Sowing seeds

St. Peter’s Church in the diocese of Novaliches, Quezon City, is a national landmark of sorts. Not only does it have the most number of masses during weekends (30+ on a Sunday with around 18 of these in the church building itself), it boldly stands on the same stretch of road that is shared by a religious cult noted for not respecting the consciences of its members. It is also close to government offices of national importance.

The church grounds are also a favorite staging point for political rallies.

Recently, it has become the scene of the sowing of seeds for the evangelization of politics. Last year, it became part of the emerging CiDE network. Not only did some of its staff and volunteers – led by parish priest, Fr. Tony Labiao – attend the national consultation in Cebu, the parish also organized a seminar and an orientation on CiDE for the dioceses of Novaliches and Cubao; the latter ably coordinated by Mr. Johnny Cardenas.

They had actually formed 3 teams to spread CiDE as a result of the 22-23 July seminar but nature intervened with the devastation brought about by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. The parish was in the forefront of disaster relief.

Things began to pick up again with a CiDE national gathering last 2-3 February followed up by a trainors’ training for pastoral workers of St. Peter’s parish and other parishes from different dioceses. To facilitate coordination for the work of CiDE, participants agreed to cross church boundaries and use political boundaries so the grassroots would be better served.

Then a discernment integrity recollection for candidates was organized last 19 March by the three dioceses in Quezon City: Novaliches, Cubao, and Caloocan. This was attended by about 70 candidates, including some very familiar faces. The recollection could not have occurred on a better date: the feast of St Joseph, truly a leader in the fullest sense of the word.
The formation of the practical conscience takes time and effort: “The Church proposes; she imposes nothing.”

At least, seeds are being sowed.

*****

Many candidates hunger for discernment integrity recollections. In one diocese where this was organized, a priest-organizer jokingly remarked that the recollection made some candidate angry towards the local ordinary. “Why is this organized only now? We should have had this before we submitted our certificates of candidacy,” one participant was quoted as saying.

So far, feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive in the nine dioceses where the recollections have so far been given. There is hunger for a spiritual space for sifting through one’s thoughts and to make room for God. This rings true since such recollections do not allow entry by the media and there are no endorsements.

What is critical to the conduct and sustainability of the recollections and its key result area of creating a spiritual space for listening is the presence of pastoral companions who offer different services.

What has emerged is quite interesting. In one diocese, most of the companions were lay people who are active in the parish. In another, two bishops were visible at various times during the recollection. In another, priests played this role.

Only God really knows where this is headed. He takes the lead, and we follow. Yet, he has already shown the way. In the writer of the letter to the Ephesians reflects: “For he is the peace between us, and has the two into one entity and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart…” (2: 14).

Exchanging places leads to healing.

*****

Forty candidates from the local to the provincial levels attended a candidates’ recollection in the diocese of Maasin last 4 March. The spiritual space for listening had been organized by Barug Maasin (an anti-corruption group) and the social-action office.

The event was held at the St. Joseph school.
One incident stands out. The mayor of the town of St. Bernard (i.e. the horrific landslide killing many students and their teachers) stood up and made the following impassioned plea:

I believe that, if all priests do the same then we'll have more conscientious voters. My request is for priests all over the country to get involved in 'NO VOTE BUYING, NO GUNS OR GOONS AND NO CHEATING' campaign. If possible, they should guide the faithful on the good qualities of the candidates to elect and the bad qualities of the candidates to reject, short of naming names. I can see the influence of the priests upon the people, more than the influence mayors exert upon them. As candidates we will try our best to break and change the distorted political culture, but there is synergy if we do it together.

He told me later that his request was inspired by the story of another priest, Fr. Ver of Cebu.

Here was an impassioned plea from an elected public servant who recognizes the critical role the Church plays in the journey towards social transformation. This is a sign of the times, a plea for pastoral accompaniment. After all, when one journeys with another, it is not from a distance but up close and personal.

How shall we respond to this call?

I am Catholic

A FEW days ago I had the chance to chat with a ranking PNP officer of one of the regions of the country. He looked trim and inspired confidence. I soon discovered a public servant who wanted to do his job professionally and effectively.
“I have no ambition with regards to where I will be assigned; hence, I do not really care about the reactions of politicians regarding my impartial implementation of the law during elections. I am not siding with anyone and the result is that many politicians are angry at me,” he told me.
He was not putting on airs. Before our conversation I had a chance to talk with individuals who were inspired by his example. They noted, for instance, how entire police units had been relieved due to their siding with certain politicians. The police officer means business and there is no haggling when it comes to the law concerning illegal firearms. Check points continue their vigilance.
“Do not make a wrong, right; rather, do the right thing,” he would constantly remind his men. He leads by example as he is careful not to fall into a relationship of dependency with any politician.
Then, when I was about to leave, the police officer took me aside and whispered: “I am doing this, Father, because I am Catholic.”
In another context, an elderly candidate stood up and shared before about 100 other candidates during a discernment integrity recollection: “In the 34 years that I have been in politics, I have not used any money to buy votes. I have not cheated.”
Surprisingly his claim was met with a tranquil silence and there was no contrary feedback afterwards. He seems to have told the truth.
He continued: “I have also not forgotten to practice my faith. I go to mass and I am a member of a prayer group. I am a practicing Catholic.”
Finally, during a CiDE seminar for pastoral workers in Pagadian, a priest stood up to share before the group how he has devised a simple message for his parishioners. He has a poster which reads: “I am Catholic. I do not sell my vote!”
Yes, being Catholic – a Christian – should make a difference.

*****
About 10 percent of our population already work or live abroad. They keep our economy afloat. Many dream of coming back to the Philippines to retire. They continue to be concerned about what’s happening in the country and are affected by them.
We need to listen to their voices.
Last year, a Dilaab team gave two CiDE orientations to two OFW groups in Hong Kong. Very recently, we gave one before members of the AIT (Asian Institute of Technology) and the AFT (Association of Filipinos in Thailand). After a slow start, the group of students, professionals, and residents started to warm up and a lively discussion ensued.
One man showed a stubborn streak. He asked me who I am endorsing for president. He did this about five times, albeit in variations on the same theme. I held my ground and told him we were doing something even better than just endorsing: we were proposing a process and a mechanism for helping people make up their minds on whom to vote for.
“But we need information and data on the candidates, Fatherr,” one of them observed. It turned out that while they appreciated the LASER test and how this framework as well as process would help them, they, the OFWs, do not have much access to data and information; and if they do, they need to sift through these.
The 12 July statement of the bishops reminded “the laity that it is within their right as well as their duty to campaign for candidates they believe to be competent, honest, and public-service minded in order to reform our country.”
If the voting faithful are to fulfill this task, they need to have information on the candidates. These data and information need to be prayerfully weighed in the light of the LASER test and other frameworks.
How about our CiDE network offering this service through a website?

*****
I am amazed how young children nowadays quickly imbibe the political air, from jingles to the nicknames of candidates.
Ino, my 4 year-old nephew, is typical of the lot. He knows the names of national candidates and even some of their taglines.
Once, in a fit of amusement, I asked him: “Ino whom are you voting for?” His answer was prompt: “Siya lang kay bati siya og nawong.” (“I will vote for this candidate who is ugly”).
I do not know where my nephew got his inspiration but I would like to think that the seeds of principle-based politics have somehow been sowed on him. He does not look at appearances or rather appearances mean something else to him.
As elections draws near, 90k+ (?) candidates are vying for 14k+ positions (?). Each one would seek out to draw the attention of individuals and groups, particularly of the many members of the C, D, and E classes who comprise the majority of voters.
Some individuals, fired up with a blind sense of self-regard, have suggested that voting be made a privilege and prerogative of certain sectors of society based on economic contributions. This is a dangerous proposition, one that has historical antecedents. Besides economic contributions, race, sex, and other determinants have been proposed. What would be the criteria? Who determines what constitutes a basis - and on what basis? What have been the results of such experiments? Images of Nazism – and other –isms – should dispel such claims.
At least, Ino’s choice goes against a current tendency to choose just on the basis of who is the most photogenic or glib.
On the other hand, various studies show that many, even majority, of Filipino voters want to choose candidates who will promote the common good. Yet, time and again, we end up with leaders who do not promote the common good.
What is the missing link? How do we address this?

Lessons to be learned

The first time I read about a priest running for office in the 2007 elections, I did not even give the news article a second glance. “Poor priest,” I mumbled to myself, “he is in for sure defeat.”
Subsequent events proved me wrong. I eventually got to know Among Ed. His journey, to say the least, has been a very difficult one. We share a fundamental realization: when we bring Jesus on board the journey towards nation building, we reach our destinations sooner than later – even if our approaches may differ.
In a meeting nearly 3 years ago with Among Ed and some of his supporters, including some priests, we heard their dramatic account of how they tackled the unsavory prospect of choosing between two candidates, both widely believed to be involved in illegal activities.
“Ganito na lang ba tayo?” they had asked themselves. It was a valid question, one that fired up the indignation of many Kapampangans who admitted that their sense of pride was hurt by such a prospect of choosing between two evils.
This question has since been a rallying cry in the CiDE network as our team engaged various participants from different places in the country. “Ganito na lang ba tayo?” – a people so gifted and living in a well-endowed archipelago yet many feeling the compulsion of leaving the country for greener, more hopeful, pastures? “Is this what life is all about?” – a largely Christian nation but very tolerant towards dirty, even violent, elections?
Yes, “Ganito na lang ba tayo?” No! Most of our participants would say so.

*******
One of the nine circles of discernment that Dilaab organized in 2008 was with “Silingan Ka” (“You are neighbor”) of Ipil, Zamboanga. From them we heard the story of principle-based endorsement that respected the consciences of people.
Allow me to quote extensively from write-up the group shared with us:
Silingan Ka (SK) is a multi-sectoral, interreligious, and inter-cultural group whose 15-member body of convenors decide as a body as to which candidate to endorse for those vying for provincial seats, like governors and provincial board members.
The proliferation of graft and corruption and vote-buying spurred the formation of the SK.
To endorse a unanimous vote must be reached. Failing to reach consensus no endorsement is made. For endorsement of candidates at the municipal level, ten municipal chapters are created. These municipal chapters endorse candidates for the seats of the municipal government, like mayors and councilors.

In order to qualify as member, one must: (1) not be a politician; (2) have no record of having become a political leader who was engaged in buying votes; and (3) not have sold his vote.
Members join as individuals, not as representatives or leaders of a certain parochial group or religious institution. The church members get involved, as individuals, not as representatives of the church they belong. Some members are members of the BEC, lay ministries, and catechisms. Priests sit as members and advisers, and are involved in the endorsement process.
The members are recommended and recruited by the convenors. They are chosen based on character: principled, have not sold their votes, and have hope (paglaum). Those who are recruited by the convenors are already perceived as possessing these qualities.
Choosing the members is a very crucial process. Convenors play a major role in selecting a member. If mistake is made in choosing a member, the organization will become vulnerable to graft and corruption.
Clarity of objectives and specifying recruitment standards are just two aspects needing attention right from the start. The involvement of priests is something needing special discernment; at the very least, priests are called to provide “space” – physical, emotional, and spiritual – so that such groups may emerge.

*******
Let us allow Silingan Ka representatives to continue:
In going about the endorsement process, Silingan Ka first obtains a track record of each candidate, which will be distributed to the members for them to study.
They then discuss the issues of the province, what needed to be done for the progress of the province, and the grading of the candidate based on a questionnaire. The questionnaire comprises of a set of questions that will be rated at 0-5 by each member based on their individual opinion.
The candidate who gets the highest grade is the one who will be deliberated upon by the convenors whether he is fit to be endorsed. The convenors must reach a consensus in order to choose a candidate.
Finally, once they have chosen a candidate, they will conduct a campaign for the election of the chosen candidate. In endorsing a candidate, they allot two spaces for the voter's personal choice (e.g. if there are five provincial board members to be chosen, Silingan Ka would only endorse three candidates).
Then after the elections, those who have been chosen and won in the election are summoned by Silingan Ka, and are asked to sign a covenant. The covenant consists of objectives/promises/goals that the winning official must pursue during his term.
My friends from SK later told me that this process of endorsing led to a 70% average of endorsed local candidates to be elected; 60% for provincial candidates; and 40% for national candidates. Not bad.
By leaving room for voters’ personal choice and assuring groups that their endorsement is just a proposal, not an imposition, the SK process was not divisive.
There are lessons to be learned here.

Vote God

I must confess I was not exactly comfortable when I first heard the proposed name to our election campaign: “Vote God.” It sounded so out of this world and maybe even escapist. Yet, as the communication expert on the other side of the table handed over a piece of paper with these two words inscribed in it, I saw a man saw serenely convinced about the campaign name.
Then it slowly dawned on me. If Philippine elections and politics, as the Catholic bishops had written in 1997, “systematically exclude” our Christian values, then we indeed need to choose God and the way of God during elections. So: “Vote God.”
My appreciation for this choice has since deepened. These two words capture succinctly where we presently stand as a movement by mirroring where we have been and where we are moving. “Vote God” is about an election initiative with God as choice.
God, for sure, is not running for office and no single individual or even group can claim monopoly of God. But God is in all of us, through an embedded voice in the depths of human hearts. To obey this voice is to choose God and the way of God. The challenge is the many voices competing with this voice. It takes moral and spiritual discernment to sift through these voices; also moral, even spiritual, courage to choose good and reject evil.
“Vote God” takes its cue from the remarks of a woman who had attended the first CiDE (circles of discernment for elections) seminar in a Cebu parish last year. Earlier during the day, she expressed despondency over politicians and elections. Yet, at the end of the day she reversed her view: “We can still do something about elections. Next year, I will ask all the local candidates: ‘Do you have God fearing?’”
Wrong grammar, but correct hope.

*****

When I was a little boy, I had the typical tendency to be choosy about my food. My father had a very effective way of dealing with this defect.
He would fire up my imagination by telling me that each food group actually played a critical role in the defense of my body. Rice granules, for instance, were foot soldiers ready to engage minute enemies. Eggs were aircraft carriers. Tomatoes were grenades. Bananas were submarines. So on and so forth.
His approach was indeed convincing. This was my first exposure to a communication plan that changed behavior because it entered the world of its target audience.
Dilaab is blessed with very committed volunteers from the world of communications. They advise us on how to focus on a single message and that less is more. They have been with us in our defining moments as a movement.
Jesus was a great communicator. He used images that people understood and he embodied their deepest aspirations.
Elections 2010 offer an opportunity to evangelize politics. A Dilaab communication plan will be released today as we call on people, both candidates and voters, to choose the way of God during elections.
We call it our “VOTE GOD” campaign.

*****
Some people see a glass either half empty or half full. They are either pessimistic or optimistic. I am not one or the other. I see a glass waiting to be filled to be brim. I am gifted with hope.
But I am not the only one.
When one first meets Fr. Virgilio “Ver” Pedrano, one does not get the impression of a fiery, passionate preacher. He really is not one nor does he need to be one. He leaves the loud histrionics to others. He leads by example which is what really counts. “The modern world no longer listens to teachers. They listen to witnesses. If they do listen to teachers, it is because they also happen to be witnesses,” Paul VI said something to this effect.
Fr. Ver is a man, a priest, of hope. And his hope is contagious.
When he was about to experience his first election as parish priest of a mountain parish in Cebu, he thought to himself how sad it is that the dignity of many of his poor parishioners would once more be trampled upon as a result of vote buying and vote selling.
He decided to do something about it.
He talked with candidates and asked them not to buy votes nor do any of its variations. He talked with voters and asked them not to sell votes. He then preached about it during mass. “Those who will not sell or buy votes, God will reward. Those who will sell or buy votes, God will remember,” he put it simply.
He then organized a candidates’ forum facilitated by a Church-based organization. This ended with a covenant signing.
Some strange things began to happen, like local politicians campaigning and, when their rivals happened to pass by, asking the latter to join them and say something to the gathering crowd.
A few days prior to elections, the good priest donned his sutana and made the rounds of barangays where he gently reminded people of their campaign against vote buying and vote selling.
One woman “wholesaler” of votes saw Fr. Ver’s figure. She returned the bagful of money she had received earlier. In all, based on interviews with locals, vote buying was reduced by 50 percent.
Not bad. Hope indeed is contagious.

Random thoughts

Someone recently reminded me to share stories of how God is changing our country, one person and one group at a time.
I recall an incident when I was in my final year in college. Out of the blue, a thought comes to me to purchase a notebook and call it “random thoughts on cluttered wisdom.” Nothing came out of that notebook.
Now more than 30 years later, I will once more share my random thoughts, this time with individuals who, in one way or another, are making the Dilaab journey with me.
*****

I still recall his stare: they were from incredulous, even suspicious, eyes. I could not blame him; after all, what was this priest who was speaking before candidates to the May 2010 elections really trying to achieve?
My friend was one of 24 candidates from the town of Barobo, Surigao del Sur who attended the discernment integrity recollection for candidates last 16 and 20 February. This was the longest recollection so far, all of one and a half days. The parish priest and his assistant really did a good job in convincing them to “waste” time. After all, the gathering did not bring in voters or the media. It was a sacred space for listening to God.
On the Sunday after the recollection, the candidates signed a meaningful covenant at the 6 am mass.
My friend was now smiling.
*****

Our Roman Catholic bishops have called on the faithful to be involved in “principled partisan politics.” What do they mean?
I got part of the answer during a recent recollection for candidates in Tagbilaran. While being members of the same Charismatic community, the candidates came in different political colors. They adopted the term being promoted by CiDE: candidates have “co-candidates,” not political opponents. While still a long way from eradicating political violence, this language moves away from the Maguindanao syndrome.
Some of the participants in the recollection were no strangers to violence. One was happy to note that his name had to do with “life” (“vita”). “One day several years ago,” he said, “I was a political candidate in our town and I was part of this group that was ambushed.” He then showed us his tell-tale scars.
“While I was down,” he continued, “I still managed to call upon God to save me.”
He now runs as an independent and, with very little resources, is unafraid since he feels it is God who is calling him to serve.
We pray for the safety of all our candidates.
*****

When I was a little boy, I had the typical tendency to choose my food. My father had a very effective way of dealing with this defect.
He would fire up my imagination by telling me that each food group actually played a critical role in the defense of my body. Rice granules, for instance, were foot soldiers ready to engage minute enemies. Eggs were aircraft carriers. Tomatoes were grenades. Bananas were submarines. So on and so forth.
His approach was indeed convincing. This was my first exposure to a communication plan that changed behavior because it entered the world of its target audience.
Dilaab is blessed with very committed volunteers from the world of communications. They advise us on how to focus on a single message and that less is more. They have been with us in our defining moments as a movement.
Jesus was a great communicator. He used images that people understood and he embodied their deepest aspirations.
Elections 2010 offer an opportunity to evangelize politics.

¬¬¬

A marathon for peace

THIS process of peacemaking may be likened to a marathon race.
The marathon is a long-distance race wherein long-term strategy, stamina, and persistence win out over speed and short cuts, and reaching the finish line belongs to those who just keep at it. A different kind of preparation and training, as well as breathing technique, is needed in a marathon. In many respects, in a marathon the journey is the destination.
Let me suggest five elements of a marathon: starting point; companions; signposts and marshals; refreshment; and destination. These correspond to our strategy of pastoral accompaniment:

…A refuge, sanctuary, or space where people come alongside in a journey together towards integrity for the common good.
It is a trust relationship growing in a journey of faith, hope, and love, a call to all the faithful, involving discipline and special skills.

Marathon runners gather at a particular starting point. This designated area is known to all the runners. They have to begin here in order to be part of the race.
We begin our efforts for peace with the recognition, on the one hand, of man’s broken condition and need for God and, on the other, God who is both powerful and merciful. The capacity to exchange places, or empathy, is rooted in the incarnation which finds its apex in Jesus’ death on the cross: God exchanges places with sinful man.
Exchanging places allows people from various sectors and backgrounds to come alongside together in the journey towards integrity for the common good. The journey towards a transformed nation does not begin with persons of integrity but persons moving towards integrity and manifesting concrete indicators of this direction. This insight corresponds to the need to provide “a refuge, sanctuary, or space where people come alongside in a journey together towards integrity for the common good.”
Everything is grace and our capacity to take the first step is already a gift from God. There is no room for self righteousness and finger pointing. No room also for complacency and sloth.
What is crucial in a marathon is that runners are moving in the right direction. This fundamental option allows people to make mistakes and even to fall short of the mark as long as they are willing to start over again or are moving towards integrity for the common good.
The church is called to be open to working with individuals and groups who show concrete indicators that they are undertaking the journey towards integrity for the common good.

No one runs the marathon alone. Even those who finish last are part of the group, each one running at his or her pace.
We recognize that we are all in this together, as part of the problem and part of the solution. This is why in the partnership with and outreach to the PNP the motto is: “Underneath the uniform and the sotana are the same human beings, created in God’s image and likeness, broken by sin, and needing God and each other in the journey towards wholeness.” This is why Benedict XVI calls the Church to “provide pastoral accompaniment to a new generation of Catholics working in politics.”
Signposts are visible markers – or indicators – that allow runners, their companions, and marshals to gauge where they are at and to move on. The formation of conscience and the process of conversion demand visible fruits that provide indicators of transformation; words and good intentions are not enough. (cf. Luke 3:7-14).
Marshals are our accountable partners and shepherds who keep a watchful eye over the run/race. They are there at critical points when crucial decisions are to be made, i.e. in the crossroads of the race routes where there is probability of succumbing to shortcuts or of taking the easy way out. These temptations take us off the right direction and will most likely cost us disqualification. The marshals are our accountable partners at the crossroads directing us to the right route and seeing to it that we do it right to arrive right.
Faith-impelled social transformation calls for “marshals” who stand apart from the runners but, at the same time, are in the routes and crossroads. They share the same space as the runners yet have a different objective. These advocates raise questions, clarify, affirm, encourage, and rebuke, if need be. They propose, never impose. They live by the spirit of caritas in veritate (“love in truth”).
Water and food stations are strategically located every 2.5 kms from the starting point to the finish line. Water and runners’ food are vital requirements to finish the race. With no refueling we will never reach the finish line alive, or we will never reach the finish line at all.
We need to replace fluids and electrolytes that are shed off when we run and perspire. Non-replacement could be fatal.
Daily guided and prayerful reading of Sacred Scriptures, daily personal and communal prayers, regular confessions, our Sunday masses and services, our spiritual nourishment by way of receiving the body of Christ in communion, our regular fellowship with fellow believers, etc. – all these correspond to the vital refreshment for replacement and refueling that should be made available to marathoners and of which they avail.
Missing these implements will definitely cost us our spiritual lives, hence our inability to arrive and finish the race of our life.
The finish line is the gate to heaven for every runner who struggles to finish the race, despite all the odds.
This is the endpoint that began with the decision to run the race. The end begins with this end in view. It starts with the decision to religiously follow a training schedule, a diet, a sleeping schedule and a mind setting or praying schedule which must end in an anchoring that will provide the necessary focus to stick with the resolve to run and finish the race.
The 42.195 grueling kilometers, cramps, blisters, the ever present temptation to just stop running or just quit, the lingering questions “what for”, “why go through such hardship” – all these are defeated by focus and the desire to finish and arrive at the destination, the blissful and peaceful taste of victory and the eternal reward of finally having the indelible mark of a “marathoner” finally resolves it all.
Running the race is definitely worth everything because such is the essence of one’s being. To finish the race is to be called to life with and for GOD and ending at the destination which is a PEACEFUL, blissful eternal fellowship with GOD.

Adios Amigo

THE late Engr. Ernesto R. Aboitiz had unusually young looking eyes: sharp, inquisitive, clear, and active. Surrounded by a thick frock of gray hair and a prominent goatee, his eyes revealed a youthful spirit that no aging body could confine.
It was as if the poet Samuel Ullman was thinking of him when he wrote the memorable lines: “You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear, as young as your hope, as old as your despair.”
I got to know Engr. Ernesto Aboitiz during the defining days of People Power 2. A friendship was born between a veteran advocate and a middle-aged upstart in the work of political advocacy. He soon became a dear friend, a feisty fiscalizer, and a precious mentor. He also became the first personal monthly pledger of our fledgling movement.
Ernie was an acquired taste. At first encounter, one gets the uneasy feeling of being stretched out of one’s comfort zones. After all, Mr. Aboitiz had been there and done those things that were just beginning to dawn on me. Ernie had worked with two presidents and was involved in the phase of transition between the two. It was no easy role but he had his conscience and his Church to guide him. I recall with admiration how often a man of his stature would humbly ask specific guidance from persons much younger and less well known than himself, only because they were priests of the Church.
One can say he was a dye-in-the-wool Catholic who was not timid about concealing his core identity in the challenging worlds of business, government, and high society. He was a bearer of Catholic identity and culture. Once, when he was with me in our rather tight and bare space we called a “prayer room” for a mass, I asked him to remove his shoes before entering. He did so with no hesitation. Ernie was a simple man who had a deep sense of the sacred even if he was not exactly what people ordinarily refer to as religious. Sir Ernie, a title bestowed on him in 2009 by his St. Sylvester Papal award, was so becoming of him.
The gospel last Sunday (Luke 2:41-52) on the finding of Jesus in the temple show an inquisitive boy of twelve who is comfortable in the presence of influential people, even as later on he also showed himself to be very much at home with the poor.
Inquisitiveness is the first step towards wisdom. Wise people begin by asking; often good questions are more important than good answers. Ernie had endless questions that threatened the uninitiated but shed light to those who were open. While there would be disagreements, the process of asking removed the superfluous and often only the truly essential remained. It was his way of sharing his cumulative wisdom as well as channeling the energies of what later on became the Dilaab movement.
The questions taught us many things: that resources, when the hearts and the systems are not in the right place, can be a curse; that empathy and compassion towards public servants is essential if we are to have meaningful change; that by linking with others and becoming part of a network we do not have to reinvent wheels; that people need to put their money where their mouths are; that prevention is better than cure; that effectiveness is not just a frenzy of activities; etc. By insisting on concrete counterparts from stakeholders in advocacy work, he embodied the Church’s vision of a community of disciples where no one is so poor so as not to be able to give anything and no one is so rich so as not to be able to receive anything.
Last December 2009 he showed himself thinking of others even as he entered a very difficult period in his life. He said to me: “It is really so simple to help others if you really want to and the best way to help is to be in government. It gives you a big high just because many are helped due to a little effort on your part.” It is small surprise that my dear friend was happiest with our outreach to the police and he was looking forward to the germination of the seed of our effort to evangelize politics.
Last year, Ernie and other members of our network planted some seedlings. He did more than that. He planted some seeds for Dilaab, the Church, and the nation.
Do not worry Ernie, we will continue to water the seedlings while God will give the growth. Adios Amigo!

Circles of Discernment for Elections

Keeping the flame of people power alive
Heroic Christian citizenship and leadership practiced on a daily basis is the new name of People Power. A good Christian must also strive to be a good citizen and a good leader. We are reminded of this in the final words of the priest in the novena mass of the Sto. Niño at the Basilica in Cebu: “Go in peace and remember a good Christian makes for a better citizen.”
Doing one’s solemn duty of voting wisely during elections is a concrete exercise of good citizenship in the search for good leaders. These are two sides of the same coin. As the saying goes, we get the leaders we deserve.
Voting wisely is a key ingredient of development. Development, the common concern of all social sectors, requires good governance. The latter, in turn, results from principled politics, the fruit of principled politicians and engaged citizens. How we vote and whom we vote for determines the kind of politics we have.
A play on words on the term “politics” yields the Greek words polis (“city”) and tiktw (“I give birth”). Those who are engaged in politics, therefore, are giving birth to the city. Citizens (polites) give birth to the city and the birthing process includes voting during elections. Politicians, on the other hand, are also called to this birthing process through “the art of government and public service" (CBCP 1997). The latter is a noble calling.
Sadly, already more than a decade ago, our bishops point out that “Philippine politics--the way it is practiced--has been most hurtful of us as a people. It is possibly the biggest bane in our life as a nation and the most pernicious obstacle to our achieving of full human development." The challenges continue.
The situation becomes even more painful when we recall that we Filipino Catholics comprise the majority of our people and are primarily responsible for building a more just society (CFC 1197). That corruption and lack of good governance continue to be rampant in the country indicate that a just society is still largely a distant dream. Yet, while admitting our failures as individuals and as a sector, we need to move on and learn from our experiences.
Several points need to be made. The bishops reiterate that faith is "systematically excluded" in our political culture. This exclusion of Christian values begins during elections. One can even say that the original sin of graft and corruption in our country is traceable to how patronage politics permeate our elections.
During elections, many politicians run to win at any and all cost. Election expenses reach insane levels. Many look at elections and public office as a business venture; political dynasties preserve family interests. Money is invested and “investors” often come from vested and even illegal interests. When payback time comes, the common good suffers. Present salary levels of elected officials simply cannot compensate for the expenses incurred during election.
On the other hand, voters often succumb to the “lesser-evil” syndrome, wrongly thinking that choosing the lesser evil is a teaching of the Church. Choosing the lesser evil eventually leads to more evil.
A local church recently conducted a survey during a catechist assembly asking them what they most or least like about candidates. Ranked six for “most like” and “least like” were candidates offering bigger amounts in buying votes and candidates who are poor, respectively. We are all part of the problem and also part of the solution.
On the other hand, an SWS survey just before the 2007 elections concludes that most Filipinos deny self-interest, the bandwagon, and political machinery. Regarding self-interest, for instance, 79% of 1,400 respondents nationwide chose to say that “I will vote for a candidate if most will benefit from him/her even if I myself will not” and only 21% chose to say that “I will vote for a candidate if I will personally benefit from him or her, even if most will not.” This result and others show a positive stance of voters. Why are such intentions not translated into reality?
The uneven picture that emerges may suggest some missing links in the process of conscience formation. PCP II 285-286 notes: “From the level of moral tendency to the actual practical judgment is a process whereby conscience discerns and judges. Discernment is likewise part of the dimension of conscience. The discernment of conscience is a pre-requisite of moral behavior.”
What may be missing is a process and mechanism whereby conscience as a “moral tendency” becomes a “practical moral judgment” regarding choice of candidates (cf. PCP II 284). This is critical since “the more a correct conscience prevails, the more do persons and groups turn aside from blind choice and try to be guided by the objective standards of moral conduct” (PCP II 286). Hence, it is not just “do good and avoid evil” but “do this particular good and avoid this particular evil” or “choose this particular good and avoid this particular evil.” To attain this, specific questions must be raised regarding candidates and answers obtained and validated in a deliberate, proactive, communal, methodical, and God-centered manner.
But mechanism is not enough. However well the practical conscience is formed on political matters, if there are no good choices, people will still continue to fall for the lesser evil. There is need to help good people step up and run for office.

Pastoral Accompaniment as key
The need for such mechanism and options finds a critical and paradigm-shifting starting point from Pope Benedict XVI who, last 15 November 2008 before the 23rd Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, says:

In a particular way, I confirm the necessity and urgency of the evangelical formation and pastoral accompaniment of a new generation of Catholics working in politics, that they be coherent with the professed faith, that they have moral firmness, the capacity of educated judgment, professional competence and passion for service to the common good.

“Pastoral accompaniment” was left undefined by the Pope. Dilaab, a faith-impelled movement for social transformation defines it as “a refuge, sanctuary, or space where people come alongside in a journey together towards integrity for the common good. It is a trust relationship growing in a journey of faith, hope, and love, a call to all the faithful, involving discipline and special skills.”
Such pastoral strategy and a corresponding spirituality hold the key to the Church’s effective, fruitful, and sustainable engagement with other social sectors. It is the fire behind fruitful Church’s contribution towards total human development and the emerging efforts at good governance and principled politics. Without this loving mode of engagement, any political initiative can easily degenerate into politicking and mere activism. Love indeed is “the principal driving force behind the authentic development of every person and of all humanity,” as Benedict XVI writes.
Pastoral accompaniment supports the emergence of good people running for elected positions, if elections are to cease being the choice between lesser evils. After all, “contrary to the commonly voiced opinion that politics and public life are ‘dirty’ and to be shunned, PCP II ‘stands on record to urge lay faithful to participate actively and lead in renewing politics in accordance with the values of the good news of Jesus’” (CFC 1193).
More recently, last 12 July 2009, the CBCP Statement on Lay Participation in Politics and Peace, called “upon those who are competent, persons of integrity, and committed to change to get involved directly in principled partisan politics, and become candidates for political election…” It also reminds the laity that it is their right and duty to campaign for such candidates.
In the past, partisan politics was a bad word in the Church. With this statement, the bishops have opened the gates that can release and channel the immense pent-up energies of our people, particularly the Catholic faithful, for meaningful political change from a faith perspective. This calls for a politics of hope and patience.
The ball is now in the court of the laity.

Circles of Discernment for Elections
In the present political culture, candidates usually emerge when someone presents himself or herself to the public as running for office. All other considerations revolve and adjust to this personality.
This is not what happens in the corporate world. Companies begin with a set of qualifications. Only then do individuals apply. There is need then to develop a bottom-up process starting with principles before personalities are taken into consideration. But such process must begin where people are at; principles must be grounded in reality for the process to be effective and responsible.
The bible itself mentions qualities to be looked for in leaders, as in Exodus 18:21 (“But you should also look among all the people for able and God-fearing men, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain, and set them as officers over groups…”) and 1 Timothy 3:1-10 regarding qualities of ministers. Perhaps the most succinct is Psalm 78:72: “And he (David) tended them with an upright heart, and with skillful hands he guided them.”
Many groups have emerged attempting to bring about new politics through voters’ education, political education, and even identification of principled candidates. This is a welcome development. Discernment, however, is needed. Unless the proposed process is prayerful and simple enough, and really engage ordinary citizens, such efforts are bound to become subtle varieties of patronage politics. A democracy like ours ought to provide a way for ordinary people to express their views.
One possible approach is the circles of discernment for elections (CiDE) that are being adopted by a number of local churches in partnership with the Dilaab movement. It begins with prayer since its larger framework is really the Year of Prayer and Work for Peace-building and Lay Participation in Social Change from June 2009 to June 2010 as declared by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The prayer to the Twin Hearts of Jesus and Mary is vital.
The CiDE approach is the fruit of nine circles of discernment conducted by Dilaab in 2008, including a gathering of Visayan bishops convened by Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal of Cebu. The resulting one-day seminar (called the Mabolo seminar, after the first parish that adopted it) tries to answer three questions: Ganito na lang ba tayo? Maari pa ba tayong managinip at ano ang ating mga panaginip? Anong uri ng mga lider ang kakailanganin natin upang makamit natin ang ating mga panaginip?
In CiDE seminars in different local churches and even one in Hong Kong, the Dilaab team has seen both positive and negative energies articulated. It has also witnessed conversion as in the case of a participant who started out very cynical but ended with a renewed commitment: “I will ask the candidates if they have God-fearing and honest.” Grammatically awkward, yes, but coming from a re-energized soul.
One feedback captures the spirit of CiDE: “It's important to note that CiDE is very consultative, since guidelines and qualifications really come from the people, and not imposed on them. It is also empowering because it gives people the opportunity to express their sentiments and ideals, and encourages them to move to achieve their dreams…it leads people to be responsible by asking them to choose candidates according to their (people's) criteria, not based on media hype.”
After two national consultations last year and several CiDE seminars in different local churches, a network is emerging. A consensus on the top five qualities and qualifications of candidates is emerging. These are: God-fearing and morally upright; transparent leadership; servant leadership; competence; and pro-life. These qualities, however, have sub-qualities tucked beneath them. “God-fearing,” for instance, includes prayerful, well-formed conscience, holy, morally upright, discerning, Christ-centered, beholden to the Lord, etc.
Even as the CiDE seminars continue to spread, the growing convergence holds the potential of helping shape the political agenda from a faith perspective. Interestingly, the aforementioned qualities of leaders coincide with those of Exodus 18:21.

The next step is how to determine who really have these qualities. Further questions need to be asked and another mechanism for obtaining, validating, and disseminating information needs to be set up. Pastoral accompaniment and evangelical formation is a never-ending process.
(For more information or details regarding the results of the CiDE seminar, or CiDE seminar-requests, call/text 09173248388 or email us at info@dilaab.net).

Raising the tide of Philippine politics

When the tide is raised all sorts of boats rise with it, from large to small ones, from the lowly banca to the mighty battleship, and from the old to the new.

Raising the tide is a good metaphor for the challenge of promoting principled partisan politics in the country today. The rising tide of public dissatisfaction over the low tide of corruption and bad governance can be addressed by calling on people to step up rather than step down.

This is indeed a tall order. The way we conduct our elections can arguably be considered the original sin of graft and corruption. Raising the tide begins with a realization that elections are partisan by nature since voters have to choose among candidates. How they make up their minds results in either principled or unprincipled partisan politics.

There is a river of change flowing through our land, fed by various tributaries of change. Meaningful political change is one such tributary. People are searching for meaningful political change that leads to a transformed nation. This river must be connected to a bigger body of water. It cannot rise solely by its own power.

This body of water is our Christian faith. The common civic space we share with people unrelated to us or whom we do not even know need to be nurtured by the ocean of Christian ideas, ideals, moral and spiritual energies. Church leaders do not directly engage in partisan politics but help raise the tide by providing moral and spiritual guidance. The lay faithful, on the other, are called to be in the frontlines of such work.

The Church has been trying to raise the tide of politics by ensuring credible elections. Now another effort has begun that is distinct from, parallel with, and complementary to this usual engagement, and seeks to help emerge credible candidates.

This beyond-the-usual engagement assumes that good intentions are not enough and that there is room for conversion in the line of Zacchaeus. This requires providing “evangelical formation and pastoral accompaniment to a new generation of Catholics working in politics” (Benedict XVI). By opening this gate, the Pope opens the door to the circles of discernment for elections or CiDE, an initiative promoted by the Dilaab Movement.

CiDE is a process of accompaniment by forming the practical consciences of voters and candidates by raising specific questions on the kinds of leader people seek. It sets into motion a bottom-up mechanism for answering these questions in a deliberate, proactive, methodical, communal, and God-centered way. CiDE helps release and channel pent-up energies of people for meaningful political change from a faith perspective.

But CiDE is just one side of the coin, so to speak. The other side is Candidates’ Circle of Discernment or CCiD.

Last November 20, 2009, an extraordinary gathering took place at the Talavera Retreat House in Greenbelt Drive, Quiot, Pardo, Cebu City where 11 of Cebu’s political aspirants for 2010 responded to the invitation for a day of listening and discernment initiated by Dilaab.

This was a low-key, non-partisan, non-media and by invitation only – the event provided spiritual space for individuals who have decided or are still deciding to run for an elected office in the province of Cebu.

Running for a public office is no walk in the park. Becoming a public servant is a very demanding role vis-à-vis oneself and one’s family. It is not for the fainthearted. Those who are thinking of running for public office need all the help they can get to arrive at a wise decision. This requires a practical process of decision-making that involves the self, one’s family, and other significant others. It demands listening. Thus the theme: “Listening, the Crucial Quality for Individuals Discerning an Elected Position.”

With the help of the COMELEC, partners and friends with associations to the various political parties, over 250 invitations were sent to potential political aspirants from the barangay to the congressional levels in the province of Cebu. The response was highly encouraging. However, due to conflict with prior critical official and personal commitments, several could not make it to the first recollection but committed to join the forthcoming event.

Calmly sitting side by side while listening to God speak to their hearts were known rivals and allies in the political arena. Everyone had only positive things to say about the discernment recollection. Among the feedback: “I’m grateful for the opportunity to meet my would-be co-candidates and get to know them better… Although I do not have party mates, at any public forum I can promote this, I will,” said Francisco Ashley L. Acedillo. “I highly recommend this to all candidates,” commented Rachel ‘Cutie’ del Mar. Mary Ann De Los Santos said, “If possible (make it) massive for all who are planning to run for office and if possible conduct seminar or retreat to voters too so that we can totally change our country.”

We seek to raise the tide by proposing standards for a new political culture that makes room for Christian humanistic values and principles. This new effort by the Catholic Church is distinct from, parallel with, and complementary to the Church’s usual engagement towards ensuring credible elections by seeking to help emerge credible candidates.

CCiD is one of several others that Dilaab hopes to run in Cebu and across the country as it moves towards finding the right leaders for a broken Philippines.

The initial impact of CCiD can be gleaned in a new term agreed upon by the participants. They are no rivals or enemies but “co-candidates.” It is a good step in the right direction.

Sand Beneath

A few weeks ago, I had a most unusual visit from a good friend. Gus Ouano has a PhD in polymer science and for more than 40 years, had lived in the USA. He had worked for IBM and had done free-lance consultancy work for several years, becoming a speaker/resource person in many international gatherings. When he speaks a very sharp mind is evident, one that does not need to prove itself anymore.
In 2004, the love of his life, Joyce, his wife, died. This plunged him into a deep depression and the thought of suicide entered his mind. Then he realized he still had something to do and that God had been gracious to him. Life had been fun but he had somehow become self-centered. Out of his crucible of pain, he had received the gift of hope and of prayer.
He returned to Cebu with the intention of sharing his know-how to the local academe. He had since written and published a book about his life’s journeys. Unfortunately, some months ago, however, he had to return to the USA.
“Father, I want to see you before I leave. I have a poem to share with you,” Gus told me over the phone. “Let’s meet over breakfast,” I responded. Over breakfast, Gus handed me this poem:

Lord Creator; Let us be grains of sand beneath
Humanity’s feet, that it may stand higher than if we
Did not exist.

With Your Grace and Blessings Lord, we would be like
Mount Everest; fused grains of sand. Without You, we
Would be self absorbed and with no coherence towards
Each other; like quick sand on which, humanity cannot
Stand.

If we work together for your Glory Lord, the world
Would be heaven on earth. In Jesus’ Name, we pray;
Amen.


“Why,” I asked, “are you giving me this poem?” He answered, “I want to feel complete.” “Can you share this with people, those to whom Dilaab reaches out?” he added with sober passion.
Then he started to explain. Physical reality, according to him, is made up of particles. The sands on the seashore are particles, just as the granite mountain is made up of particles, albeit distinguishable only through a microscope. The sand particles are loose compared to the mountain.
Particles naturally adhere or connect to one another. A granite mountain is made up of particles that, under tremendous pressure, are so connected to one another they appear as a single mass.
There are instances, however, when particles do not connect to one another. This is when the particles are coated with certain substances – like certain oils, for instance ─ that make them repel each other. Quicksand is an example of this phenomenon. Particles go their own way; the mass is not solid anymore. There is no foothold.
“Fr. Melo,” he added, “when I left the country in 1961, I recall a people who were very gifted and capable of working together. After being away for awhile, I have noticed a change,” he said with sadness that did not betray self-righteousness.
“The traffic situation, for instance, shows a tendency among many drivers and pedestrians to think only of themselves. We used to obey traffic rules,” he said. I agreed. I often feel like an endangered specie every time I am a pedestrian.
“Many leaders in the country only think about themselves and their interests,” he added. Our sharing continued for some time and we agreed that selfishness and fear represent the coating of oil that prevent Filipinos from getting our acts together.
“How does one remove the undesirable coating?” I asked. He specified water and some form of detergent.
Water symbolizes baptism. It is the start of new life. Water and blood flowed from the side of the crucified Christ (John 19:34). Earlier on, Jesus had declared that “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7: 37-38).
The antidote to this selfishness and fears that prevent us from getting our acts together is a return to our source: our baptism. It is also to realize that when we are baptized we share a common spiritual space with other baptized believers, whether we know them personally or not.
This consciousness of a shared spiritual space ought to flow into an awareness of our shared civic space with other Christians, other believers, and men and women of good will who all happen to be citizens of this country. Whatever we do has repercussions not only for us, and our families, but also to the wider citizenry. The Eucharist, then, is the living bread come down from heaven that invites us to go beyond ourselves, and our families, to a wider family. We journey with others.
Thanks, Gus.
(For comments email author at frmelodiola@dilaab.net)

Saints as peacemakers

The Feast of All Saints is celebrated to honor all the Christian saints, both known and unknown. In the Greek Orthodox Church the date is the Sunday after Pentecost while the Roman Catholic Church celebrates it November 1.
This feast captures the original meaning of who are the saints as reflected in the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Romans: “To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints…” For Paul all the baptized faithful are called to be saints or are already considered saints as he indicates at the start of his second letter to the Corinthians.
It is a welcome fact then that in the Philippines November 1 is when families gather together to remember and pray for their dead. After all, it is not only the canonized saints who are in heaven.
Yet for those who have remained faithful to the end, an even more hallow picture emerges with the sealing of the 144 thousand faithful (the number is meant to be symbolic) clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands; they have been washed by the blood of the lamb as the seventh chapter of the book of Revelation puts it. The picture is one of final victory for those who come out of the great tribulation by sharing in Christ’s Resurrection, and are now worshipping God unhindered. The book of Revelation was written during the empire-wide prosecution of Christians by Emperor Domitian, 81-96 A.D. It was written to affirm Christians in their faith.
In contemporary Filipino society, the Feast of All Saints is now preceded by Halloween, the evening of October 31. Halloween caters to the lure of the fear factor; after all, do not human beings pay others to scare them out of their wits? Some people consider this fun and it is good for commerce. But is this all there is to it?
Perhaps another way of evaluating Halloween is to contrast it with All Saints Day; is the consoling picture of the saints who lived the Beatitudes and who reign victorious with Christ compatible with the blood and gore of Halloween? Is this how we want the dead to be remembered?

***

Jesus speaks authoritatively in the Beatitudes. He literally “opened his mouth and taught them” (Mat 5:2). He is a Moses figure but goes beyond this revered leader. In other parts of the Sermon on the Mount (Mat 5-7) of which the Beatitudes are a part, he says he comes to fulfill the law (Mat 5: 17) and this fulfillment is his person: “You have heard the commandments…What I say to you is…” (vv. 21-22).
Peacemaking is the focus of v. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” This is the only time the noun “peacemaker” appears in the NT. This peacemaking is neither pacifism nor indifference but a state of being that leads to positive action that reconciles.
Psalm 13:14 describes peaceful action: “Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” James 3: 18 tells us that “the harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” What sowing in peace means is indicated when he distinguishes between worldly and heavenly wisdom (vv. 13-17). A peacemaker also speaks out when the time is right: “He who winks at a fault causes trouble, but he who frankly reproves promotes peace” (Prov. 10:10).
Finally, a peacemaker is one who is inserted into the original peacemaker, Jesus Christ: “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Col 1: 19-20).

***

The bishops urge us to be peacemakers:

Finally, we ask everyone to follow the path of peace. This means the path of dialogue and openness…the path of repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation…Together let us intensify the signs of hope regarding politics and peace that we observe such as…military groups participating in formation towards a culture of peace; lay organizations, faith communities, BEC’s, and NGO’s spreading the good news of principled politics and organizing themselves to reform our political culture; politicians who pursue reform..(CBCP 12 July 2009 statement on Lay Participation in Politics and Peace)

In the Archdiocese of Cebu, His Eminence, Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal, reiterates this call to be peacemakers in the area of principled politics. He distinguished between two efforts, one ensuring honest and credible elections; another ensuring honest and credible candidates. He calls upon the lay faithful to a participative role in the elections that go beyond poll-watching. It is by the lay people’s “own coherent faith, moral firmness, educated judgment, professional competence and passion for service” that they will know “whom to vote for, and whom to reject.”
Meanwhile a bottom-up mechanism to help form the practical consciences of voters is being adopted in Cebu and elsewhere. It opens the doors for answering these questions in a process that is deliberate, proactive, communal, and God-centered.
Saints are called to be peacemakers. While relying on the prayers of those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith, we who are still engaged in the battle over hearts, minds, and souls, particularly in the area of evangelizing politics, are consoled that we shall be called children of God.
frmelodiola@dilaab.net

Lessons from the flood

Ondo is a term of endearment in the Visayas. Modify the ending – and Ondoy becomes even cute.
Typhoon Ondoy, however, was neither endearing nor cute. Leaving in its aftermath the worst flooding in Metro Manila and its environs in 40 years, Ondoy was a nightmare of death and destruction. A month’s volume of rain had fallen in a period of 9 hours and much of this water had nowhere to go.
A well-researched article by Gemma Mendoza (“Flooding in Metro, Who is to Blame”) notes: “Climate change, population pressure, and the fact that proper urban planning is bogged down by politics and corruption in government exacerbates matters. And even without these factors…about a fifth (of) Metro Manila, is naturally flood prone.” There is a confluence of factors.
The article cites a study showing that floods in Metro Manila have become more numerous and destructive. Ground water extraction, population pressures, and erosion due to rampant logging and quarrying in the outskirts of the metropolis have contributed to the situation. Siltation has reduced the water-holding capacity of Laguna de Bay by as much as 64 percent.
Garbage clogs the natural passageways (“esteros”) of water with 21 thousand squatter families living in these areas and urban dwellers daily dumping the equivalent of 600 truckloads of garbage in these waterways. Many private subdivisions, commercial buildings, and even schools clog or alter these waterways.
Poverty, human irresponsibility, greed, and poor choices – as much as topography and climate change – have to do with the recent calamity.
It is no mere coincidence that the first 11 chapters of Genesis talks about God’s original plan and the beginnings and spread of sin; and that chapter 7-9 deal with Noah and the great flood. Man’s brokenness spills over into nature. St. Paul notes this when he writes that “the world itself will be freed from its slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. Yes, we know that all creation groans and is in agony even until now” (Romans 8: 21-22). Human enslavement and freedom find expression in and with the environment.
Man’s intrinsic connection with the earth is the context of last Sunday’s reading from Genesis 2. Man (“adam”), derived and formed from humus (“adamah”), is painstakingly and loving fashioned by God. Man has godlike powers when is asked to give names to other creatures. Out of his ribs comes a suitable partner. From the soil, to other living beings, and to other human beings – we are all part of a web of relationships that need to be respected and nurtured.
The flood offers many lessons. A nation of compassionate people may be emerging, one sharing a common experience of pain and suffering but one that is also beginning to understand, reason, and act together in the face of crises. Only a truly loving, concerted, and decisive response – already seen in the stories of heroism and inspiring action in the spirit of volunteerism – from all of us, can mitigate such disasters.
Yet such crisis-driven volunteerism is only the first step. Daily acts of good citizenship and good leadership are needed – with our Christian faith to fuel and sustain our efforts. Only then will other Ondoys be tamed. Only then will we build a nation.

CADET Core

“What are you most grateful for in our whole-day gathering?” I asked a group of policemen who were part of the first batch of the PNP CADET (character aptitude development enhancement training) Program for the Central Visayas.
Much preparation had gone into the 15-day event. In the words of the PNP region 7 chaplain, Fr. Onie Rosaroso: “We are into this not just for the sake of fulfilling a requirement.” The good priest’s comment strikes a familiar chord; after all, this sickness called mediocrity has another name: for requirement’s sake.
A series of meetings had paved the way. One significant moment was the 26-27 July encounter of the tactical team for the CADET program of the region. Venue was a beach place in Daang Bantayan, northern Cebu with team members coming from different Catholic renewal groups. A lone evangelical pastor/PNP member added an ecumenical dimension so critical to such endeavors.
Ret. PNP Gen. Samson Tucay shared his experiences of the Values and Leadership School (VLS) before that pioneer tactical team. He was its founder and CADET may be said to be a reincarnation of this brave and visionary effort. “We just listened to them and our listening led to transformation,” was the good general’s succinct assessment of his leadership of the VLS.
A most unusual thing happened during a module on lectio divina. As we began invoking the “Holy Spirit” through song, we felt the earth quake. Later that evening one participant even called up Pag-asa to inquire about the quake. Yet, they had not recorded any. Perhaps it was a sign of a coming shift in paradigm for participants of CADET.
One shift that needed to be made was to transform a possible negative image of CADET among the trainees. This was so because an underlying motivation of the program was to provide values formation for some policemen considered, rightly or wrongly, to be problematic. The VLS also started with this paradigm that was an initial obstacle for trainees.
Gen. Tucay suggested that a recollection with Cardinal Vidal of Cebu be held for the top PNP brass of region 7. This took place 29 August at the Betania Retreat House in Cebu. “Underneath the sotana and the uniform are the same human beings, created in God’s image and likeness, experiencing brokenness, and needing God and each other in the journey towards wholeness,” the retreat began.
When it was Cardinal Vidal’s time to speak, he took his cue from Caritas in Veritate and how the whole reality of the gratuitousness of God’s love ought to inspire all efforts at development. While justice should not be overlooked, training programs ought to be inspired by gratuitousness.
Then a beautiful gesture took place. A recording of the Angelus was made with the voice of the good Cardinal of Cebu responded to by Gen. Lani-o Nerez the regional PNP director; Gen. Samson Tucay; and Fr. Onie Rosaroso. The recording will be distributed to all the precincts of the region for a noon-day and 6 pm Angelus. This idea had been hatched by Gen. Jesus A. Verzosa, Chief PNP. The earthquake continues. Why not do something similar or disseminate the recording to all the regions around the country?
The CADET program finally began last 12 September with Fr. Onie at the helm assisted by the tactical team. As expected, the first day could only generate tiger looks from the participants. Yet, in less than a week these had turned into smiles.
When the Dilaab team came to give two modules last 17 September, it encountered a communal lightness of being. Despite the heat inside the concrete classroom in Sibonga, Cebu, the class of 28 was clearly attentive.
Fr. Onie had generously invested himself. We both nodded in agreement as we recalled the words of Benedict XVI: “Charity in truth, in which Jesus Christ bore witness by his earthly life and especially by his death and resurrection, is the principal driving force behind the authentic development of every person and of all humanity.” Only love really matters; only God’s love leads to real change. Yes!
Our team pointed out that although faith-impelled social transformation has the acronym FIST, it is a force that is really fuelled by love not hatred. That day’s gospel reading from Luke 7:36-50 (“The Penitent Woman”) became alive, particularly Jesus’ words: “Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love” referring to the woman who washed his feet.
Something akin to this washing happened during the Bible scanning and the lectio divina modules. When we asked the participants what they were most grateful for during the day-long seminar, most said it was the opportunity to scan the Bible. As one puts it: “The Bible is more intimidating than the Penal Code and we will never completely understand or fulfill it. Yet we are very happy that priests are sharing this with us.”
Others expressed something similar. Just the thought that they were holding a vehicle of God’s Word gave them joy. This was something indelibly etched in their beaming faces; their spiritual hunger satisfied by God’s Word, even if it initially meant just touching the Bible.
Sometimes, as an exegete, I forget such fundamental truths. Having studied an average of 6 to 10 hours a day in Rome, I had tried to plumb the depths of the exegetical framework of passages. Then here I was in front of people who get so “high” just merely touching the Bible!
This is the heart of the matter.

The journey is the destination

A few years ago, an international airline had this as their marketing strategy: “The Journey is the Destination.” How aptly this describes our journey towards faith-impelled social transformation. The journey towards integrity for the common good already reveals the contours of a transformed Filipino nation.
The past three months have seen a lot of journeys for two Dilaab teams, one sharing before the clergy of different local churches; another facilitating the CiDE (circle of discernment for elections) seminar-workshop known as the Mabolo seminar (after the locality of the parish in Cebu that first tried it).
The Mabolo seminar did not just appear out of nowhere. In 2008, Dilaab organized and facilitated nine circles of discernment of various groups in Cebu and Manila. Pope Benedict XVI’s insight provides much impetus: “I confirm the necessity and urgency of the evangelical formation and pastoral accompaniment of a new generation of Catholics working in politics.” This calls for beyond-the-usual engagement during elections, a call echoed by the expression “principled partisan politics” Two national consultations in April and June this year validated certain insights. A seminar was now ready to be shared.
The one-day Mabolo seminar has since journeyed to other local churches. The latest one was last 7 August in Bontoc-Lagawe. The journey is worth recalling.
Our Dilaab team had been invited to give the Mabolo seminar to BEC representatives to the yearly “Tongtongan” (Ifugao for “Dialogue”) of the Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe. The theme was: “Nation Building Through the Basic Ecclesial Communities.” We left Thursday afternoon 6 August from San Jose Seminary at the Ateneo de Manila, a little behind schedule.
There are two routes going to Bontoc from Manila. One is by way of Nueva Viscaya, the other through Baguio. The former takes 9 hours; the latter around 14 hours. We, of course, decided on the shorter route with Richard, our highly skilled, taciturn Igorot driver at the steering wheel. Typhoon Kiko, however, had other plans.
After a hearty supper at San Jose, Nueva Ecija, our vehicle encountered a problem at Caranglan, Nueva Ecija. Traffic had stopped due to a landslide. We quickly made a decision since the alternate route going to Baguio would take time. A text from a PNP contact revealed that the route would not be cleared any time soon. We were on to Baguio around 10 pm. A 9-hour trip eventually takes 17 hours.
Our driver steadfastly refused offers to substitute for him at certain stretches so he could rest. As we near the Mountain Province, a thick fog envelopes us. Only reflections from the cat’s eye embedded on the road and the arrowhead signals gives us directions, as the fog and the deep darkness prevents our seeing the sheer cliff, now to our left, then to our right. A concrete highway is actually under construction.

At such moments one realizes the beauty of certain prayers: “Lead Kindly Light amidst th encircling gloom. The night is dark and I am far from home…I do not ask to see the distant scene; one step enough for me…”
Around 5:15 am, we came to a complete halt. An uprooted tree was blocking our way. Just before it, a buckhoe stands idle. We reversed directions and come upon the driver having early morning coffee inside a makeshift shelter with his co-workers. Felix accedes to our request and removes the stumbling block.
Several kilometers later, a bigger landslide prevents movement. Suddenly a payloader appears and removes the barrier. Further on, another payloader is trying to define the road. The morning sun now reveals the cliffs. Rain continues to pour.
It was around 8:45 am that we finally made it to Bontoc-Lagawe where around 300 participants from 21 mission stations gathered. The group is very appreciative and responsive and there is much laughter and insight. The seminar has several modules: one for developing empathy for those in politics; another for articulating a spirituality; a third for brainstorming and consensus-building; and lastly, a planning module.
It is worth all the effort. The air is pristine and we saw sections of the world-famous rice terraces. No wonder the Jews believed that mountains where special places of encounter with God. We were in God’s abode!
Bishop Rudy Beltran and Fr. John Habawel, our contact person, made sure our stay was comfortable and meaningful. The following day began with another special affair: the 40th Episcopal anniversary of Bishop Francisco Claver, SJ. The man is a living legend in many ways, although, I suspect, he would cringe at the designation.
We participated in a Mass with prayers and songs in the Bontoc tongue. During the offertory, we got a glimpse of the Igorot way of giving thanks and offering their produce to God, as local people in their native dress processed with their farm produce. The red sticky rice food wrapped in banana leaves (“patupat”) is a supreme culinary delight. We returned to Manila Friday evening via Nueva Viscaya. The storm has abated. There are still surprises though along the way. But that’s for another column.

Truly, the journey is the destination. (For comments please email: frmelodiola@dilaab.net).

A transfigured nation

I had given up on the thought of being able to be at the wake of the late President Corazon Aquino when I received a text from Bishop Chito Tagle: “I have been asked to celebrate noon Mass tomorrow for Tita Cory by her family and the priests want to come along.”
The Imus clergy was about to begin its annual retreat at the Carmelite Spirituality Center in Tagaytay and a Dilaab team was facilitating. Our topic was: “The Clergy and Faith-Impelled Social Transformation.” There were about 80 priests.
The unexpected text raised my hopes. At the first session on the evening of Monday 3 August, we all agreed that the trip to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Manila would be an intrinsic part of the retreat. After all, EDSA People Power is all about social transformation from a decisively faith perspective.
I felt a strong surge of joy and gratitude as I stood before the Imus clergy. My thoughts returned to 1979 when, as fresh college graduate of UP Los Baños, I first set foot in Cavite. Subsequent events found me having room and board at the Imus Cathedral, an itinerant guest of the parish priest.
I was rediscovering my faith at that juncture in my life. The journey was not without its difficulties and certain priests from this local church provided me with some informal formation and patient ears for the ramblings of a man just out of his teenage years. Now, standing before my fellow priests, and recognizing familiar faces among the participants, I felt I was among friends and just returning the favor.
Our first lay sharer for the retreat was Ms. Heidi Mendoza, former COA senior auditor. Her eloquence, sincerity, and wit moved many of us to thoughtful silence as she described her moments of doubt, discouragement, and bold defiance as an honest and indefatigable public servant investigating graft cases. She is still at it, despite threats and even if she is not anymore connected with government. All she asks for is a God whom she can touch.
We reflected on the Transfiguration of the Lord (Mark 9:2-10) as we prepared for our 8 am journey to the Manila Cathedral. Something in the narrative struck a deep chord in me: Jesus conversing with Moses and Elijah, and Peter’s offer to build three tents. Peter was awed by the larger-than-life figures before him and he just wanted to gaze with marvel at the sight. Instead a bright cloud overshadowed them and a voice commands obedience to Jesus. Then they go down the mountain.
The only time I had met Cory in person was during supper after a huge Cebu rally in 2003 against the impeachment of then Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr when she was guest speaker. She was a larger-than-life figure in her prayerful simplicity.
Here I was again, together with the Imus clergy, before the casket of a larger-than-life figure. The phenomenon of the huge turnout of people, patiently waiting in line for hours just to view her one last time, could be interpreted as an expression of gratitude for what this plain housewife had done: to make a very brave stand in response to the needs of the times. It also expresses a hunger for a brand of leadership that has the moral fiber to let go of power when it is time to do so; to do a Gideon and a Cincinnatus, so to speak.
Back in Tagaytay in the evening of Tuesday, our second sharer was Attorney Alexander Lacson with his famed little book of 12 little things. Speaking softly, even in hushed tones, Alex’s evident patriotism and his call to do little acts of good citizenship from a faith perspective touched many hearts. He made patriotism doable.
The next day, Wednesday, a pair from the PNP came to share their stories. (Ret.) Gen. Samson Tucay is a familiar face to many bishops having shared during one of the plenary gatherings in the CBCP. He talked about the power of love expressed through leadership by example behind the Values and Leadership School (VLS) that he had led in 2004 until its end in 2007.
PSSupt (Col.) Cesar Binag, the humble workhorse of the PNP Program Management Office (PMO) talked about the PNP Integrated Transformation Program. Cesar’s personal sharing as a committed Protestant revealed an on-going eloquent testimony of the Spirit’s power to connect personal conversion, family renewal, and social transformation.
We ended the retreat by looking at the prospects for faith-impelled social transformation by evangelizing politics. An opportunity beckons in the pastoral strategy of “pastoral accompaniment,” a term used by Benedict XVI in his talk before the Pontifical Council for the Laity last 15 November 2008. Spaces of hope are being ignited by the Circles of Discernment for Elections (CiDE).
Our team and our message seem to have found a home among the Imus clergy. As one priest puts it in his evaluation: “I realized that I cannot find any more excuses not to be a good Filipino.” Another one said: “The experience of 3-day retreat was a very divine inspired event for us…(we realized that) for social transformation to occur there must always be a religious-spirited transfiguration.”
Our dear Cory has been buried. Yet other larger-than-life figures are emerging. They are the witnesses to the Transfiguration and who have gone down the mountain to the valleys of heroic Christian citizenship and leadership. They are inspired by the same Spirit that inspired Cory.
In this light, it is best to keep the present name of the thoroughfare known as EDSA – the manifestation of the saints. It is there were Our Lady gathered her children, the saints of EDSA, inspired by what one heroic, saintly woman had done to show to the world what a transfigured nation can be and can do.
(For comments, kindly email:frmelodiola@dilaab.net)

Gideon

I see a river of change flowing through our dear land, fed by various tributaries of transformation. Our land and people, made barren by corruption, is slowly watered by this river whose source is God's love pulsating through the Sacred Heart of Jesus in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The Year of the Two Hearts for Peace Building and Lay Participation in Social Change from 19 June 2009 to 19 June 2010 captures this reality. It sets the spiritual groundwork for meaningful work for peace and change that includes engagement in the 2010 elections.

But, we need to ask, would another CBCP statement really matter? In the first national consultation of Circles of Discernment for Elections (CiDE) in Cebu last 20-21 April 2009, attended by 30 participants from 13 local churches and two lay organizations, a few thought this was an exercise in futility. What good would another statement do? Indeed, more than half of CBCP statements, since its beginnings, have been on politics. Yet “Philippine politics─the way it is practiced─has been most hurtful of us as a people,” and sadly continues to be so.

Someone then wisely pointed out that such statements actually contribute a critical service by setting the conditions for change to happen. What may be lacking is the collective, effective, and sustained response on the part of the laity, in collaboration with priests, to the call made by the bishops. After all, evangelizing and transforming politics is the laity's specific field of engagement. As the bishops remind us: “You know that we have sounded this call too many times already in the past. Perhaps because this task is expected of us, there has been a tendency to take it for granted that we are also to carry it out by ourselves.”

Our church leaders continue: “We challenge our Catholic laity, in particular, to take the lead in the task of moral renewal towards a deeper and more lasting change in the Philippine society.” In other words, the bishops are telling the lay faithful that the ball is now in their court.

The bishops had also released a statement in 1986 in the face of a national political crisis seen as rooted in a moral crisis. People listened and responded. Change happened. Something similar may happen, if our response is sure and strong.

Yet, such a response cannot be haphazard and underneath our dignity. This is the lesson from the story of Gideon, one of Israel's judges at the beginnings of its emergence as a nation. Why start with Gideon?

The office of the readings at the beginning of the second gathering of CiDE Church network from 17 to 19 June cited Judges 6:33-40; 7:1-8, 16-22. God continues to provide guidance through the Bible.

What struck me in this story of victorious faith is how God selected Gideon's army. After asking those who were afraid to go home, God then instructs Gideon to separate those who “lap up the water as a dog does” from those “who kneels down to drink.” They are to engage the enemy but do so without sacrificing their dignity. This seems to be the idea since dogs are generally looked down upon as dirty in the Semitic world.

Being dignified, however, does not mean they are to be wanting in strategy. With the element of surprise in their hands, Gideon's force manages to confuse the enemy into thinking they were more than they actually were. The result was self-destruction on the part of the enemy.

Corruption is irrational and ultimately self-destructive. But how do we maintain our dignity in the fight against corruption, particularly as it begins during elections? The starting point is to be infused with a politics of hope and patience, rather than that of despair and impatience.

It is easy enough to fall into a subtle form of despair that manifests itself in the tendency to take short cuts. The latter, after all, is what ails our country. Adam and Eve were seduced by a short cut in their desire for immortality. Jesus reverses this trend by saying “no” to the temptation to turn stone into bread, although he could have easily done so.

This temptation to reach our goals without the needed sacrifice is what is behind the proliferation of corruption in our country, something both citizens and public officials contribute to. People would rather pay fixers rather than fall in line. They look for shortcuts in their quest for security and happiness.

In our journey towards elections 2010, this impatience is shown in the tendency to start with personalities, rather than with principles and values. People nominate themselves rather and everything else follows. Some groups claim exaggerated numbers without doing the necessary groundwork and without properly forming the consciences of their followers. This is downright messianic.

Candidates buy votes instead of really leading and offering a concrete platform and track record of integrity and competence. Voters sell their votes instead of really determining who deserves to be voted into office. While there is no question of the value of utilizing technology to reduce fraud, the haste, i.e. without trying out the mechanism in two highly urbanized citizens in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, as stipulated by law, with which full poll automation is being implemented is disconcerting and raises further questions.

Yes, this river of change begins with a recognition of our inherent dignity as creatures created in God's image and likeness.

The bishops have spoken. What is our response?