Edmund Rice Brothers - Philippines Mission Diary - 9
19th November 2007
Thanks to Br Berkeley Fitzhardinge, of Broome fame, all our newsletters are now on a website. All one needs to do is to click on this link: http://www.christianbrothers.com.au/erpm/diary.htm
You can also add the site to your favourites and then have access to all the newsletters which now number nine. The other good thing is you don’t have to rely on the email system anymore as Berkeley will keep this site updated each fortnight. Thanks a million Berkeley for your generous support on this one. This link is also in my website of course: www.peterthrupp.com which some of you have already.
I have now settled on a title for this fortnightly news piece “Edmund Rice Brothers-Philippines Mission” Some might wonder why not “Christian Brothers”? Well we are advised that this name, in the Philippines, is associated with the “De La Salle Brothers” who in turn are associated with well-to-do and elite schools and Universities. (Sounds familiar) I guess we want to convey a different message while working up here. Also we are in the process of setting up “Edmund Rice Brothers The Philippines Incorporated”, a legal necessity apparently, after being denied “Christian Brothers incorporated”. Maybe the Spirit is at work here and here’s the good bit, it also provokes the telling of the Edmund Story, which we love to do at every opportunity. Carl Sherrin is now the proud owner of a laptop thanks to Rod and he has had four lessons from me already. You unbelievers in NSW will just have to stop and wonder at the saying “You’re never too old to learn new tricks”.
We are all well here in Davao and are now in our tenth week of study. The going is tough, but we encourage each other and I think it is starting to bear fruit. Cebuano is slowly becoming our main method of interacting with each other at School. There will come a time, I hope, when English is no longer our dominant means of communication around the school and home. We are not quite there yet. Frank is starting to tell me off when I explain myself in English instead of trying to do it in Cebuano, so I guess it’s only a matter of time now. The Cebuano word that has taken my fancy this week in “utitud” which is the very small ant that takes over everything here; they are even in my computer. They are smaller than our house variety at home and you can only really see them when they move. They are incredibly small, believe me.
I had my first visit to a Doctor the other day. Unfortunately, after recovering from the tummy upset, I then got this ear infection, which has caused me all sorts of difficulties. A course of antibiotics have done their job and I am recovering well enough “Salamat sa Dios”. Everyone else is fine. Fr Ely is not well and your prayers would be appreciated. The community is praying to Edmund daily for his speedy return to full health. We believe a new Kidney is required and this is being organised, so let’s hope all goes well. He is in Cebu Hospital at the moment. He was travelling from Manila to Davao and only made it to Cebu.
The run up to Christmas has begun in earnest. The shops here are worse than at home; you
can’t shop for the trees. (Christmas Trees of course) Every thing is cheaper here though the luxury items are on the whole quite expensive. The religious devotions have picked up a little and no doubt I will have a lot more to share on this matter latter in the year. I now can claim to have visited four Islands Luzon, Cebu, Negros and Mindanao. There are well over 7000 islands so I guess visiting them all is out of the question. We will be visiting Leyte after Christmas and I personally am looking forward to this as Frank and Carl have already spent some time earlier this year. The tickets have been bought so we will pop over there after Christmas period which we intend to spend with our brothers in Kabankalan.
The fishing fleet was spotted as Rod drove me from the airport to Kabankalan though I don’t think the industry is thriving due to pollution and over fishing. Bapor, as they are called, are a long slender vessel with bamboo outriggers. They are used a lot to transport people from one part of the river to another or for carrying goods as well as people to neighbouring islands. These people tend to live in very poor hovels built over the river and have little or no protection from the elements. I read in the paper that 18 million people in the Philippines live in poverty, which translates to earning less than a Dollar a day. A staggering statistic if it is true. The President has vowed to eliminate poverty by 2010. I don’t think so; though I do remember the promise was made by one of our Prime Ministers once many years ago.Below are more photos of Muslin and Christian children working side by side in a Mindanao school west of here. The first photo is of Primary kids performing and the second is of girls in their traditional dress, dancing.
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Kabankalan News:
Br Barry Lynch is nearing the end of his time with us, leading the God in the Now retreat. He flies out on Thursday 22nd November. Apart from the four Brothers, the retreat participants were: Rolando De La Cruz and Michael Arcedas, teachers at Immaculate Conception Academy (ICA), Danacalan, 10 km from Kabankalan, Teresa Ramos, the Cathedral Choir Leader, Drusila Pico who is home from Perth where she has lived for many years and is here to be with her aged mother and to plan her permanent return to Kabankalan soon, Lea Verela our good neighbour who says, “Ask me anything you want to know about Kabankalan, Brothers and I will tell you!” Sr. Victoria PVBM – there are two communities of Prezzies 13 km and 24 km north of Kabankalan; she and Melinda Famosa, a young grandmother, drive 24 km from Binalbagan for the retreat sessions, picking up Pabs Gonzala along the way. Rolando has often been in our house for prayer, meals and the occasional meeting. He is probably the next Principal of ICA, a high school with about 600 students. Michael recently left the seminary of an overseas Clerical Missionary Congregation and has taken a position teaching RE and Computing at ICA. He appears to have a thirst for the spiritual life. Pabs is a Chemical Engineer who has given his life to serve the poor. He spent many years working with Indigenous People in the mountains. He is currently assisting the priest in a nearby parish. Melinda is someone we had not met before. She is reserved but appears to be deeply spiritual. We Brothers have found this a very helpful retreat, made even better by interaction with these Filipinos and their deep spirituality.
Tuesday evening is our last retreat session. We will have a 'bring a plate' meal (they call it 'pot-luck' here) after the session. Barry will have a final day with us and maybe share a little further with just the four of us Wednesday night, then he is off on Thursday - heading for Rome a few days later for a meeting of the Chapter steering committee, of which he is chair.
So that’s it for now till next time. Yours in Edmund Peter X Thrupp.
