Year: 2018

“In the heart of this world, the Lord of life, who loves us so much, is always present. He does not abandon us, he does not leave us alone, for he has united himself definitively to our earth, and his love constantly impels us to find new ways forward. Praise be to him!” (Laudato Si, 245)

Our country has been blessed by God with an abundance of natural resources especially water, but for many factors, we are now faced with the concrete reality of managing our water especially for the next generation.

After listening to the strong opposition to the construction of the New Centennial Water Source Kaliwa Dam Project, we too express our opposition to the said project and strongly recommend to look for alternative sources to the Kaliwa Dam for the following reasons:

1. It will inundate the ancestral domain of the Dumagat-Remontados, uprooting them from the Sierra Madre where their ancestors lived for centuries enjoying a symbiotic relationship with the earth like the children to their mother. Undeniably, until now the indigenous people have not given an FPIC (Free Prior and Informed Consent) to the Kaliwa dam project as required by R.A. 8371.
2. Kaliwa dam to be constructed over the Infanta Fault will be a “sword hanging over the head” of 100,000 people living downstream the Kaliwa River. Etched in their memory is the 2004 flash flood that left 1,000 killed and over million worth of properties destroyed.
3. Climate change and its ill-effects are the ‘new normal’ that could no longer be ignored yet we do not know of any study made on climate and the Kaliwa dam. The ambivalent nature of climate change can cause random and sudden flooding. Japan with its highly advanced technology was devasted by the earthquake in 2011. The catastrophic collapse of the dam in Laos last July 25, 2018 has a message to all of us.
4. Global warming was 0.8 degree centigrade when Yolanda struck us with 315 ph winds. This year we have reached 1 degree centigrade. How much rainfall can this dam hold when another Yolanda comes in Quezon? About the landslides?
5. NEDA has kept the data on Kaliwa dam secret with the word “confidential” despite the much publicized Freedom of Information E.O. No. 2, series of 2016.
6. This project which is connected with the Laiban dam has been in the pipeline for 30 years, yet until now it does not even have the necessary Environment Compliance Certificate (ECC) as mandated by R.A. 7586.

In 2000 the World Commission on Dams (WCM) mandated by the World Bank and the World Conservation Union (IUCN) reported that while “dams have made an important and significant contribution to human development, and benefits derived from them have been considerable… in too many cases an unacceptable and often unnecessary price has been paid to secure those benefits, especially in social and environmental terms, by people displaced, by communities downstream, by taxpayers and by the natural environment.”

Angat and IPO dams supply Metro Manila with 4,000 MLD of water but a big percentage of this is lost due to leaks. With the P18 Billion budget for constructing Kaliwa Dam, there can be alternative sources of water, many of which are being advocated now:

1. Launch a massive education campaign to convince the 13 million Metro Manila residents to learn “water management”. This would reduce water consumption significantly. This could be bad news for business but best for the environment.
2. Harvest rain water which flood us perennially and implement the pertinent provision of the National Building Code of the Philippines (RA 1096).
3. Fast track the recovery of the NRW (non-revenue water) through fixing leaks;
4. Rehabilitate the Pasig-Laguna River Basin which would cost only P13 Billion (estimated by Dr. Esteban Godilano, an environmental scientist).
5. Adopt the Singapore New Water technology which treats wastewater to become potable.
6. And most importantly, protect and expand our dwindling forests that serves as our largest watershed and these would refill our underground aquifers which are now over extracted.

All of us – government and the people – have to work together to resolve our water issues. Hence as pastors of the faithful we

1. Support a transparent dialogue with MWSS and NEDA and the stakeholders of the Kaliwa dam making available all the pertinent documents;
2. Support the initiative in Congress and Senate to make an inquiry into the Kaliwa Dam; and
3. Encourage all to “rethink how to use water” in terms of the demand-side and consumption and protect our environment.

World Commission on Dams sees that “the future for water and energy resources development lies with participatory decision-making, using a rights-and-risks approach that will raise the importance of the social and environmental dimensions of dams to a level once reserved for the economic dimension.”

Pope Francis warns that: “Caring for the ecosystems demands farsightedness, since no one looking for quick and easy profit is truly interested in their preservation.” (Laudato Si #36)

For the Clergy of the Prelature of Infanta:

+BERNARDINO C. CORTEZ, D.D.
Bishop-Prelate of Infanta
26 July 2018
Feast of Sts. Anne and Joachim

Photo credit: it.arautos.com

August 5, 2018

This Sunday is dedicated by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines as St. John Mary Vianney Sunday in honor of the patron saint of all diocesan priests. He is a model of sanctity in his devout celebration the Eucharist and in his patient hearing of confessions. He did all these with remarkable humility and simplicity, a manner of serving and living which God’s people are happy to see in their priests.

We are also at the midpoint of the celebration of the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons. We are aiming at the integral renewal of values, mindsets, behaviors and lifestyles of the clergy and consecrated persons. Consecrated persons are the religious sisters, brothers and members of secular institutes.

In the context of today’s celebration, the readings remind us to value the vocation to priesthood and consecrated life. We are thankful to the Lord for them. In the first reading from the book of Exodus (16:2-4, 12-15), the Israelites complained about the lack of food in the wilderness, “Would that they had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt when they sat by the pots of meat and they ate bread to the full.” They talked about sufficient bodily food in their slavery in Egypt. In response, God gave them manna for bread and quail’s meat. Today, God continues to give us food, a more valuable food that gives us eternal life, the body and blood of Jesus in the Eucharist. Intimately connected with the Eucharist are the priests who make present the last supper of Jesus where he gave the disciples his body and blood in the form of bread and wine. Through the ministry of priests, we receive the bread of life, Jesus himself, who transforms us after we have received him prayerfully in holy communion.

In the second reading (Eph. 4:17, 20-24), St. Paul describes those who have encountered Jesus and received his teachings. With Jesus, we lay aside our old selves “corrupted by the lusts of deceit.” We are “renewed in the spirit of our minds” and we “put on the new self, created in God’s righteousness and holiness of truth.” Such encounters happen effectively in the sacraments. There we are made children of God, forgiven of our sins, fed with the body of Christ, united by Christ in marriage, strengthened in our sickness and assisted in our hope for life eternal. Christ acts in all of these through the priest.

In the Gospel (Jn. 6:24-35), Jesus reminds us not to follow the example of the Jews who were after the food that perishes. He urged them but to seek the food which endures to eternal life. This food is Jesus himself, he is the food that comes down from heaven and he gives life to the world. Those who come to Jesus will not hunger; those who come to him will never thirst. And who makes these words of Jesus a reality for us today? The priest. Jesus acts through the presence, gestures and words of the priest.

Lest we forget, first and foremost, all the baptized share in the priesthood of Christ. All are called to holiness, to praise and glorify God in all aspects of our lives. The priests among us are called to serve the baptized in their journey towards communion with God and with one another. One does not acquire a higher status by becoming a priest. On the contrary, he shares the identity of Christ as one who serves the flock.

Serving in the person of Christ demands from the priest way of life that is Christ- like. It embraces his whole person, including his faults and weaknesses. Therefore, the faithful whom he serves must pray for him that he becomes true to his identity as a faithful disciple of Christ.

Pray for us priests that like St. John Mary Vianney we faithfully and meaningfully celebrate the sacraments especially the Eucharist and confession.

Pray for us priests that like St. John Mary Vianney we refuse to seek riches, power, comfort and pleasure.

Pray for us priests that we become examples of communion among ourselves, that we live as brothers and that we do not separate ourselves from the lay faithful especially from the poor and the marginalized.

Pray for us priests that we remain faithful to our promises of chastity, simplicity of lifestyle and obedience to the bishop.

Pray for us priests that we attain transparency and accountability in our financial management. Pray too that after 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines we abolish all forms of commercialism in the celebration of the sacraments.

Pray for us priests that as people are murdered daily we denounce violations of human rights especially the right to life. Pray that we become more concerned about protecting others than protecting ourselves. Pray that we introduce programs that will keep our people away from illegal activities.

Pray for us priests that we may truly dedicate ourselves to the Gospel despite discouragement, loneliness, and threats to our lives. Pray that we find greatest honor in the sharing the offering of Christ.

Holy Mary Mother of Priests. Please pray for us! Amen.

Homiliya

Linggo ni San John Mary Vianney
Agosto 5, 2018

Itinalaga ng Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines ang linggong ito bilang St. John Mary Vianney Sunday upang parangalan ang patron ng mga paring diyosesano. Siya ang huwaran ng kabanalan sa kanyang mataimtim na pagdiriwang ng Banal na Eukaristiya at matiyagang pagpapakumpisal. Ginawa niya ang lahat ng ito nang may kahanga-hangang kapayakan at kababaang-loob, ang pamamaraan ng paglilingkod at pamumuhay na kinagigiliwang makita ng mga tao sa kanilang mga pari.

Tayo rin ay nasa kalagitnaan na ng ating pagdiriwang ng Taon ng mga Pari at ng mga Nagtalaga ng Buhay sa Diyos. Ninanais nating magkaroon ng ganap na pagpapanibago sa mga pagpapahalaga, kaisipan, asal at paraan ng pamumuhay ng mga pari at ng mga nagtalaga sa Diyos, ng mga brothers at mga kasapi ng mga secular institutes.

Sa diwa ng pagdiriwang sa araw na ito, ipinaaalala sa atin ng mga pagbasa ang kabuluhan ng bokasyon sa pagpapari at sa buhay pagtatalaga sa Diyos. Dahil dito’y tumatanaw tayo ng utang na loob sa Panginoon. Sa unang pagbasa na hango sa aklat ng Exodo (16,2-4. 12-15), umangal ang mga Israelita dahil sa tila kalulangan ng pagkain sa gitna ng ilang, “Mabuti pa sana’y pinatay na kami ng Panginoon sa Egipto. Doon, nakakakain kami ng karne at tinapay hanggang gusto namin”. Ang tinutukoy nila’y ang pagkaing nakapupuno ng kanilang sikmura habang sila’y alipin sa Egipto. Bilang tugon, binigyan sila ng Diyos ng manna at mga pugo. Sa kasalukuyan, patuloy tayong binibigyan ng Diyos ng pagkain, pagkaing higit na mahalaga ‘pagkat ang dulot sa ati’y buhay na walang hanggan, ang katawan at dugo ni Hesus sa Eukaristiya. Kadugsong ng Eukaristiya ang mga paring nagdadala sa ating piling ng Huling Hapunan ni Hesus kung saan ibinigay niya sa kanyang mga alagad ang kanyang katawan at dugo sa anyong tinapay at alak. Sa pamamagitan ng paglilingkod ng mga pari, napapasaatin ang tinapay ng buhay, si Hesus mismo, na nagpapabago sa atin matapos na siya’y ating tanggapin sa banal na pakikinabang.

Sa ikalawang pagbasa, (Efeso 4,17. 20-24), inilalarawan sa atin ni San Pablo kung sino ang may pakikipagtagpo kay Hesus at tumatanggap ng kanyang aral. Kay Hesus, isinasantabi natin ang ating lumang pagkatao “na napahamak dahil sa masamang pita”. Tayo’y dapat magbago ng “diwa at pag-iisip” at ating angkinin ang “bagong pagkatao na nilikhang kalarawan ng Diyos, kalarawan ng kanyang katuwiran at kabanalan”. Ang pakikipagtagpong ito’y nagaganap sa mga sakramento. Sa pamamagitan nito ay ginawa tayong mga anak ng Diyos, pinatawad ang ating mga kasalanan, binubusog ng katawan ni Kristo, pinag-isa ni Kristo sa kasal, dinadamayan sa ating mga karamdaman at pinatibay ang ating pag-asa sa buhay na walang hanggan. Ginawa ni Kristo ang lahat ng ito sa pamamagitan ng pari.

Sa ating ebanghelyo (Juan 6,24-35), pinapaalalahanan tayo ni Hesus na huwag tularan ang mga Hudyong ang nais lamang ay ang pagkaing napapanis. Tinuruan niya sila na ang hanapin ay ang pagkaing nananatili hanggang sa buhay na walang hanggan. Ang pagkaing ito ay si Hesus mismo, siya ang tinapay na bumaba mula sa langit na nagbibigay-buhay sa mundo. Sinumang lumapit kay Hesus ay di magugutom ni mauuhaw kailanman. At sino ang nagpapaganap ng mga salitang ito ni Hesus sa atin ngayon? Ang pari. Kumikilos si Hesus sa pagkatao, kilos at salita ng pari.

At huwag nating kalilimutan na ang lahat ng binyagan ay nakikibahagi sa pagiging pari ni Kristo. Lahat ay tinatawagang maging banal, na magbigay-papuri sa Diyos sa bawat larangan ng ating buhay. Ang ating mga pari ay tinawag upang paglingkuran ang mga binyagan sa kanilang paglalakbay patungo sa pakikipag-isa sa Diyos at sa kapwa-tao. Ang pagiging pari ay hindi ang pagkakaroon ng mataas na posisyon na titingalain ng mga tao. Subalit, dapat niyang pagsumikapang tularan si Kristo sa paglilingkod sa kawan.

Ang pagtulad sa paglilingkod ni Kristo ay nag-uudyok sa pari na mabuhay katulad ni Kristo. Ang buhay na ito’y yumayakap sa kanyang buong pagkatao kasama na ang kanyang kahinaan at karupukan. Kung kaya’t marapat lamang na siya’y ipagdasal ng mga mananampalataya na kanyang pinaglilingkuran upang siya’y maging tapat at totoong alagad ni Kristo.

Ipanalangin ninyo kaming mga pari upang katulad ni San Juan Maria Vianney ay maipagdiwang naming matapat at makahulugan ang mga sakramento lalo na ang Eukaristiya at ang kumpisal.

Ipanalangin ninyo kaming mga pari upang katulad ni San Juan Maria Vianney ay iwaksi namin ang makamundong yaman, kapangyarihan, sarap ng buhay at kalayawan.

Ipanalangin ninyo kaming mga pari nang kami’y maging mabuting halimbawa ng pagkakaisa, nang kami’y mamuhay bilang mga magkakapatid at huwag kaming lumayo sa mga layko lalo na sa mga dukha at sa mga minamaliit.

Continue reading

We condemn the issuance of arrest warrants by the Palayan, Nueva Ecija court for former Makabayan representatives Teddy Casino, Satur Ocampo and former DAR secretary Rafael Mariano and current NAPC Convenor Sec.Liza Maza.

There is no justifiable reason for the order of Judge Evelyn A. Atienza-Turla dated July 11, 2018.

The arrest warrants against the four comes ten years after Turla found no probable cause to uphold ridiculous charges of murder. The latest order comes without any explanation for the reversal despite being based on the same evidence, facts and circumstances.

There was no murder case to begin with as far as one supposed target, Jimmy Peralta, died in a vehicular accident, as attested by police spot reports.

That the four lawmakers ordered the killings of Peralta and one Carlito Bayudang to ensure Bayan Muna victory is an outright lie, a concoction by military handlers of false witnesses.

Prosecutors failed to subscribe the affidavits of complainants and their witnesses. They failed to validate or confirm preposterous claims that parroted each other..

Judge Atienza-Turla should have dismissed the obvious fabricated murder charges adecade back.

That it comes amid rising tyranny of the Duterte administration only casts suspicion on the use of the judiciary for political persecution.

The reincarnation of the old Inter-agency Legal Action Group (IALAG) under then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the Inter-Agency Committee on Legal Action (IACLA) is part of the Duterte regime’s assault on pro-democracy forces, which includes efforts to proscribe as terrorists more than 600 individuals, including legal personalities like Ocampo.

We urge Judge Atienza-Turla to reverse a clearly unjust order. Various courts and agencies have already thrown out similar or related cases. Bayan Muna has even been awarded damages on the perjured statements of witnesses.

We demand an end to the persecution of Satur, Liza, Teddy, Paeng and all victims of trumped-up charges.###

Within the two weeks that we stayed at the Diatagon gymnasium we were treated as if we were not human by the military. The 75th IB along with Marcos Bocales, leader of the bandit paramilitary Magahat-Bagani; PNP-Lianga and Lianga MSWD controlled the relief goods that were meant for us. The municipal LGU did not give us assistance because according to them, there was no calamity.

Our situation at the evacuation center in Brgy. Diatagon was difficult. We lacked water because every time we tried to fetch some we were not allowed to pass by the soldiers guarding all the entrances and exits of the gymnasium. We tried buying drinking water but the stores had nothing because the military did not allow them to sell water. There were no toilets. It was overcrowded and very hot inside the gym. We were getting sick, especially our children. In addition, every now and then, our leaders and the teachers who were helping us, received death threats through phone calls or text messages or were directly threatened.

The officials of Brgy. Diatagon and Lianga were stifled. The civilian government was ineffective because the 75th IBPA was pressuring and controlling them. They were like puppets doing whatever the military commanded them to do.

Amidst such inhumane conditions, we, the 1,607 evacuees, decided to look for a safer place. Thus, on July 30, 2018, carrying our belongings, we hiked to look for a place where we will be treated as humans. The military continued to follow us. The road in Davisol was blocked by their two six by six trucks, they took photos and videos and mocked us.

When we reached San Agustin, there were several soldiers and policemen with shields waiting for us, the road was blocked by their military trucks and there was a firetruck, as though ready to spray us with water if we try to pass. Here, the provincial government of Gov. Pimentel called for a dialogue which was attended by 401st Brigade Commander Col. Maurito Lucudne and 75th IB Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Jaime Datuin, PSSUPT Francisco Dungo, Sr., vice-governor Manuel Alameda, church people led by the Friends of the Lumad in Caraga and community representatives.

We agreed upon the following:

1. Dismantle the detachment in Simowao and 75th IBPA troops withdraw from Km. 9
2. As their mandate, the military may launch military operations in areas where there were NPA or armed groups
3. Hold a fact finding mission in the area to check for military presence as the evacuees are ready to return to their communities   Continue reading

Pope and Holy See Continue Tireless Effort to Help Victims

July 30, 2018 06:00 Jim Fair | Human Rights And Justice

Pope Francis and the Holy See continue to press for an end to the horrendous practice of human trafficking today, July 30, 2018: World Day against Trafficking in Persons.

The day is promoted by the United Nations. Pope Francis noted it after praying the noonday Angelus on July 29, 2018, with a crowd of 25,000 pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square:

“This plague reduces many men, women, and children to slavery for the purpose of labor and sexual exploitation, the sale of organs, of vagrancy and forced delinquency, also here, in Rome. Migration routes are also often used by traffickers and exploiters, to recruit new victims of trafficking. It’s the responsibility of all to denounce the injustices and to oppose firmly this shameful crime.”

Human trafficking is a crime that exploits women, children, and men for numerous purposes including forced labor and sex, according to the United Nations. The International Labour Organization estimates that 21 million people are victims of forced labor globally. This estimate also includes victims of human trafficking for labor and sexual exploitation. While it is not known how many of these victims were trafficked, the estimate implies that currently, there are millions of trafficking in persons victims in the world.

Every country in the world is affected by human trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit, or destination for victims, the UN claims. Children make up almost a third of all human trafficking victims worldwide, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Global Report on Trafficking in Persons. Additionally, women and girls comprise 71 percent of human trafficking victims, the report states.

In 2010, the General Assembly adopted the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, urging Governments worldwide to take coordinated and consistent measures to defeat this scourge. The Plan calls for integrating the fight against human trafficking into the UN’s broader programmes in order to boost development and strengthen security worldwide. One of the crucial provisions in the Plan is the establishment of a UN Voluntary Trust Fund for victims of trafficking, especially women and children.

At the same time, the Holy See has been outspoken in its concern about trafficking. During the May 28-29, 2018, meetings of Session I of the 1st Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting (SHDM) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), held in Vienna, Monsignor Janusz S. Urbańczyk, the Holy See’s permanent representative to the OSCE, stressed two key elements:

1) “Strengthen education and awareness-raising efforts, including human rights education, and develop and implement empowerment programmes which take into account the particular needs of women, men, girls, and boys, in order to enhance the capacity to recognize, prevent and fight human trafficking within communities”  Continue reading

At least 15,000 people leave shelter in village gymnasium alleging further persecution by Philippine military

An estimated 1,600 tribal people in the southern Philippine province of Surigao del Sur march to the provincial capital Tandag on July 30 to complain against alleged military harassment in their villages. (Photo courtesy of Karapatan)

Ben Serrano, Surigao del Sur, Philippines
July 30, 2018

More than 1,500 tribal people in the southern Philippines, who fled their homes early this month due to alleged harassment by soldiers, were on the move again July 30 at the start of another exodus.

From a village in the town of Lianga, Surigao del Sur province, the tribal people began a 90-km walk to the provincial capital city of Tandag.

They claimed they could no longer take continuing pressure from the military, who have accused them of being rebel sympathizers.

In a statement, human rights group Karapatan said the people had to leave because of “escalating military persecution.”

“We can no longer bear the difficulties inside the gymnasium,” said Sandy Sanchez, spokesman of the tribal group Mapasu.

He said the people had no access to water of food in the village gymnasium where they had taken refuge and which was surrounded by soldiers. “We decided to leave the area,” Sanchez told ucanews.com.

“We cannot return home because of the presence of the military in our villages. We don’t want to be caught in the crossfire [in clashes with rebels],” he said.

About 1,600 tribal people fled their homes in 15 communities in the towns of Lianga and San Agustin on July 16 and sought refuge in the village of Diatagon in Lianga.

They said they were forced to leave their communities because soldiers, who set up camp in their communities, had been “spreading fear” among residents.

Even in the evacuation center, the people claimed the soldiers followed them, and prevented food and water supplies reaching them.

“The military had virtually taken control of the evacuation center. The [tribal people] felt that they were not safe there,” said Bishop Rhee Timbang of the Philippine Independent Church.

The prelate, who is the local head of human rights group Karapatan, said people are taking a “communal journey.”

“They are to walk literally to a safer place, a secured sanctuary,” he said. “It does not matter how many days it takes them to walk,” the bishop added.

The march started about two o’clock in the morning. “We will rest when we get tired,” Sanchez told ucanews.com by phone.

Authorities said they had no idea what prompted the people to leave and march to the provincial capital.

“We only learned early today that the evacuees had left,” said Merlyn Layno, disaster management officer of Lianga town.

It was not the first time that the tribal people have fled their homes. In 2015, they fled after gunmen executed their tribal leaders.

In 2017, they left their communities due to military operations against communist rebels in the area.

Separating the struggles of indigenous people from the problems of those in cities has left many not caring

Religious groups hold an ecumenical prayer to show solidarity with indigenous peoples during a tribal celebration in the northern Philippines in this April 22 photo. (Photo by Mark Saludes)

Mark Saludes, Manila, Philippines
July 26, 2018

I felt compassion, love, and respect for Mindanao’s indigenous peoples the first time I met tribal youth leader Michelle Campos in 2015.

The photograph I took of her that day inspired and stimulated a desire in me to become an advocate of tribal peoples’ rights.

The picture depicts the ordeal of a young woman who stood up to fight and seek justice despite the pain and suffering she had to encounter, and to become the symbol of her tribe’s struggle.

It was two years after I took the picture that I realized that compassion, love, and respect are not enough to understand the situation of indigenous groups.

One must fully immerse into the culture and look deeper into their knowledge and their spirituality that is deeply connected to the environment.

Michelle is the daughter of the late tribal leader Dionel Campos who was killed on Sept. 1, 2015, by members of a paramilitary group in the southern Philippines.

Campos was executed because of his opposition to mining operations and other destructive environmental issues in his ancestral land.

The murder of Campos and two other tribal leaders resulted in the forced evacuation of more than 4,000 people from their communities.

A year later, in September 2016, Michelle and the people of Diatagon village in Lianga town, Surigao del Sur province, returned home.

However, the political, economic and military situation in the area has not changed.

The threat of displacement due to armed conflict and military operations still hangs over the village.

On July 16, 2018, more than 1,000 people from Campos’ tribe fled their homes again due to soldiers who reportedly set up camp in their community.

My eight-day visit to Michelle’s community in August 2017 brought more questions than answers.

I asked myself why those terrible things happen to a community, which has nothing but a claim to land left to them by their ancestors.

What concerned me most was the realization that nobody seemed to care about the rural poor in far-flung places, aside from a few church people and rights advocates.

We can engage many people to give food to the hungry but only a few dare ask why there is hunger in the so-called promised land of the southern Philippines.

We can make religious leaders condemn the killing of farmers and tribal people, but only a handful offer sanctuary.  Continue reading

Jul. 24, 2018 DAVAO TODAY

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Most of the Indigenous People’s in Mindanao are currently facing some “dangerous games” being played by big capitalists and the government, particularly state forces. And these perilous undertakings are taking its tolls on the IPs – to their homes, communities, and identities. When the greed for huge profits play with graft and corrupt practices of those in power, the end result is catastrophic.

Since the imposition of martial law in Mindanao, the IPs and their communities are among the hardest hit. Aside from the cases of evacuations in regions 11 and 12, displacements of IP communities in Caraga region never ceased, as the Armed Forces of the Philippines continues its military operations in far-flung areas in Mindanao.

The Andap Valley Complex in Surigao del Sur is one of the largely militarized areas in Caraga region nowadays. The place now portrays the epitome of the never-ending exodus of ousted IPs from their communities. The crisis is becoming serious every day with the complex turning as “the apple of the eye” of giant capitalists for mining and exploration.

Lumad evacuees trek for about nine hours. Despite several army checkpoints, Lumad evacuees travelled to Barangay Diatagon Gymnasium in Lianga to seek temporary shelter. (Mara S. Genotiva/davaotoday.com)

MASSIVE EVACUATION. About 1,600 indigenous people from rural villages of Lianga and San Agustin towns in Surigao del Sur fled their homes on July 16, after a month of military encampment of their communities. As these capitalists eye the complex, the AFP, particularly the 75thInfantry Battalion of the Philippine Army is also there to protect their interests.

In its latest monitoring, the group Caraga Watch said that a total of 328 Lumad families with 1,607 individuals were forced to abandon their abodes in 15 IP communities in the towns of Lianga and San Agustin in Surigao del Sur last July 16.

These IPs moved out from their areas due to the brutal militarization and human rights violations committed by the 75th IB and the paramilitary group called Magahat-Bagani headed by a certain Marcos Bocales.

They chose to leave Andap Valley Complex “because they have had enough of fear and hunger within the 33 days of the encampment of more than a hundred military troops in their communities,” the Caraga Watch said in a statement issued on July 21.

The group emphasized that the IPs in the complex have decided to leave in order not to succumb to a situation similar to that infamous incident last September 1, 2015, where Lumad leaders Dionel Campus and Datu Jovello Sinzo of MAPASU group were brutally killed by Mahagat-Bagani with the backing of the 75th IB.

The same notorious paramilitary group also murdered Emerito Samarca, the executive director of non-government organization ALCADEV, an education institution religiously advocating for the rights and welfare of Lumad people in the complex.

“The purpose of the militarization of Andap Valley Complex is clear: to remove any opposition against the entry of coal mining companies into the ancestral lands of the Lumad,” the Caraga Watch said.

The Andap Valley Complex has since been the target of huge mining companies, as the place had deliberately been opened by President Rodrigo Duterte for explorations.

The Caraga Watch noted: “Recall that on February 1, 2018, at the Indigenous Peoples Leaders’ Summit in Davao City, President Duterte declared that he will choose the investors in ancestral lands of the Manobo in the Andap Valley Complex in Surigao del Sur. He further told the Lumad gathered to prepare for relocation, insinuating the dislocation of the Lumad from their ancestral homes amidst combat operations of the AFP to ease the entry of plantations and mining projects.”

The group reported that as early as 2015, massive military operations were already launched by combined forces of 36th IB, 75th IB and paramilitary forces in the complex that targeted particularly the MAPASU members in 22 IP communities.

The MAPASU group have signified their continued opposition to the entry of big mining explorations in the area.

The situation in the area has worsened when martial was declared in Mindanao by Duterte, which paved the way for the establishment of a number of military checkpoints in the province of Surigao del Sur, the group said.

“After declaring Marawi free from the Maute group and focusing its military operations to go after the New People’s Army, these checkpoints became stricter especially in Sitio Neptune, Barangay Diatagon in Lianga town, one of the entrances to the Andap Valley Complex,” the group added.

The checkpoints have since limited entry of people and food supplies to the communities, the Caraga Watch continued, adding that teachers of Lumad schools in the area are constantly harassed upon passing through these military barricades.

The military is also telling the people in the area to allow the entry of huge mining companies to operate in their lands to escape further persecution.

Records provided by Caraga Watch reveal that five mining companies are now gearing to operate in Andap Valley Complex.

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Photo credit: Couple to Couple League (CCL)

“Every child is a blessing”

Happy are all who fear the LORD, who walk in the ways of God.
What your hands provide you will enjoy; you will be happy and prosper:
Like a fruitful vine your wife within your home,
like olive plants your children around your table.
Just so will they be blessed who fear the LORD.
May the LORD bless you from Zion, all the days of your life
that you may share Jerusalem’s joy
and live to see your children’s children.
Peace upon Israel! (Psalm 128)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we mark the 50th anniversary of Humanae Vitae, Blessed Paul VI’s encyclical on parents’ decision regarding the number of children, we offer these reflections based on our consultations with married couples and parents:

1. For the Filipino, every child is a gift from God.

It is natural for married Filipino couples to wholeheartedly embrace each child, who is a fruit of their love for each other. Despite the fear and criticism that arise from having big families, we still rejoice at the coming of a child. The Psalmist sings: Children too are a gift from the LORD, the fruit of the womb, a reward (Psalm 127:3).

When a Filipino mother is told that she should only have two children instead of five, she would automatically ask: Who among my children should have not been born? What will you do with my “excess” children?

2. For the Filipino, the parents are anointed by God to educate their children.

This, indeed, is “Responsible Parenthood.” It is not only reduced to the limiting of children. It is natural for parents to be responsible for their children.

Moreover, family planning is not only about “method.”(1) Every family plans for their future: when they are ready to have children or when to add more, how they will be raised, where they will be sent to school, how to teach them to pray, where they could go for vacations, how will they manage their finances, etc.

If family planning is simply reduced to the avoidance of pregnancy, should we be puzzled when some children feel that they are fruits of “unwanted pregnancies”? Won’t they feel that their parents love them simply because they have no choice? This is the effect of what we call the “contraceptive mentality.”(2) Pope Francis says, “‘when speaking of children who come into the world, no sacrifice made by adults will be considered too costly or too great, if it means the child never has to feel that he or she is a mistake, or worthless or abandoned to the four winds and the arrogance of man.’(3) The gift of a new child, entrusted by the Lord to a father and a mother, begins with acceptance, continues with lifelong protection and has as its final goal the joy of eternal life.”(4)     Continue reading