community works. We have an  Office Secretary. I am the  Project Coordinator. These  was a  project proposal I am  writing while on training at NCCP.

The Project Thrusts has  Bible reflections & conscientization, education, social investigation, community organizing,   livelihood training like pig dispersals and  technology transfer.  Labor education and labor organizing.  I signed it as Proponent. It was noted by Rev. Edwin Lopez, General Secretary.  We submitted the  proposal to  Rev. Aguilan of  NCCP.  Five of my companios from CPBC also submitted their project proposals together with groups and individuals from other denominations of NCCP.

Then, we all went home. We  may have forgotten the project proposals we have submitted to NCCP.

Seven  months after our project proposal seminar at NCCP,   I   received a letter from WCC.  Our UIM expanded   project proposal  was approved  by  EZE, West Germany for funding. It was the first Project Proposal I have written and funded by EZE.  I bowed my head  in prayers. I thanked God for the little knowledge, wisdom and skills He had given me –the skills of project proposal writings. 

I saw God opening for us the future,  with a stronger and wider  ministry for  CPBC in  the coming  years.   Project Proposals and Feasibility Studies, were two avenues God had given us. With a Project Proposal and a Feasibility Studies, the wide world of partnership was opened for us. We now can reach out to individual, church organizations, civil societies,  Non-government Organizations, cooperatives, farmers, workers and fishermens associations.

We can  reached international   organizations with technical and financial  resources, that could be tapped as  partners in  development works. God have taught me the skills that will open new opportunities in finding  technical, management and financial resources for  our  development and advocacy ministries.

We worked and started to to make  plans for the implementations of  Urban Industrial Mission Project in Central Panay –Duenas, Passi, Calinog, Bingawan, Lambunao in Iloilo and in Tapas, Capiz.

A  big  and wide ministry  for the future that started  with  simple ideas.  prayers  and dreams. We now made big plans, from a small pilot project, the Pilot-UIM project we started in the vicinities of Insular Lumber Companay, Inc., in Bacuyangan, Hinobaan, Negros Occidental two years ago.

God was now opening new areas for us in the ministry of Christian love  and community developments.

Now, UIM will worked in 6 municipalities, reaching out to 1,000 villages, with education, trainings, community organizing, livelihood assistance under 5 full time staffs with a budget of  P2,500.000 in 3 years time. This was a miracle that God showed us could be tapped for the future.