Showing posts with label Surallah. Show all posts

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T'boli

Posted on Monday, 3 October 2016

In commemoration of the National Indigenous People’s Month/October

T’boli
By Apolinario B Villalobos

Gentle people of South Cotabato -
Epitome of strength who moves with agility
But graceful enough to sway with the wind
With innocent smile easily parting their lips
And laughter that crease their gentle face.

Fortunate people, contentedly they live -
In the fastness of green, rivers, hills and valleys
By God’s will, long- hidden from lowlanders
Which did them good, but then time came -
The haze was parted, and finally, they were seen.

Clothed in patiently - pounded fibers
And woven into the smooth cloth - t’nalak
The men stand proud in the earth-colored garb
While women looking regal in their vivid dress
Seen from afar, they seem to float in the breeze.

People of the rainbow, these people are -
And placid that made them prey to the greedy
But to them, God is kind, made them secured
From harm that only the heartless could inflict
And nature’s wrath, to them could easily wreak.

Straight from their heart, to God they pray
Sincere praises are mumbled by betel-red lips
No pretensions in their offered dances
Pleadings are for their safety and health
That for them are well- cherished wealth…


 (The T’boli is one of the indigenous tribes of the Philippines, found in the southern part of the archipelago, particularly, South Cotabato province, island of Mindanao)







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Fr. Joseph Borreros and his Journey through Life

Posted on Friday, 11 December 2015

Fr. Joseph Borreros and his Journey through Life
…from a struggling student assistant
to an Orthodox priest, and educator with Divine guidance
By Apolinario Villalobos

As a youth, he was among the wave of adventurous migrants from Panay Island, particularly, Dao, Capiz who came to Cotabato. He found his place in the Tacurong Pilot School as a Grade Six pupil in 1961. His family lived in the market of the town which that time was just weaned as a barrio of Buluan. He continued his studies at the Magsaysay Memorial Colleges of the same town. In college, he took up a pre-Law course at the University of San Agustin in Iloilo City but failed to pursue it when he succumbed to a sickness.

He went back to Tacurong and took up Bachelor of Arts in Notre Dame of Tacurong College. To support his studies, he worked as a janitor and later as Library Assistant in the same school. That was during the directorship of Fr. Robert Sullivan, OMI, a kind Irish priest. After his graduation, he taught at the Notre Dame of Lagao in General Santos, South Cotabato for three years.

In 1973 he got interned at the Marist Novitiate in Tamontaka, Cotabato City, and professed temporarily in 1975 during which he was assigned as a Marist Brother at the Notre Dame of Marbel Boys’ Department (Marbel is now known as Koronadal City). From Marbel, he was sent back to the Notre Dame of Lagao.

In 1976, he left the religious congregation of Marist Brothers, but was taken in by Bishop Reginald Artiss, CP, the bishop of Koronadal, to assist in the establishment of the Christian Formation Center which was located at the back of the cathedral. For two years, he went around the parishes and diocese covered by the authority of Bishop Artiss in training members of the Kriska Alagad, Lay Cooperatos, as well as, in establishing Basic Christian Communities.

As Bishop Artiss perceived his potential as a cleric, he was sent to the Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao in Catalunan Grande, Davao City. Fortunately, due to his extensive and intensive pastoral formation background, he was privileged to skip subjects related to it. After four years of theological studies at the said seminary, he was ordained as a priest on April 1, 1982 by Bishop Guttierez, DD, of Koronadal. His first assignment was the parish of Sta. Cruz , formerly politically under South Cotabato, but today, that of Sarangani Province.

In 1985, he was a “floating” priest, awaiting appointment as Superintendent of Diocesan schools and temporarily established his residency at Our Lady of Parish in Polomolok, South Cotabato with the late Fr. Godofredo Maghanoy. The following year, he was finally designated to the mentioned position which he held for three years.

In 1989, he went on a study leave to take up Masters of Science in Educational Management at the De La Salle University in Manila which he finished in 1991. Two years later, he was about to finish his Doctorate in Religious Education pending the completion of his dissertation under the guidance of Bro. Andrew Gonzalez, FSC, but failed to do so due to an important and life-turning decision….to have a family and develop a Non-Government Organization. Driven by his new-found advocacy in life, he worked as Coordinator of the Community Volunteers’ Program under the Council of People’s Development, a Pastoral NGO of Bishop Labayen for three years in Infanta, Quezon.

From 1995 to 2004, he was with the Philippine Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas (PhilDHRRA) as a Monitoring Officer of the projects in governance. While with the said NGO, he studied Orthodoxy theology on his own, a week after which, he was consecrated by His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew at the Orthodox Cathedral located at Sucat, Paraἧaque, Metro Manila.

He was inspired to bring along his former 61 parishioners in Maricaban, a depressed area in Pasay City when he presented himself and his family to Fr. Philemon Castro, parish priest of the Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral in Paraἧaque. Like him, he found his former flock to be also journeying spiritually. After several months of catechism, they were accepted to the Orthodox Church. They were further accepted by the former Metropolitan Nikitas Lulias of Hongkong and Southeast Asia.  A little later, Fr. Joseph was ordained to the Minor Orders as “Reader”, for which he started to render regular duty at the Cathedral on Sundays which did not affect his NGO-related activities.

He was asked to leave his NGO responsibilities in 2004, in exchange for which he was sent to Greece to serve as a full worker in the Ministry – live with the monks of the Monastery of St. Nicholas of Barson in Tripoli, southern Greece. Afterwards he was sent back to the Philippines to do catechesis in different mission areas, particularly, in Laguna, Sorsogon and Masbate.

In 2006, he was ordained to the Orthodox priesthood and assigned under the Omophorion of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople which is presently headed by His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew, Successor to the Apostolic Throne of St. Andre, the first-called apostle.

In 2009, he did mission work in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. Until today, he carries the same responsibilities but the area expanded to include SOCSKSARGEN area (South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos), as well as, Davao del Sur.

To date, he was able to firmly establish three communities, such as: Holy Resurrection Orthodox Community in Lake Sebu; St. Isidore of Chios Orthodox Community in San Guillermo, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur; and Apostles St. Andrew and James Orthodox Community in Kisulan, Kiblawan, Davao del Sur.

Aside from taking care of the Sacramental life of the faithful, his mission work also includes values formation of students. Two particular schools that are benefiting from this are the Marvelous College of Technology, Inc. in Koronadal City, and Pag-asa Wisdom Institute in Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat where he also serves as Principal. According to Fr. Joseph, the two institutions are community-centered, privately-owned, mission-oriented and most especially, cater to the less in life but with a strong desire to overcome their socio-economic barriers.

Fr. Joseph and his family live at the Theotokos Orthodox Mission Center in Surallah, and which also serves as the nucleus of his mission works. His life is typically austere as shown by the structure that accommodates his flock during worship days. The same character also defines the rest of the “chapels” throughout the areas that he covers. But since there are other things that his Mission needs, he unabashedly appeals to the “mission-minded souls to help in their capacity, sustain, strengthen, so that it will grow with flourish for the glory of God”.

Fr. Joseph, as an ordained Orthodox priest has been given the name, “Panharios”.

For those who are interested to reach out to Fr. Joseph, his address is at:
Theotokos Orthodox Mission Center
120 Dagohoy St., Zone 5
Surallah, South Cotabato
Philippines

Email: theotokos_mission@haoo.com
Cellphone: 09165433001


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T'boli

Posted on Friday, 2 October 2015

T’boli
By Apolinario B Villalobos

Gentle people of South Cotabato -
Epitome of strength who moves with agility
But graceful enough to sway with the wind
With innocent smile easily parting their lips
And laughter that crease their gentle face.

Fortunate people, contentedly they live -
In the fastness of green, rivers, hills and valleys
By God’s will, long- hidden from lowlanders
Which did them good, but then time came -
The haze was parted, and finally, they were seen.

Clothed in patiently - pounded fibers
And woven into the smooth cloth - t’nalak
The men stand proud in the earth-colored garb
While women looking regal in their vivid dress
Seen from afar, they seem to float in the breeze.

People of the rainbow, these people are -
And placid that made them prey to the greedy
But to them, God is kind, made them secured
From harm that only the heartless could inflict
And nature’s wrath, to them could easily wreak.

Straight from their heart, to God they pray
Sincere praises are mumbled by betel-red lips
No pretensions in their offered dances
Pleadings are for their safety and health
That for them are well- cherished wealth…


 (The T’boli is one of the indigenous tribes of the Philippines, found in the southern part of the archipelago, particularly, South Cotabato province, island of Mindanao)


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A Recollection: The Sta. Cruz Mission of Fr. Rex in Lake Sebu

Posted on Tuesday, 29 July 2014



A Recollection: The Sta. Cruz Mission
of Fr. Rex in Lake Sebu
by Apolinario Villalobos

When I was in college, I joined a group from our school that visited the Sta. Cruz Mission in Lake Sebu. We were just a bunch of ordinary and curious students who gawked at the colorful costumes of the T’bolis and excitedly bought souvenirs. Never did I know that, years later, I would retrace my steps to the sprawling “village” composed of several cottages, the biggest of which housed the Administration Office.

When I joined the Tours and Promotions of PAL, the said office received an invitation to the Foundation Day Celebration of the Sta. Cruz Mission. As I was in-charge of the department’s tourism promotion publication, I was given the instruction to represent the office. Excitedly, I took a flight that brought me to General Santos where I met again the station officials who interviewed me when I applied to the company as ticketing clerk. On hand were Mr. Francisco Abiera, the Station Supervisor and his assistant, Mr. Manuel Vega. They had been closely coordinating my arrival with the officials of the Sta. Cruz Mission, the couple, Emma and Boy Crespo.

When I arrived at the Mission, Mr. and Mrs. Crespo introduced me to Fr. Rex, the Mission’s founder. I gathered that the Mission’s seed fund was donated by his parents.  Later, his relatives and friends in the United States pooled additional funds and sent them to him. His vision was to make the Mission “self-liquidating” by subsisting on its own funds generated from the handcrafted products purchased from the indigenous communities around the Mission and sold to walk- in tourists and through an outlet in Manila. I found out that their sales outlet along A. Mabini St., in Ermita, was supervised by Luz Campo, a classmate in college. I was also glad to have met another college classmate, Thelma Pama, assigned at the Administration Office.

I gave assurance to Fr. Rex, as well as, Mr. and Mrs. Crespo, that Philippine Airlines was all out in promoting their advocacy, especially, among the expatriate communities that were already in close contact with our office as regards their outdoor activities, especially, birdwatching and exploration of indigenous communities.

The following year, when another invitation was received by our office and referred to me, I immediately got in touch with Jill de Villa, an American expatriate who had two Philippine travel books to her name. In no time at all, she was able to alert other members of their group for a trip to Lake Sebu. It was during the second visit that I met my Geometry teacher in high school, former Leonor Palabrica Arzagon (now, Mrs. Pagunsan) but, who at the time of our meeting at Lake Sebu was the President of the Notre Dame of Marbel University. I learned from her that their school had also been promoting the Mission to help them raise funds.

It was Fr. Rex who brought the indigenous communities of Lake Sebu to the attention of tourists from the state where his family lived. Later on, by word of mouth, the information spread to their friends in other parts of America. The sales outlet in the Ermita district, on the other hand, was busy in sending boxes of handicrafts to as far as Japan. The members of the expatriate communities in Manila also bought their souvenirs from the same outlet.

Fr. Rex and the Sta. Cruz Mission, practically sparked the fire of interest that even caught the attention of the national government. The Department of Tourism lost no time in checking the T’boli land for extensive information which was furnished to the then, First Lady Imelda Marcos. Soon, glossy Philippine tour brochures were never without at least a photo of a colorfully-attired T’boli woman or an indigenously-clad couple. A little later, the issue on T’saday, the “cave dwellers”, a project of Manda Elizalde, hugged the limelight. But that is another story, as it was not spared from a controversy.

The Sta. Cruz Mission of Fr. Rex was a lesson on how a simple seed donation could prosper into an internationally-recognized effort because of the sincerity of those who were involved to establish a strong spiritual foundation. The Mission hired local graduates from parochial schools, particularly, Notre Dame, equipped only with a basic knowledge in accountancy to keep the office ledgers in order. Other hired young women and men who graduated with courses that varied from Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (BSEEd), Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE), and Liberal Arts (LA), trekked over hills and crossed treacherous rivers in order to be with their assigned indigenous communities. They stayed with their communities for five to six days a week, to impart to them knowledge from textbooks, Bible and their own experiences. Practically, these lay missionaries became the “ parents” of the different clusters of indigenous communities.

The young lay missionaries who reached out to the communities, jeopardized their own safety. There were stories of how some of them survived from being drowned due to the strong currents of rivers that they had to cross. Some encountered snakes along the trails. I observed their strong attachment to their communities every time they went down the mountains to gather at the Mission for the Foundation Day celebration. In order to attend the parade on the Big Day, families went down from their mountain abodes a day before. Those coming from the far villages would light their way using torches as soon as darkness overtook them.  With them were their “parents” – the young lay missionaries of the Sta. Cruz Mission. Every time I attended the Foundation Day, I saw to it that I stayed late at night until the wee hours of the morning to watch the parade of torches coming down mountain trails and out of the forests toward the Mission. It was a sight to behold!

As soon as every community was accounted for, a parade was held around Lake Sebu, culminating at the Mission activity grounds, the central area of which was canopied for the Mass. The expatriate women led by Jill de Villa were delighted and grateful to have attended a Foundation Day celebration as they had the chance to see a unique Mass, wherein, during Offertory, leaders of the different indigenous communities brought to the altar their baskets overflowing with offering that consisted of their respective produce. They were preceded by young T’bolis in colorful attire, dancing to the rhythm of indigenous instruments. It was a very memorable experience for the visiting American women. One of them told me that she could not help shedding tears while looking at the solemn faces of the natives whose eyes were all focused to the altar where Fr. Rex was officiating the ceremony. The Mass which was enhanced with native ritual during the Offertory took longer than the usual one hour, but I found out that it was the reason why lowlanders flocked to the celebration of the Mission’s Foundation Day, aside from the night-long torch caravans down mountain trails.

The T’boli as a community of indigenous Filipinos, became synonymous with South Cotabato, more popular than the place where they live, Lake Sebu which is a namesake of the biggest of the three lakes in the area. On the other hand, T’nalak, a handwoven T’boli fabric sourced from the fibers of abaca is used today, to denote a festival in Surallah, also a town of South Cotabato province and the gateway to T’boli land, and which lately, has been drawing local and foreign tourists.

The gateway to the colorful T’boli and other indigenous communities of Lake Sebu is Surallah, which can be reached from Cotabato City, Koronadal City, General Santos City, Tacurong City, and Isulan. Airports are located at Cotabato City and General Santos City, from which commuters can take airconditioned buses and vans to Isulan, Tacurong City and Koronadal City, from where jeepneys can be taken to Surallah for a connecting ride to Lake Sebu. For convenient travel, however, airconditioned vans and buses can be contracted at the four mentioned cities, and the town of Isulan for direct trips to Lake Sebu.