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* Volume No. I * Issue No. 009 * Date: November 16, 2007 * ============================================================
CONTENTS:
*The Cry of Sta. Barbara *The Filipino Perspective *I Am Bisaya *The Ylongo Composo*
Philippine Society & The Christian Church *Announcements & Messages * PerryScope *
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Today in History!
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The “Cry of Sta. Barbara” in Iloilo (Noviembre 17, 1898)
(By: dinggol a.divinagracia-INM Banwa_Mo -November 16, 2007)
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In November 17, 1898, one hundred nine years ago --a brave ilongga patriot Patrocinio Gamboa, with a concealed weapon and a flag inside her “patadyong” diverted attention and successfully avoided thorough inspection by “guardia civil” at checkpoints; by acting as the bickering and nagging wife to her meek and supposedly henpecked husband Honorio Solinap on their way to Sta. Barbara some 16 kms. away from Iloilo City riding on a horse-drawn buggy.
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Upon her arrival, “Tia Patro” handed to Gen. Martin Delgado, a replica of the flag made in Hong Kong by Marcella Agoncillo prepared by the women of Jaro and a saber; a gift from his erstwhile adversary -Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo who had earlier in Luzon, already declared the Revolutionary Government of the Philippines a.k.a. the "Katagalogan Republic". -

Thereafter, Gen-en-Gefe Martin Delgado also declared the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Visayas and Mindanao in Sta. Barbara plaza after the Philippine Flag was hoisted amidst a joyous crowd.
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This was later replaced by a Politico-Military Government on November 23, 1898, composed only of the Visayas, because the leaders finally preferred instead, a federal arrangement composed of --Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, as a logical substitute because of its indigenous elements.
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Moreover, since the Visayans did not want to recognize the supremacy of Aguinaldo and the tagalogs.
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With the merger on December 2, 1898 of the Independent Republic of Negros and the Cantonal Government of Bohol (established in August-1898); the Panay government that included Romblon (part of Capiz), based in Iloilo was renamed Federal Republic of the Visayas, patterned after the U.S. Federal and Cantonal government of the Swiss Confederation.
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Earlier, Capitan Martin Delgado of Sta. Barbara --together with Quintin Salas of Dumangas, Pedro Monteclaro of Miag-ao and Adriano Hernandez of Dingle in Iloilo --led the Volunteer Battalion of ilonggo contingents under the Spaniards who fought against the army of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo in Cavite and Pampanga. These military expeditions were mostly financed by ilonggo industrialist Don Eugenio Jalandoni Lopez of “Salog” (Jaro) and shipping magnate Don Felix de la Rama of “Parian“ (Molo) in Iloilo.
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This was before the "Comite Conspirador" was formed in Molo, Iloilo on March 18, 1898 that served as the nucleus of the Ilonggo Revolutionary Movement who fought against Spain and later versus the United States of America under the Federal Republic of the Visayas with a tri-star emblem banner; symbolizing Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
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Don Martin T. Delgado secretly worked for the Visayan instead of the Spanish cause and later organized for an open armed rebellion against the Spanish. Several Visayan Generals conferred (among them Don Raymundo Melliza and Dr. Pablo Araneta of "Parian" Molo; Soldier-Farmer Adriano Hernandez of Dingle, Pascual Magbanua of Pototan, and Angel Corteza of Villa de Arevalo), and chose Delgado as “General en Jefe de los Tropas del Ejercito Libertador de Visayas y Governador Politico-Militar” who led the “Cry of Freedom” in Sta. Barbara-Iloilo ---one hundred nine years ago.
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Response from:
(Nestor Ortiz Sulpico -INM Banwa_Mo: NYCNewYork-USA)
--
"Today we reap the blessings of freedom that our forebears in Panay and in the rest of the country bitterly fought and died for.There are no more colonizers. We face new battles – for nation building, for the progress of our communities, for the advancement of our families.These are no less tough battles, for which we draw inspiration from our Ilonggo heroes......"
--
Editors Note:
INM Banwa_Mo Member Nestor Ortiz Sulpico of Leganes-Iloilo; the humble ilonggo
who gained international fame by returning rare black pearls worth about $70,000 left
by a passenger in his taxi cab in New York City a few years ago..
--
Dubbed by the American mainstrean media as the "Honest Cab Driver of New York" and
in the Philippines as "Bagong Bayani ng Pilipinas", Nestor made all Filipinos proud and
"Taas nuo" to the whole world at the time when we needed it most.
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FILIPINO PERSPECTIVE:
(by: Felimon "Monching" Jocson -INM Banwa_Mo: WoodbridgeVa-USA)
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After 330 years of subjugation by the sword and the cross, the Philippines developed to the brink of nationhood under Spanish nurture and oppression and with immoral and abusive theocracy.
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Unfortunately, the Americans intervened in the Filipino Revolution with their typical mixture of savagery and idealism. After a successful policy of subjugation by massacre, starvation and co-option, the Americans set out to be the world's best loved imperialists that succeeded the Spanish colonialists. Filipino national pride was thwarted and has never recovered.
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Since the so-called EDSA-I and EDSA "Dos" Revolution and/or Coup-de-etat in Metro Manila, which restored the oligarchy and old time politics, and which democratized corruption, the well-being of the people has continued to decline. What government we have since then is not only corrupt but incredibly inept.
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Meaningful land reform is democratically impossible as modern illustrados who controls the political landscape circumvents the law and blatantly maneuvers the legal system to satisfy their greed and selfishness at the expense of the poor peasants. The past and current political crisis in the country should be blamed on the corruptions that start during elections when mighty and dynastic local politicians who ruled their political "kingdoms" for decades systematically "spread the sunshine" with the intention of R.O.I. plus interest by cornering juicy government contracts to the detriment of their constituents.
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Since Philippine Independence "kuno" was given to us by the Americans on a silver platter on July 4,1946; record show that there was no sense of permanency nor substantial impovement in the national condition as national leadership changed hands every presidential election --that was always attended by corruption and massive frauds.
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Today the Philippines is a backwater of Asia; although not many years ago we were among the best off in the whole continent. The prevailing condition of the country has become so precarious and shaky that another blow against it, might cause a devastation so difficult to cope, and would place to kingdom come, the very roots of our existence as a free and sovereign nation.

Editors Note:
INM Banwa_Mo Member Felimon ”Mon” Jocson, is a sportman-
businessman; a sugar cane planter and fishpond operator in Negros
Occidental. Presently, he is the Chairman: Membership Committee of
the Association of Ilonggos-Metropolitan Washington D.C. (AIM) Inc.
and is engaged in automotive parts supply in Northern Virginia, USA.
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I AM BISAYA
(Ni Rex "Akoy" Rocamora -INM Banwa_Mo-China)
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May I say, that the present person, that I am has multiple identities. This person has the capacity to choose or to prioritize, which identity is more important. Me, I chose bisaya as my base. My first choice. My first preference among different other identities. The person that I am now, at present, is a Subject....not an object. I am a Subject that acts, not an object which is acted upon.
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Now, as Bisaya person ...I must choose to act ...by bisayanizing hispanic and american influence and all the rest.
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The action is mine being a subject...I am the one to assimilate all foreign influences in my own land to be rightly and properly part of me, of my own bisaya cultural system. Figuratively, eating and digesting are what I do 'para dili ko mabutdan'. Ug para mabusog ang akong kultura. In terms of foreign ideas and languages, by digesting them means...translating them into bisaya. Translation is important. It's making foreign ideas and influences become truly our own.. It digesting and make part of us what is good and flush down to the toilet that which is not suitable.
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We just don't copy or imitate completely. Worse, we don't let ours be replaced by theirs. Or let not be the Bisaya in his rightful place be replaced by a foreigner, Tagalog, European or American. Let the Bisaya act as the Subject and Master of his own destiny and territory. Let him welcome with open arms the spanish and american influences and then assimilate these influences, make it his own. Welcoming and yet assimilating.
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This is the way, the sea welcomes the rivers flowing into it, but then turning the river water into sea water, and make it part of the sea. Thus, writing/translating into bisaya the foreign ideas, good foreign books, etc. is the responsibility of the Bisaya. This is the main one, taking responsibility of one's own language and culture for the benefit of ourselves. Hopefully, it become mutually beneficial, we have done our contribution as Bisayans to the the country, to the world and to the whole humanity. That which, only a Bisayan can do is sharing the bisayan perspective, world view...the bisayan language and culture.
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Meanwhile I'm acting as a Bisaya.(I may be using English now as a tool to communicate to you. I don't deny it's usefulness. But it would defeat my ultimate purpose....because, the more time I use in writing English, the less time I have for writing binisaya. Imagine. Same goes for my time in writing Spanish.)
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Now, finally as a Subject of my destiny. I'm still in the process of recovering the 'words' that have been replaced by Spanish and American words. I'm recalling the bisayan words, relearning them, owning them, creating new ones for words are creations or translations. But wait, adding up new languages is okey, but never replacing bisaya with other language. So, what can help me...recover bisaya....but by acting/thinking in the perspective of a Bisaya.....writing in binisaya.
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This is not purism. Bisayanizing foreign influences is not purism. It is just natural as eating and digesting. So, that our ownbody and soul will grow robust. Let us not be Tagalized, Hispanized or Americanized. ...that's their job for the benefit and growth of their culture. Our job is to bisayanized, to make what's on offer become our own. This the way the bisaya language and culture can grow.
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The worst is when the reverse happens. When the bisaya or austronesian is being hispanized, an object, acted upon. Same as the Bisaya being americanized. Slowly, gradually... ..the bisaya is eaten up...assimilated by either hispanics or american culture into becoming hispanized and americanized. Later on, you won't recognize the bisaya...In terms of language.... bisaya becomes bislis(bisaya english), just as many words in bisaya are being replaced by spanish and english words....then more and more bisayan words will be forgotten. The language goes extinct. This happens when the Bisaya doesn't act as a Subject, or when he doesn't take responsibility of his own language.
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Now, taking responsibility of our own language and culture is first and foremost. But secondly, we are encourage to learn and make use of foreign languages and culure. We will add up. We have in our history the spanish language and cultural influence. We also have the american language and cultural influences. We can make use of it for our own advantage. We can make use of their languages for commerce etc. They have already become very much part of our culture, by virtue of colonialization. Then, the rule of the game is forced on us. Now, let us be free, we are free. Let us be the subject and master of our destiny. No forcing. No mandatory thing. As free person, we do have now the capacity to choose and prioritize.
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I have just shown my priority. Bisaya priority. Bisayanizing all for the benefit and growth of Bisaya. It is like eating all, including foreign things, for the benefit of my Bisayan cultural body.
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Editors Note:
INM Banwa_Mo Member Rex "Akoy" Rocamora, is a Bisaya who grew up in Mindanao.
He is an expert in indigenious peoples and has been staying in China in furtherance of his
research and studies on this subject, among others.
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THE YLONGO COMPOSO: SINGING THE NEWS
(By: Guillermo Gomez Rivera -INM Banwa_Mo: HispanoFilipino eGroup)
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A stronger Spanish influence brought the composo into the scene as a literary medium. It was a stronger medium – a decidedly more powerful instrument for oral mass communication – than the newspaper which was then, as now, not a very effective vehicle of communication among the Filipino masses. Every town and barrio had two or three manog-composo.
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The composo singer, for a small fee, would sing out to the people in minstrel fashion, the latest "news." In the other Philippines regions a sort of a town crier was employed – perhaps for lack of composo singers.
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The composo is superior to the hurubaton in music, or tono. In a flamenco-like manner, Spanish guitar lends color to the narration. While the hurubaton is ad-libbed at the climax of the story, the composo is sung from start to finish. The melody is either a pasacalle, a pasadoble lento or a seguidilla rendered in the mounting style of Ravel’s Bolero. When the narrative nears the decisive part the voice range of the singer, together with his strumming, gets tighter and faster in crescendo until the climax is reached. After a postclimatic pause the epílogo begins. This is where the listeners get the moral of the story. After that comes the usual despedida.
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O, mañga señores
akon na tapuson
ining diutay nakon
nga composó.
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Pañanglit may sayop,
inyong dispensaron,
bag-o lang mag-alam
sining verso nakon.
---
(Oh gentlemen,
I am now going to end
this small
composition of mine.
If there be any mistake,
kindly pardon me,
I have just learned
this verse of mine.)
--
Editors Note:
INM Banwa_Mo Member Guillermo Gómez Rivera, whose roots are "tumandok" of Dingle,
Passi and Calinog in Iloilo --is also related to the old Sino-Hispano families of Molo-Iloilo and
Negros Island. He is the author of HILIGAYNON HARVEST (Filipino Heritage Encyclopedia,
Vol. 6). This former member of the 1971-73 Philippine Constitutional Convention -- National
Language Committee was acclaimed --Laureled Prince of Ylongo Poetry in 1977.
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Philippine Society and the Christian Church
(By Pastor Francis Neil G. Jalando-on -INM Banwa_Mo: JaroIloilo-Phil)

(5th Convention Baptist Youth Fellowship of the Philippines Spiritual and Ecumenical Formation Seminar - October 28, 2005, Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches Headquarters)

First, we will discuss the Philippine national situation. Second, we will discuss Biblical justifications why the Christian Church should get involve in societal issues.
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Philippine National Situation:
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National Government Outstanding Debt
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During Erap’s time, our foreign debt amounted to P1.5 trillion. When GMA took over, the debt ballooned:
2003: Domestic – 1,708,781 Foreign – 1,651,327 Total: 3,355,108
2004: Domestic – 2,001,220 Foreign – 1,810,734 Total: 3,811,954
2005: Domestic – 2,034,992 Foreign – 1,856,040 Total: 3,891,032
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This year we will be paying 1.48 billion pesos a day, or 62 million pesos an hour, 1.03 million pesos a minute.[1] If you divide this to 85 million Filipinos, each of us has a foreign debt of about P50,000 pesos.
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The bulk of the P1.05-trillion proposed national budget for 2006 are earmarked for debt service payments. "Thirty-three percent (33%) of our budget this year went to debt servicing and a measly one percent allocated for health services," said Villar, chairman of the Senate committee on finance. "In the proposed budget for next year, such is the case again, P340 billion will go straight to interest payments. Such disparity has become the norm rather than the exception," he said.[2] The amount is P38.3 billion higher than interest payments for 2005. Next year (2006), foreign debt interest payments will amount to at least P931 million daily or will likely exceed to P1 billion a day.
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This means that the Philippines is caught in a “debt trap.” The debt trap “remains a major reason why poor countries remain poor and are unable to make progress…In a shameful, persistent, and systematic global injustice, debt servicing continues to drain resources away from the poor to the rich of the world on a grand scale.” [3]
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We cannot even lower down the principal amount. No wonder why we are in deep financial crises. The consequence of automatic debt servicing is that only a small percentage of our national budget is allocated to the basic social services of the people. For example, last year, the military and police received P90 billion which was equivalent to budget given to the Department of Education. Meanwhile, the budget given to the agriculture and social security sectors was P60 billion each. Worst, the Department of Health received P9 billion only.
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"Debt servicing continues to corner the bulk of the country’s yearly budget and revenues to the detriment of allotment for social services for the people. The health, education and social welfare sectors have to take a backseat to interest payments. This vicious cycle has got to stop once and for all," Senator Villar said.[4]
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This shows that our government spends more money in paying the interests of debt, buying bullets and guns than in buying medicines, textbooks and improving the agriculture sector. This is the grim reality of the pro-poor policy of our present government.
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The basic question is: why do we borrow? It is because domestic income (tax collections and revenues from government controlled corporations) is not sufficient to finance the projects needed by the government for the growth and development of the country. In short, we have a budget deficit. Borrowing is the simplest way to address this problem. Why in the first place do we have a budget deficit? It is because of graft and corruption, tax evasion and mismanagement of Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs).
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Graft and Corruption, Mismanagement and Tax Evasion
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Morgan Stanley, a respected financial institution reported that the money lost in graft and corruption in the Philippines from 1965 to 2001 amounts to $204 billion or about P12 trillion. Last year (2004), Teodoro Benigno reported that we lose P230 billion each year to government graft and corruption.[5] The P12 trillion pesos loses to graft and corruption is more than enough to pay the almost P4 trillion outstanding debt.
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Last year (2004), Transparency International reported that we are the 3rd most corrupt country in Asia and number 11 in the world. Last January (2005), we got a higher rating. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Standard and Poor agency reported that the Philippines is the number 2 most corrupt country in the whole world, second only to Bangladesh. With this kind of development, our country may become the number 1 most corrupt country by next year.
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It was also reported that the projected losses to be incurred by 25 Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) this 2005 will be P105 billion. One prime example is NAPOCOR. Because of heavy losses, the Government borrowed for the rehabilitation of NAPOCOR. Thus, NAPOCOR’s share on the debt is P1.3 trillion.
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On the issue of tax evasion, the government of Ramos (1993) slapped a P26-billion tax evasion case against Lucio Tan because Tan did not support the candidacy of Ramos. Tan is chairman of Philippine Airlines with interests in banking (Allied bank), beer (Asia Brewery) and tobacco (Fortune). Forbes magazine lists him among the world's billionaires, with assets of up to US$1.5 billion (euro1.14 billion) as of last February 2004. As one of the country's richest men, his case was put into suspension and later dismissed by the BIR because of the political compromises done by the Estrada and lately, the GMA governments.
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Tan’s tax evasion case is just one example on how the “elite” of this country are avoiding taxes and on how also the government is making a decision based on political compromises.
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Thus, these are the main reasons (graft and corruption, tax evasion and mismanagement of Government Owned and Controlled Corporations) why the vicious cycle of “utang” continues.
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Poverty, Unemployment and Underemployment
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This is the reason why 88% of Filipinos are living below the poverty line. The poverty threshold is estimated at about P12,500.00. This means that 88% of Filipinos have an income below P12,500.00. What is more alarming is that 50% of the 85 million Filipinos are living below the subsistence or survival level of income which is estimated by the government for a family of five to be more than P5,000.00 a month. 1/3 or 28 million Filipinos are living on less than P33 pesos a day.[6]
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The unemployment rate as of October 2004 was 11% while the underemployment rate was 17%. This means that about 9 million Filipinos have no jobs and about 14 million Filipinos have jobs not related to the degree which they graduated from.
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The reasons for these realities are the unequal distribution of wealth, unequal distribution of land, government failure to generate income opportunities or jobs, the maintenance of the status quo through bureaucrat capitalism, foreign domination of the economy, and feudal backwardness.[7]
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The Exodus of OFWs
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Because of these realities, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported that last year (2004), 4,000 Filipinos are leaving the Philippines daily to seek “greener pastures” abroad. In 2003, it was only 3,500 while in 2002 it was only about 1,500 people. Soon, thousands of nursing students now will join with other Filipinos in going out of our country. SOME ten percent of the country's more than 80 million people or 8.08 million Filipinos have left the Philippines as of December 2004, said the Commission of Filipinos Overseas (CFO).[8] Some estimates the number of Filipinos living in abroad to 10 million.
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One sad consequence of the flight of our OFWs is the so-called “brain drain.” No competent skilled workers will soon be left in our country. Thus, we will soon suffer or is now suffering the effects of “brain drain.” Just imagine also the multiplication of family problems because of absentee parents, and the problem of sexual immorality of our OFWs.
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The Philippine government is promoting the flight of OFWs rather than making industries and opportunities for the people to stay here. Nobody wants to leave his/her country if the situation is not bad here. But why does the government continue to export our workers? It is because the dollar remittances of these OFWs are the only thing that makes the Philippine economy afloat. If these remittances will stop, the Philippine economy will collapse.
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Last year (2004), close to 10 million Filipinos overseas remitted a total of US$8.5 billion or P467.5 billion to the Philippines . This is 9.2% higher than the US$7.6 billion total of 2003. This is aided by the government pursuit of its labor export program that targets 1 million Filipinos deployed annually. For the first half of this year, 502,772 OFWs were deployed abroad compared to the 483,496 OFWs deployed in the same period in 2004.[9]
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From 1990 to 2001, Filipino migrants remitted a total of $50 billion through the formal banking system. Between 1990 and 2000, remittances made up 5.2 percent of the country’s gross national product.[10] In 2004, almost 10 percent of the Gross National Product is composed of OFW remittances. The amount P467.5 billion is more than half of the 2005 national budget (P907 billion). Now why you see why the Philippine government is so dependent by these remittances.
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We are a nation that is export oriented and import dependent. We do not cultivate our own land and resources for our own but we are dependent to the dole-outs of foreigners. This is our colonial mentality.
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Free Trade and Globalization
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It is sad to say that after the so called ‘liberation’ on World War II by the Americans they introduced into us forcefully its own policies and objectives that transformed us into a ‘neocolony.’ It was a new kind of colonization in which extended the old colonial pattern.
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The financial crisis faced by the Philippines was partly caused by the Bell Trade Relations Act. The Philippine economy started to go down when the Act was accepted in 1946. It was a free trade act that meant unlimited entry of American goods to the Philippines and restricted entry of Philippine goods to the United States . It also deprived the Philippines of its currency sovereignty by fixing the rate of dollar-peso exchange and provided that the rate of exchange could not be changed without the U.S. approval. Agoncillo lamented that “the bad feature of the law, in so far as the Filipinos were concerned, was the provision giving ‘parity’ (equal) rights to Americans in the Philippines, according to which they would have the right to dispose, exploit, develop and utilize all ‘agricultural, timber and mineral lands’ of the Philippines , together with the operation of public utilities and the exploitation of the ‘waters, minerals, coal, petroleum, and mineral resources of the Philippines .’”[11]
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America left the Philippines with no choice but to accept the Bell Trade Act because if the Philippines had decided not to embrace it, the Filipino people will not be able to receive war damage payments. The unfair condition led to the amendment of the Philippine Constitution in order to give “parity” rights to the Americans and granted the retention of American bases in Subic and Clark for a period of ninety-nine years.[12] “As a result, American goods swamped the country so that by 1948, imports had increased substantially. The imports drained the Philippines ’ dollar reserves.”[13]
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Bishop Camba, former Dean of the School of Divinity, Silliman University, has this to say about our hope and struggle to free ourselves from foreign domination, “There is a new religion in our midst now. Its name is Globalization. The gods of this religion are the members of the G-7. Their prophets are the economists and their temples are the megamalls.” This type of domination is very subtle and cannot be understood by most of us but it is very much true. Because of globalization our economy becomes an ‘import dependent, export oriented’ type of economy. Addition to this misery is the GATT or the General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade in which the main sponsor of this bill was no less than President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, while she was still a senator. We opened our doors to the World Trade Organization that resulted to big disasters than gains. Just take a look of our rice and sugar industry, we are now importing rice and sugar from countries all over the world and in order for our local goods to compete in the market our farmers lowered down the prices resulting to big losses. Another addition to the pain in our necks is the OPEC or the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries that control the number of barrels of oil pump everyday and the prices in the world market.
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This is our national situation today in a summarized and comprehensive form. Now, let us go to second part, the Biblical justifications why the Christian Church should get involve in societal issues.
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Biblical/Theological Reasons why the Church should get involve in contemporary and social issues
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1. God is the Creator of everything. Meaning, our mission is not limited in the four corners of the church and other “churchy” affairs but anywhere and for everyone.
Genesis 1:1
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2. God is interested in the affairs of His people. Thus, as Christians, we must involve ourselves in the affairs of the people of God.
Exodus experience. Exodus 3:7-10
Not a distant God. Exodus 13: 21-22
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3. God appointed Prophets to remind the people what kind of society God wants. Meaning, we have a prophetic ministry. We are modern day prophets and prophetess. Throughout the Bible, prophets do not concern themselves in predicting the future but on preaching on an impending disaster if the people will not repent and turn away from their wicked ways.
Rebellious nation. Isaiah 1:2-23
Authority to rebuke. Jeremiah 1:10
Warning to people. Ezekiel 3:17-21; Amos 5:11-15
God does not want worship without action. Micah 6:6-8; Amos 5:21-24
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4. God has given His people the responsibility to be the stewards of His creation. Meaning, we have the mission of restoring the “image of God” - integrity of creation. Restoration of the dignity of people (from death nekros to life kabuhi nga may ginhawa). As God’s stewards, we are “in-charge.” Let us not abuse our “home” – the oikos. The oikomene (whole inhabited world) is where we should practice our ecumenical spirituality.
Genesis 1:26-30
Psalm 8:3-9
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5. God sent Jesus Christ to teach us how we ought to live. Thus, as Christians, we ought to live up to the name “Christian.” If we cannot, then it is better not to call ourselves as such because it will only ruin the name of Jesus Christ.
Salt and light of the world. Matthew 5:13-16
Love God and Neighbor (Good Samaritan). Luke 10:25-29
Mission of Jesus. Luke 4:18-19.
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6. God’s message through the Epistles.
Overcome evil with Good. Romans 12:9-21
Reconciling the world back to God. 2 Corinthians 5:17-20
Fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:13-26
Faith and Works. James 2:14-16
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7. God has envisioned a kind of world which we will live in. We should practice “proleptic anticipation.” Meaning, we must be active in doing what God has envisioned this world to be.
No more violence. Micah 4:1-5
Peace. Isaiah 11:6-9
New heaven and earth. Isaiah 65:17-25; Revelation 21:1-4
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It is hoped that this analysis of Philippine society and theological reflection will help us in continuing the mission of HOPE started by our Lord Jesus Christ. By doing HOPE (Healing, Organizing, Preaching, and Educating), we are instilling hope in the hearts of all people. A Hope that will ignite the Filipino spirit in saying, “TAMA NA! SOBRA NA! PALITAN NA!”
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May the Father’s Love, the Peace in Jesus Christ and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all as we continue to live out our FAITH in the SERVICE of the people of God. Amen.
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References:
[1] http://freedomfromd/ ebtcoalition. org/[2] http://www.newsflas/ h.org/2004/ 02/be/be003209. htm[3] South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, in, Noreena Hertz, The Debt Trap, in, Boo Chanco, “Demand and Supply,” The Philippine Star, September 2, 2005. [4] http://www.malaya/. com.ph/aug26/ news9.htm[5] Teodoro C. Benigno, “Here’s the Score,” in, The Philippine Star, March 10, 2004.[6] http://qc.indymedia/ .org/news/ 2005/07/4026. php[7] Jose Maria Sison, “CHRONIC FINANCIAL CRISIS AND THE WAY OUT”, in, http://bulatlat/. com[8] http://www.sunstar/. com.ph/static/ dum/2005/ 08/30/news/ 10.of.filipinos. left.rp.as. of.04.html[9] Lualhati Roque, International Migrant Resource Center, in, http://qc.indymedia/ .org/news/ 2005/07/4026. php[10] http://bulatlat/. com/news/ 2-50/2-50- braindrain2. html[11] T. Agoncillo, 1990, 433.[12] T. Agoncillo, 1990, 522.[13] H. L. Funtecha and M.J. Padilla, 2000, 148.
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Editors Note:
INM Banwa_Mo Member Pastor Francis Neil G. Jalando-on, is the
Assistant Director, Office for External Affairs and Public Relations of the
Central Philippine University (CPU) -Jaro, Iloilo City. He is also the Host
of "Angtanay sa Katin-aran" CPU Alumni TV Channel-8 in Iloilo City.
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*ANNOUNCEMENTS ______&________MESSAGES*
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Welcome! New INM Banwa_Mo Members:
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*Arnold Geronilla Tanoy -India
*Jard Ryan -Tarawa, Kiribati
*Laura Diago -Ferndale, Mi-USA
--
Nota Bene:
Easy access to Join! INM Banwa_Mo eGroup, was inadvertently "Closed Permanently"
due to wrong key application.
--
Hence, to Join! kindly send email to: Banwa_Mo@yahoo.com with the SUBJECT:
"I wish to join INM Banwa_Mo eGroup".
--
Salamat! --the Moderator
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Ready! AIM! File!
Association of Ilonggos of Metropolitan Washington D.C. (AIM) Inc.
(Website: www.tabligan.org/AIM)

OBITUARIES:
Dear Everyone;
--
*Betty Magalona Gomez, mother of Marylou Gomez, one of AIM, Inc's pioneer
members died last month in the Philippines.
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*Last October 29, 2007, Eulogio (Oloy) Garganera, Jr., brother of Pearl Gauzon
(AIM, Inc's past President and presently Vice President for External Affairs died
also in Iloilo City, Philippines.
--
I am asking everyone to please remember to include Betty and Oloy in your prayers.
Let us all pray and ask the Lord to grant them eternal rest.
--
"Although we pass through the valley of the shadow of death,
God is with us all the way (Ps. 23:4). His hands are on the helm
as He guides us to the heavenly haven He has prepared for us
(John 14: 1-3).
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"Say not it's a dreadful journey, when the Savior leads the way;
It's but passing through the shadows, to the land of endless day!
- Bosch
--
The Magalona-Gomez' and Garganera-Gauzon families are in need of our comfort and
compassion. May they find peace, grace and faith with the thought that we are all with
them in their hour of bereavement.
--
GOD BLESS!
--
For AIM, Inc.,
Zeny A. Tabligan-President
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PerryScope!
(By: Perry Diaz -INM Banwa_Mo: SacramentoCA-USA)
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BILL GATE RECRUITS A NEW CHAIRMAN
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Bill Gates organized an enormous session to recruit a new Chairman for Microsoft Europe.
5000 candidates assembled in a large room. One candidate is MARIO DIMACULANGAN.
--
Bill Gates: Thank you for coming. Those who do not know JAVA may leave.
--
2000 people leave the room.
--
MARIO says to himself, 'I do not know JAVA but I have nothing to lose if I stay.
I'll give it a try'
--
Bill Gates: Candidates who never had experience of managing more than 100
people may leave.
--
2000 people leave the room.
--
Mario says to himself ' I never managed anybody by myself but I have nothing
to lose if I stay. What can happen to me?' So he stays.
--
Bill Gates: Candidates who do not have management diplomas may leave.
--
500 people leave the room.
--
Mario says to himself, 'I left school at 15 but what have I got to lose?' So he stays
in the room.
--
Lastly, Bill Gates asked the candidates who do not speak Serbo-Croat to leave.
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498 people leave the room.
--
Mario says to himself, ' I do not speak one word of Serbo-Croat but what do I have
to lose?' So he stays and finds himself with one other candidate.
--
Everyone else has gone.
--
Bill Gates joined them and said 'Apparently you are the only two candidates who
speak Serbo-Croat, so I'd now like to hear you have a conversation together in
that language.'
--
Calmly, Mario turns to the other candidate and says 'Ano ba yun, pare?'
--
The other candidate answers 'Ewan ko ba pare....'
--
Editors Note:
INM Banwa_Mo Member Perry Diaz, a successful Realtor, Businessman and
Columnist, served as Commissioner of the Sacramento Human Rights and Fair
Housing Commission in California. He is presently the Publisher and Editor of
BALITA-USA an eNews Bulletin with over 3000 subscribers worldwide.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oo0oo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~