SHEC June 2010 Highlights

June usually marks the start of the rainy season. While God's blessings pour like rain on all, we ought to keep in mind that the poor and oppressed have a special place in God's compassionate heart. It is mainly for them in fact that Jesus preached the Kingdom and its Good News to the poor (see Mk 1:14-15; Lk 4:16-21). And the challenge of Jesus for those who get very wet with God's downpour of blessings is to share their resources with the less fortunate. This, needless to say, is an indispensable criterion for salvation (see Mk 10:17-27; Mt. 25:31-46; Acts 2:43-47).

Refreshed and Energized

Jesus often retired to quiet, deserted places in order to connect to his Father in prayer. In doing so, he was always energized and refreshed. As a result, he tirelessly proclaimed the Kingdom of God, energizing and refreshing people,

especially the poor and oppressed. As followers of Jesus, the Kingdom workers of SHEC (administration and staff) energized themselves through a r

ecollection held at Virgoni Resort, Pulilan, Bulacan last June 3, 2010. Spirit-filled and Spirit-driven as ever, the zealous apostles to the margins returned to the slums to continue working for God’s compassion and justice. The recollection was organized by Fr. Orville Cajigal, RCJ.

SWM Seminar for Healthy Creation

One of the key solutions to our worsening ecological cris

is is authentic care for creation through the observance of eco-friendly practices. This is not a mere response to a passing problem. It should rather be a way of life, for salvation after all is not only for humans but for creation as well. Kingdom practice then necessarily includes ecological advocacy. Accordingly, Fr. Orville Cajigal, RCJ, environment committee head, organized a series of Solid Waste Management Seminar (SWM) for Phase 3 members last June 5 and 12 respectively at SHEC Training Center.

Building Communities Through Sports

Full of the energies proper to youngsters, the Rogate Youth SHEC chapter (comprised of the youth from Baseco and Pasay) showcased their skills and talents during the sports festival which was held at the Green Court last June 18, 2010. Thanks to the organizer, Bro. Jonathan Medalla, the successful affair contributed much to the bonding and growth in camaraderie among SHEC youth.

Thanks, Atty. Arzaga

In gratitude to Atty. Fermin Arzaga and companions, a ceremonial take out of the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) was conducted last June 28, 2010 at Phase 2. The event was attended by Fr. Dexter Prudenciano, RCJ, Fr. Orville Cajigal, RCJ, Bro. George Espin, Atty. Ernesto Atienza and the officers of the St. Hannibal Home Owners Association.

SHEC May 2010 Highlights

May is a month when flowers of rare beauty bloom. In the perspective of faith, routine and ordinary events could be flowers of rare beauty manifesting God’s blessing-filled acts of justice, compassion and liberation. God’s wonders indeed never cease, and they are here to stay so long as there are zealous Kingdom workers (see Mt 10:5-7).

Voters’ Education for Phases 2 and 3
May 3, 2010 was a busy day for Ma. Victoria Infante and some Rogate Youth members who facilitated a Voters’ Education for residents of Phases 2 and 3 at Barangay 184, Cornejo, Malibay. Truly, God is the Lord of all, and his justice continues to shape politics through modern day prophets.

Urban Gardening for Healthy Ecology
Healthy creation is a part of total salvation (see Rom 8:21). Accordingly, on May 13, 2010 the Solid Waste Management leaders of Phase 2 established a partnership with TAO Pilipinas regarding environment projects, particularly on urban gardening.

Team-Building for Rogate Youth
The Kingdom of God is about fellowship of persons forming a family of love and friendship (see Mt 22:2-9). To deepen and strengthen this value of the Kingdom among the Rogate Youth, a team-building activity facilitated by Ma. Victoria Infante was held last May 22-23, 2010 at San Rafael, Bulacan. United amidst their diversity, the youth hopefully would grow in number, making thus the fellowship of God’s children alive and dynamic.

SHEC Baseco: Another Blessing to the Poor
The work of God is truly unstoppable, and his Kingdom remains the goal we strongly work, wait and hope for (see 2 Pt 3:13). The blessing of SHEC Baseco Office last May 30, 2010 at block 6, old site, Baseco is a manifestation that the Kingdom will surely grow into a robust mustard tree under which the poor and oppressed may find justice and liberation (see Mt 13:31-32). The affair was graced with the presence of Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales and Fr. Bruno Rampazzo, RCJ.

Two-fold Celebration of St. Hannibal’s Feast
The month ended with a two-fold celebration: The Staff and Collaborators’ Night as well as the Youth Night. These special nights were dedicated to St. Hannibal whose feast falls on the 31st of May.
Learning could be fun, for the Kingdom is also about laughter and joy (see Mt 6:21). The meaningful night with the youth was fun-filled as they learned more about St. Hannibal. The hope of the nation and the church showed the influence of St. Hannibal in their lives through their talents. The neophytes among them enjoyed watching while they learned about St. Hannibal’s life and teachings. The celebration was successful, thanks to the initiative of Fr. Orville Cajigal, RCJ.

On the other hand, through the leadership of Fr. Dexter Prudenciano, RCJ, the staff and collaborators of SHEC celebrated their own night in which the renovated office and organic farm at Cornejo and were blessed, the graduation of farm managers was conducted, and the plans for SHEC Bulacan, Banaue and phase 3 housing were presented.

SHEC Updates for April 2010

ROGATE YOUTH EVENTS

A general assembly for the Rogate Youth-SHaCC was held on April 11, 2010 at the SHEC office in Cornejo. The energetic young people were jubilant over the opportunity to discover their talents, and to showcase the same. The occasion also served as an avenue for peer encouragement and edification. Ms. Ma. Victoria Infante was overall coordinator for this event.

On April 18, 2010 another gathering was conducted, this time to inculcate the value of awareness and involvement in social issues affecting the youth. Held at the SHEC office and facilitated by Ms. Ruth Valmoria, the training promoted youth participation and active dialogue. It also improved the confidence of participants to voice out their informed opinions and critical analysis on both local and national issues.

As a preparatory activity to the RY-SHEC Camp, a pre-camp orientation was conducted on April 22 to 23 at the SHEC office in Cornejo. Here the vision, mission, and programs of SHEC were revisited. A call to unity among the RY-SHEC was also posed as a challenge, which the youth willingly accepted. This activity was facilitated by Fr. Dexter Prudenciano and Fr. Orville Cajigal with support from Ma. Victoria Infante, Thanvi Medalla, and the Farm Managers.

The RY-SHEC National Camp and National Day of Prayer was held on April 24 and 25 at Merville Seminary. On top of the camaraderie that was fostered, a national structure for the Rogate Youth emerged. The Youth Ministry and Values Formation departments teamed up to make this a successful reality.

SHEC PABaNAL OUTING

Leaders in the community also experienced a much-deserved time for fun and relaxation. On April 16, 2010 PABaNAL leaders and members enjoyed a day trip to the hot springs capital of the country in Pansol, Laguna. It was a much-appreciated time for bonding among PABaNAL leaders and members, as Fr. Christopher Sabili and Thanvi Medalla facilitated the reflection, sharing, and evaluation activities related to the PABaNAL organization’s accomplishments over the past year.

VOTERS’ EDUCATION
The first run of SHEC’s Voters’ Education campaign was conducted on Aril 19 at the SHEC office. The facilitators tackled the what’s, why’s, who’s, and when’s of the then upcoming national election. Particularly, the automated system was introduced and discussed so that the spread of unnecessary fears and misconceptions would be prevented. Guidelines for choosing leaders of both competence and character were also discussed. Participants came out of the seminar assured of an election that can work with their participation and support.

SHEC Updates March 2010

Summer is here! Amidst the sweltering heat, SHEC continues to be fired up for service in the mission field. Truly, no hardship can hinder Kingdom workers to be poured out in mission for total human and cosmic salvation. For, needless to say, not even the fires of hell (of which we are reminded because of global warming) will prevail over the community that Jesus inspired and empowered (Mt 16:18).

Here are some highlights from the major ministry activities:
Community Organizing
Under the guidance of BASECO Community Organizer Fr. Christopher Sabili, PABaNAL leaders and members received three (3) strategic trainings that will enable them to effectively continue relevant and meaningful development projects in the community.

One distinctive mark of Kingdom communities is their radical and equitable sharing of resources in which the rich are challenged to distribute their wealth to the poor (see Mk 10:17-27; Acts 2 43-47). A contemporary way of re-appropriating the spirit of communion of the first Kingdom communities is to design empowerment programs for the poor, on the one hand, and to request the rich to finance the programs, on the other hand. Accordingly, the first training is on project management and grant proposal preparation conducted on March 5 at the De Gracia Chapel in Block 1, Gasangan. Resource speaker Jonathan Medalla facilitated the session by revisiting the PABaNAL vision and mission statements.

In keeping with the central advocacy of the Kingdom which is the promotion of good news to the poor or justice and liberation (Lk 4:18-19) the second workshop focused on Human Rights (HR) awareness which was facilitated by Commission on Human Rights staff Atty. Name Mosqueda with the assistance of Mr. Caloy Sabile and Jonathan Medalla. 70 participants from 18 phases joined the activity, aimed at developing the self-confidence of each one on legal processes, assertion of rights as a people’s organization in the areas of active participation, involvement and consultation. The seminar was conducted on March 6 at the PABaNAL Tent in Gasangan.

The third activity was a paralegal training on the Urban Development Housing Act of 1992, held on March 27 at the De Gracia Chapel. PABaNAL leaders in particular benefited from this training that was conducted by the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor Commissioner, Ed Rancio with the assistance of Ms. Rosy (surname), Mr. Ariel (surname), Mr. Jonathan Medalla, and Fr. Christopher Sabili.

YOUTH
Young people from the SHEC community also received relevant training this onset of summer.

On March 13th, eight (8) Rogate Youth participated in the Ka-Talk forum of the Archdiocese of Manila, dubbed as “Dahil Mahal Kita”, a social awareness program held at the Paco Catholic School in Manila. Youth Ministry head Ms. Ma. Victoria Infante joined the youth in this exciting forum. The moral demand of the Kingdom is conversion (see Mk 1:15), which is also about change of perspectives or paradigms resulting from significant awareness. It is hoped that awareness programs may significantly mold the youth, the hope of the Kingdom.

In keeping with Kingdom spirituality which is also essentially an eco-spirituality, a series of workshop on Solid Waste Management (SWM) was conducted to empower the youth on pro-actively caring for the environment. The sessions were held on March 14 and 28 at the SHEC office in Cornejo. As proof that these trainings indeed help build capacity, the sessions were facilitated by graduates of earlier SWM training courses.

Not to forget spiritual development and connectivity with the Lord, the Source of fresh energy, SHEC youth gathered at the SHEC Office for a day of prayer and reflection on March 21, 2010. This recollection was facilitated by Mr. Jojie Juanero and the Rogate Youth.

Staff And Organizational Development
Summer is not complete without proper rest and recreation activity for the ever-diligent and hardworking Kingdom apostles, the SHEC staff and volunteers. A recollection and outing was therefore organized and held on March 19 and 20 at the famous Balay Isabel in Batangas. SHEC Executive Director Fr. Dex Prudenciano, RCJ was overall person-in-charge for this much-awaited event. The staff and some of their family members enjoyed the varied amenities of the place. Most of all, time of fellowship and worship interspersed the two-day out-of-town trip.

As part of inter-organizational learning, Father Arelio Perez Garcia, Superior of Congregation of the Sons of the Merciful Love, together with Father Bruno Rampazzo and Fr. Miguel (surname) visited SHEC Phase 2 housing sites on March 8, 2010. The visit was a two-way blessing. While the guests learned from SHEC’s housing projects, communities and families also experienced spiritual breakthrough as they were prayed for and given words of affirmation and encouragement by the visiting Fathers.