The San Pedro Calungsod Parish Church of Tacurong City
Posted on Monday, 19 December 2016
The San Pedro Calungsod Parish Church of
Tacurong City
By Apolinario Villalobos
My curiosity about the new San Pedro
Calungsod parish was triggered by the information about it from Bogz Jamorabon
last year. Then I came across the photo-posts of Ruoma “Amor” Maluyo Taganas in
his facebook. The photos from exactly a year ago, as it was taken during
December, too, showed kids waking up and preparing for the Misa de Gallo and
their unguarded moments while resting and taking catnaps. For me, their
recorded unguarded moments were manifestations of heartfelt sacrifice. They are
the members of the Knights of the Altar of San Pedro Calungsod Parish.
To date, the San Pedro Calungsod parish church
is yet, a structure of massive and imposing concrete circular wall within which
is the worship area with an altar, several chairs and benches, and covered with
rubberized tarpaulin. Though frugally initiated, the effort to put up the
foundation can be considered monumental, as the parish has just been
established only in October 23, 2014 to serve the faithful who live far from
the city, and in barangays such as Montilla, Lachica, the Upper and Lower
Katungal, Baras, New Passi, and New Isabela. The parish is politically within
the jurisdiction of Barangay New Isabela.
Admirably, the church leader, Amor lives
“on the other side” of the city, San Emmanuel which is part of the parish of
Our Lady of the Holy Candle, and far from the San Pedro Calungsod. I learned
that he patiently motors his way to the parish from his home using a “single”
motorcycle. Sometimes, we cannot really tell when the call of devotion would
come as it did to Amor and to answer such call, he might be scrimping on some
personal needs to save for the fuel of his motorcycle.
The land on which the church stands has
been donated by the Notre Dame Educational Association Foundation-Tacurong. The
area covered by the parish is partly agricultural, being filled with pockets of
African palm, corn, rice, plots of vegetables, as well as, residential, shown
by newly-developed subdivisions sliced from lands that saw good old days as
rice and corn fields. Not far from it is Tacurong’s famous wildlife sanctuary
for migratory birds, the Baras Bird Sanctuary operated by Rey Malana with the
financial assistance of the city government. A little farther still, is another
tourist landmark of the city, the Vicenteaux International Resort in New Passi,
operated by Roger Bernardo, a self-made barrio guy who, through dint of hard
work and frugality was able to etch his name in the city’s political landmark
and contributed a lot to its economic development.
The parish provides a “short cut” passage
to Banga and Surallah, towns of South Cotabato. Surallah is the gateway to
T’boli, a tribal community which is among the country’s touristic come-ons for
culture enthusiasts. Providing the natural western boundary with Isulan, site
of the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Capitol, is the Kapingkong River which many
locals prefer to call Katungal River. It connects with the Rio Grande de
Cotabato and used to teem with crocodiles, but today, only their cousins, the
“bayawak” can be found along the banks dense with tall tropical grass and
occasional trees. But they may not last for long because they are being hunted
for food.
When I visited the parish church with only
Amor aware of my arrival, I found volunteers decorating the Mass area for the
Misa de Gallo with the bemoustached Fr. Diosdado A. Esguerra, DCC, himself, who
was simply clad in t-shirt, denims and slippers. He was a picture of humility
and whose fatherly affection to his volunteers was obvious. He melded with them
well, as I even thought that he was not the parish priest, had not Amor told
me. On the other hand, Amor exudes similar humility duplicated by his prudence,
as he does not talk if not spoken to.
The parish is aptly named after the young
Filipino saint, San Pedro Calungsod who only had a palm leaf with him to
symbolize the coming of the Christian Faith to a Pacific island that he and
other Catholic missionaries visited. The faithful of the new parish on the
other hand, are one in singing the “Hallelujah” for the realization of their
dream…to have a church not far from their home.
I am calling on balikbayan Tacurongnongs to
include in their itinerary a visit to the San Pedro Calungsod Church, if they
plan to visit T’boli, birdwatch at the Baras Bird Sanctuary and later proceed
to the Vicenteaux International Resort in New Passi for a refreshing dip in the
pools of spring water. A visit would give them an idea on what to sincerely offer
to San Pedro Calungsod. The church is on the left side, after the traditionally
called “Crossing Rajah Muda”, if one takes the “short cut” to Banga and
Surallah.
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