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Ondoy's Relief Service From Pinoys In Korea

2010-06-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

In the past weeks, the Hyehwadong Filipino Catholic Community in Seoul initiated a fund drive for the victims of the recent typhoons in the Philippines. We conducted solicitations, second collections during Masses, and held a cultural competition for the same purpose. Fr. Cedric Alimbuyong, MSP with the Filipino community in Uijungbu, also contributed a significant amount. I went to the Philippines last Monday (October 12) to deliver the relief goods to our target areas, namely; Pasig City and Laguna.

Upon arriving in the country, I went to the MSP parish in Mandaluyong, the Parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned (POLA), and requested the assistance of the MSP-Justice & Peace volunteers and members of the Fil-Mission Auxiliary Association (FMAA) who reside there to help me in the project. They willingly helped in purchasing and repacking of the goods consisting of rice, noodles, sardines, corned beef and medicines. From Monday to Tuesday, we finished preparing about eight hundred bags of food and medicine supplies. At around 8 am Wednesday, onboard two vans and one delivery truck, the group left for Pasig City for the distribution.

We first went to San Agustin Parish in Palatiw, Pasig City. The road in the area was already passable, though there was still a considerable volume of water in the neighborhood. People were passing through a makeshift bridge made out of coconut timber to avoid getting wet. Along the road, we could see ruined vehicles and houses still submerged in the murky water. We handed relief bags to four hundred families in this parish.

Then, we proceeded to the next area, the San Sebastian Parish in Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City. We have foregone using a dump truck to reach the place because the road was already passable with our vehicles. However, the water was deeper in this area; in fact, some families were still living on the rooftops; and many people who came to get the relief goods waded through the water which was above the waist deep. We turned the parish church into a relief center where we distributed packages to another four hundred families. It was heart-breaking to see women wading through the dirty water, and little children and elderly people lining up for the packages. It was more frustrating for everybody to find out we did not have enough for everyone. The affected families were so numerous that there were more people who did not receive help than those who received.

At around 8:30 a.m. of the following day, Thursday, we left for Cabuyao, Laguna for another relief service. Our target area was San Policarpio Parish in the poblacion. Cabuyao is one of the places located in the coastal areas of Laguna Bay. During the typhoon Ondoy, the Lake overflowed and flooded the nearby communities. The affected families were evacuated to the schools and gymnasiums in town. In the crowded evacuation centers, families just covered themselves with blankets for privacy, and babies lie on the cement with nothing much to cover their frail bodies. However, there were also families who chose to remain in their houses despite the danger. Until this time the water has not gone back to normal level yet; in fact, every time the rain comes, it starts to rise again.

We entrusted the relief goods to Fr. Juvenal Anthony Leonardo, the Parish Priest of San Policarpio in Cabuyao. He received the 50 sacks of rice, 30 boxes or noodles, 5 sacks of sugar, 10 boxes of coffee, 10 boxes of sardines, and 10 boxes of corned beef. Fr Juvenal will take charge of the distribution of the supplies to the one thousand five hundred (1,500) families who suffered from the devastation of Ondoy.

Fr Juvenal said that many of those who were affected by the calamity were angry. The catastrophe somehow ruined not only the lives of people but also their trust in God. The priest added that people who come there to bring help somehow could help remind the victims that God has not forsaken them.

On behalf of the families who received help, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the Filipinos in Korea who supported our fund drive for the victims of typhoon Ondoy. Let us constantly thank the Lord for putting us in the privileged position to help those in need. My deep appreciation also goes to the volunteers of the MSP-JPIC and members of the FMAA in the Parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned in Mandaluyong City for the great effort that made our relief service fruitful. Thank you Fr Robert Saballo, MSP for checking out the target areas in advance, and Fr Lads Oliver, MSP for allowing us to use the parish van. Let us continue praying that God keep our loved ones and our country from harm and inspire more compassion in times of need.
By Fr Alvin Parantar, MSP
Chaplain of the Hyehwadong Filipino Catholic Community (HFCC)
Seoul, South Korea

Panalong Buslo

2010-06-23T19:42:00.001-07:00

Ang pinakahihintay na panghuling laban bilang pagtatapos sa ''Ika-11 na Palaro sa Bastketball'' ng Hwehwadong Filipino Catholic Community ay idinaos noong nakaraang linggo, ika-16 ng Nobyembre, sa Pomundong Auditorium, kung saan pinarangalan ang mga nagwagi na team at mga manlalaro na nagpamalas ng kakaibang mga katangian.
Ang HFCC ay nagpasimuno ng taunang palaro sa basketball dahil sa mga mahalagang layunin nito. Hindi lang natin hinahangad ang makapagpapawis o makapaghahasa ng kahusayan sa basketball at makapag-uwi ng tropeo. Higit sa lahat, nais nating makapagbuo ng pamayanan ng mga Pilipino na malusog at malayo sa bisyo, nagkaisa at sama samang nagpapamalas ng kagalingang pinoy sa mundo. Pang ika-11 na tournament na itong natapos natin, ngunit malayo pa ang dapat nating lakbayan tungo sa katuparan ng mga layunin na ito.

Sa ngalan ng buong pamayanan, nais kung pasalamatan ang Sports Committee na pinangunahan nina Bro. Moi, Mike, Manny, kasama ang mga namamahala sa table at mga referee. Hindi biro ang ginawa nilang sakripisyo ng sarili para lamang mapanatili ang kasayahan at kaayusan sa palarong ito. Kahanga hanga ang kanilang pagsisikap, tiyaga at pasiyensia.
Para sa labing pitong team na sumali sa palaro, maraming salamat sa inyong marubdob na pakikilahok. Kung wala kayo wala din ang palarong ito. Kayo ang nagbigay ng magandang libangan sa ating mga kababayan na nangungulila sa mga kasayahan sa ating bansa. Kung may mga limitasyon man kaming mga tagapasimuno, at kung may mga desisyon kaming hindi ninyo gaanong ikinatuwa, hinihiling namin ang inyong paumanhin at pang-unawa, at bukas kami sa inyong mga panukala sa lalong ikagaganda ng susunod pang palaro.

Para sa mga nagwagi na team: Mindoro (Champion), Ilocano (2nd), Pangasinan (3rd), Ilonggo (4th), at mga manlalaro na nagtamo ng parangal, ang aming saludo at paghanga sa inyong galing. Ipinamalas ninyo ang kagalingan ng pinoy sa larangan ng basketball. Huwag kayong makalimot magpasalamat sa Panginoon na siyang pinagmulan ng lahat. Sa mga team na hindi nanalo sa palaro na ito, salamat sa ipinakita ninyong sportsmanship, marami pang pagkakataon ang naghihintay.
Magpasalamat tayo sa Diyos na nagbasbas sa ating lahat at tumulong na gawing masaya at maayos ang ika-11 na palaro. Sa kabila ng mga pagsubok, naidaos natin ng matagumpay ito.[br][br]Para sa lahat --- ang sports committee, at mga referee, team manager, coach, manlalaro, sponsor at fans --- MABUHAY KAYONG LAHAT! Magkikita kita tayo muli sa ''Ika-12 na Palaro sa Bastketball'' ng Hwehwadong Filipino Catholic Community.

Mr & Ms Filipino Culture 2008

2010-06-23T19:40:00.001-07:00

The Mr & Miss Filipino Culture 2008 is set at 3pm on October 19, 2008 at Tongsong Auditorium in Hwehwadong. This competition is not just about physical beauty and charming personality. As its title suggests, it is about being a Filipino. It is about how the participants embody and portray the positive cultural traits and beliefs, talents and skills, intelligence and convictions, dreams and aspirations of the Filipino

This event is not just for entertainment but for a greater purpose. It is conceived in order to raise funds to assist fellow Filipinos in Korea who are in emergency and difficult situations because of urgent health, labour, and immigration problems; and to sustain our educational support program for children in the Philippines.

The eleven candidates are not people with extraordinary qualities. They are just like you and me. Young men and women who come to Korea to work in order to realize their dreams for their beloved families back home. But their courage in stepping forward to sign up sets them apart from the rest of us. At the outset, they may have various reasons for joining. But their willingness to help the Hwehwadong Catholic Filipino Community achieve the charity purpose set for this event is even more commendable.

Let me remind the participants that this is not about beating the others and getting the crown. Indeed, in this competition, the exposure, personal growth and friends are the gains that you will certainly treasure even after the lustre and glitters of the crown have faded away. The privilege to show the world your best as a Filipino and the best in the Filipino is your shining moment, your lasting prize, and your crowning glory.

To our honourable judges, on whose shoulders lay the burden to determine the worthy winners, our deep appreciation for accepting the crucial task. Let me quote for you then what an anonymous writer said, �It's beauty that captures your attention; personality which captures your heart

To those who would come out as winners, congratulations! However, your responsibility does not end after you have been proclaimed. For such moment is but the beginning of your duty to live up to your title as Mr and Miss Filipino Culture 2008
. To all the persons behind the scene, the organizing committee led by Doctor Emely and Mr Edgar Balista; and the preparation committees, who perform equally important tasks, my sincere gratitude for your hard work to make this occasion fruitful.

To our co-organizer, the Onfino, and our sponsors -- Philtrust, and Supergem, you have been always supportive of our projects and programs, thank you so much. Your generosity may bear fruit a hundredfold. May you also gain the community�s increasing support.

To all of you, who support this project, thank you for selling and buying the tickets. Take pleasure, not only in watching this event, but also in the thought that you are part of a noble cause that will benefit our Kababayan in need. As you witness this competition and make your own judgment as to who should be the Mr & Miss Filipino Culture 2008, let me give you a word from Hellen Keller that runs this way: �The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.

Please support this project and help a kababayan in need! Buy your ticket, have the chance to win the raffle prizes, and enjoy watching the Mr & Miss Filipino Culture 2008! See you at the event!

Hope After Korea

2010-06-23T19:38:00.000-07:00

This story is about finding hope in the Philippines. Rommel Dulay, 38, is from Barangay Rawis, Laong, Northern Samar. He is married and has one daughter. In March of 2007, he put up a little business which is buying and selling of crabs for the local market in his hometown.

On April 2, 2007, he came to Korea hoping to find a better opportunity for his family, while his wife took charge of what he started. He found a job in a furniture shop where he worked hard.

However, eight months later (Dec. 8), he got a stroke and was confined for two months. His right leg was severely affected, making him limp. He stayed at the Filipino Center upon his release from the hospital; the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center of Seoul arranged a therapy for him. At first, his condition made him so depressed. He thought his coming to Korea was a bad luck. But he did not give up hope.

Thought of ways to rebuild his life. He tried to request for financial assistance from the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center in Bomundong for his capital. It was granted. On April 2, he went back to the Philippines and tried to revive his livelihood. But the money he brought home was just enough to buy the needed equipment like the generator, aquarium and oxygen tank.

He needed more money to actually buy seafood products. He went to government agencies to seek assistance, but they just made him go back and forth to different offices without any result.

He resorted to the 5/6 lending to get the needed resource. He got enough for his purpose, so his business started to roll once again. This time, he buys not only crabs but shrimps and lobsters. He supplies not only the local market, but he delivers also to Manila where he has Taiwanese, Korean and Chinese clients. His business is going well, but 70% of his income goes to pay up his debt and its exorbitant interest in the private lending. At the end of the day, what he actually achieved was just barely a break-even.

For the second time he tried his luck. He sent another request for financial assistance to the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center in Bomundong. Fr. Andrew, the priest in-charge of the said office approved and granted an amount which is equivalent to the one that Rommel previously got from the private lending. With the assistance, this time, Rommel�s livelihood is moving to make steady gains to sustain his family.

The story of Rommel once again proves the resilient spirit of the Filipino. He can go beyond the unfortunate circumstances imposed by fate and improve his life given the right opportunity. This experience also points a direction for those involved in the migrant ministry. Migrant workers needed help while they are in a foreign country; but, much more so, they needed assistance to start a meaningful life with their family once they go back to their home country.

Filipino Mission Sunday

2010-06-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

In 1967, the Catholic bishops of the Philippines declared every last Sunday of July as the Filipino Mission Sunday or Fil-Mission Sunday for the whole Catholic Church in the Philippines. This year, it falls on July 27.

Fil-Mission Sunday is intended as a day of thanksgiving for the gift of faith that we have received from God through the efforts of the missionaries in the past. It is also an opportunity for us to reflect on our common missionary calling to share our faith with other people, especially with those who have not yet heard the Good News.

Fil-Mission Sunday is a special occasion for us to show our solidarity with all our Filipino missionaries, especially with the Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP), the standard bearer of the Catholic Church of the Philippines for the foreign missions. We express our oneness with their missionary efforts through our support and prayers.

The Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP) is a community of zealous and committed Filipino missionary priests who live out the charism of spending their lives by proclaiming the Gospel in the missions. The Bishops of the Catholic Church in the Philippines established the MSP in 1965 to mark the 4th centennial celebration of the beginning of the Christian faith in our country.

The mandate that the Catholic bishops gave to the MSP is to recruit, train and send Filipino missionaries in order to share our faith with other countries, especially in Asia, as a sign of our gratitude for the faith we received from God.

At present, the MSP has 75 priests; most of them are working in foreign missions. The Society has sent missionaries to several Asian countries like Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand and Japan; and to some countries in the Pacific region like Papua New Guinea, Bougainville, Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa, Cook Islands; and in Guyana, South America. Recently, it has sent missionaries to The Netherlands, the U.S.A. and U.K.

In the past, the MSP has served the Church in Indonesia, Solomon Islands, and Hong Kong. There are other standing invitations for mission work. The harvest is great but the laborers are few. We have to pray for more missionary vocations.

The Fil-Missioners serve the spiritual and pastoral needs of the local communities in their respective mission areas. They also take part in the human development of the flock under their care. They engage in dialogue with other religions and cultures. In some countries, they also minister to the needs of the Overseas Filipino Workers. Most of them have to perform their mission work in the context of physical, geographical and cultural challenges. Thus, they needed our solidarity and support to sustain their mission work on our behalf.

Offer your prayers and sacrifices. Most of our missionaries have to face loneliness, sickness, cultural barriers and even, sometimes, threats to personal security as they preach the Gospel in foreign lands. They are doing extraordinary work so they needed an equally extraordinary strength that can only come from God’s grace; they needed your prayers. Please offer your sacrifices and special intentions for the missionaries of the MSP. Pray also for more missionary vocations.

Share your blessings. We can take part in the mission work of the Church by sharing our material blessings for our missionaries. Through your generous gifts the MSP will be able to train more seminarians, send more missionaries and share our Faith to more countries. The Lord promised a hundredfold return of blessings for generous people who are willing to undertake sacrifices for the sake of the Gospel.

Let us thank the Lord for the gift of faith; let us pray for our Filipino missionaries so that they may truly preach and give witness to the Gospel of God’s love for all; let us become part of the mission work of the Lord by sharing our blessings for the missionary endeavor of the Philippine Church.

For more information:Pls. contact Fr. Alvin Parantar, MSPChaplain of the Catholic Filipino Community in Seoul

Extending a Helping Hand

2010-06-23T19:24:00.000-07:00

A super typhoon hit Iloilo and the nearby places on June 24 of this year. Floods and strong winds devastated communities, destroyed properties and killed many people. After knowing about it and after establishing contact with some people in the affected areas, we conducted second collections, during masses in Hwehwadong Church, intended for the calamity victims.

In the middle of my two-week annual break in the Philippines, I made a side trip to Estancia via Roxas to distribute some relief goods. On August 11, I took the early morning flight of PAL from Manila to Roxas City. Then I took an L300 to Estancia for an hour and a half.
Estancia, which one of the towns of Iloilo, is a small but dynamic fishing town. Fishermen dock their boats at its port to unload their catch at the fish market. At the seaport, I can still see an overturned fishing boat that was destroyed by the typhoon more than two months ago.

From Estancia I took a small pump-boat to go to Barangay Bituon, my target area. The weather was hot but the sea was calm. We reached the place after 45 minutes. It was one of those hardest hit. I was told that the storm was extraordinarily strong. The wind was roaring and its force shook the surroundings like an earthquake. The roofs of the school and the covered basketball court were completely blown away. I could just imagine how the typhoon destroyed the little houses of the poor fisher-folks, and how terrified they must have been.

The people were already gathered at the Health Center when I arrived. Together with some barangay officials, we repacked the rice, noodles, and nails that I bought from Estancia. We distributed the bundles of relief goods to 90 elderly individuals, and the nails of different sizes to 30 households. Food was also served to the people for lunch.
They were so grateful to receive the little help that I brought them from the Hwehwadong Filipino Catholic Community in Korea. They told me that they can now start to rebuild their houses with the nails and materials we gave them. One old woman said that she thanked God for using the OFWs in Korea to help them. At around 2 pm, I was on my way back to Roxas City to catch up with my flight back to Manila the next morning.

I am personally grateful to the Hwehwadong Filipino Catholic Community for being so generous in helping fellow Filipinos here in Korea and back home in the Philippines. Despite the precarious life in Korea you still do not forget that there are people in our country who are less fortunate and less privileged because of lack of opportunity, disasters and incompetent leaders. We may not be able to solve the problems of our country, but extending a helping hand may give our fellow Filipinos an extra strength to go on because they know there is a loving God who cares for them.