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 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.
Part of the series The Ministry Years (chapter 22 of 48)
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