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CBCP Monitor

C1

Vol. 18 No. 07

March 31 - April 13, 2014

The News Supplement of


Couples for Christ

Canadian High School Sends


Volunteers to CFC ANCOP

Holy Cross Crusaders, counterclockwise from top: the students wearing their bright green AGW shirt; getting ready to
board for Manila; some initial activity after touchdown; dancing for the AKC ANCOP scholars; playing with kids from AKC.

By By Alma Alvarez
Thirty-two students from
Grades 11 and 12 of Holy Cross
Regional High School, Surrey,
British Columbia, Canada came
to the Philippines last March 18,
2014 to participate in what they
call the Holy Cross Mission Trip
2014. The trip, organized by ANCOP Canada in partnership with
CFC ANCOP in the Philippines,
brings students from Catholic
schools in Canada to immerse
in the Building the Church of
the Poor program of Couples for
Christ, particularly the ANCOP
Shelter Program. Holy Cross is
the biggest high school in British Columbia, and it is their first
time to immerse in ANCOP. Last
November, the Toronto Catholic
District School Board sent a simi-

lar delegation for this program.


The students, chaperoned by 7
members of the Holy Cross faculty and Fr. Patrick Tepoorten,
pastor of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Delta, British Columbia, arrived at 7:30
AM Manila time. After a quick
freshening up, they were ushered to the ANCOP Kapatid
Community (AKC) in Caloocan
City. While there, the ANCOP
scholars of CFC Metro Manila
North A entertained the guests
with cultural dances. The Holy
Cross kids also had the chance to
play with the children and dance
with the teens.
Working in ANCOP
The next day, the Holy Cross
group had a taste of working
under the sweltering Manila
heat. After the Mass officiated
by Fr. Patrick, the group received instructions from Ganny
Evangelista, the Shelter Program Coordinator of Metro Manila West C sector. The students
and teachers worked up until
they breaked for lunch. After
their lunch break, the group

Holy Cross Regional High School at the Our Lady of Banneux


ANCOP Community

resumed working until about


4:00 in the afternoon.
This was a typical day for the
enthusiastic workers, which
went on for the next 6 days.
But it was not all work and no
play. In between shoveling,
carrying debris, laying bricks,
and painting houses, the Holy
Cross missionaries found time
to have fun with the children,
teens, and even the moms and
dads in AVANAI.
On Day 3, the group held a
talent show where both the kids
from AVANAI and Holy Cross
showcased their talents. On Day
5, the AVANAI teens played a
mean game of basketball with
the Holy Cross Crusaders.
March 25 was the groups last
day in ANCOP AVANAI. After
the days work, the community
hosted a dinner/ serenade for
the Canadian guests.
The following day, the group
went up to the Our lady of
Banneux Community in San
Mateo, Rizal. It was a different
experience for the students and
teachers, from urban AVANAI

Building homes... touching lives... more fun in the Philippines! Students and teachers from the Holy Cross Regional High School
did not mind the sweltering Manila heat as they worked and played with the residents in AVANAI.

Holy Cross / C2

A welcome break from the construction work was the trip to Saint Martin de Porres Childrens Center in Tondo, Manila and the
historical tour of the Intramuros.

SOLD ICON Turning Point


By By Alma Alvarez
e assurance that Jesus will accompany SFC to and through any
challenge of growth and that each
person must find the joy that goes
with lifes daily crosses.
When we carry our cross, rejoice!
We are given the privilege to share in
the glory of God, said Noli Manuel,
SFC International Coordinator.
The SFCs were also reminded that
the Catholics devotion to Mary is
always about Jesus, and that they
continue their journey to Jesus,
through Mary, as most of the speak-

SOLD and men in CFCcalled to be True Men of God!

ers often mentioned.


In your journey, you cannot choose
a better companion than Mary.
e assurance that Jesus will accompany
SFC to and through any challenge of
growth and that each person must find
the joy that goes with lifes daily crosses.
When we carry our cross, rejoice!
We are given the privilege to share in
the glory of God, said Noli Manuel,
SFC International Coordinator.
The SFCs were also reminded that
the Catholics devotion to Mary is
always about Jesus, and that they

Ugnayan

C2
Ricky Cuenca

Vol. 18 No. 07

March 31 - April 13, 2014

Holy Cross / C1

Just call me Lolo


I am now a lolo (grandfather). And whenever I am
asked how it feels to be a grandfather, I cannot hide
the excitement and happiness I feel.
You see, for me, becoming a grandparent is a
stage of life and I know that we will eventually
come to that. And having an apo (grandchild) is
truly a blessing! In fact I have two, one each from
my daughters, who came one after the other.
My daughter Crissy and
her husband
Jose were the
first to make
me a lolo when
their daughter
Aria was born.
A month or so
later, it was
my daughter
Jacqui and
her husband
JP who gave
us our second,
Jillian.
In my trip
to the US and
Canada last
February, our
family celebrated a very joyous occasion. Aria, my granddaughter who lives in Canada, was baptized last
February 9. It was a very small partywe were
only in one table. But it was truly a spirit-filled
event!
As a new lolo, I am giddy with excitement over
my grandchildren. Masarap pala! I remember
someone asking me, What would you like your
grandchildren to call you? I replied, I want them
to call me Lolo! Hindi naman halata, di ba? I guess
actively serving God through CFC keeps us all
looking and feeling young.
And speaking of serving in CFC, I can see that
my apos will grow up to be God-fearing, obedient,

CBCP Monitor

kind and generous individuals because they would


grow up in the community. Both my children
and their spouses are actively serving as leaders
in Couples for Christ, and I truly look forward to
seeing my grandchildren grow in the Lord.
I remember one time, when Aria was three months
old, the doctor specifically told her parents not to
take her out because of the extremely cold weather. However,
there was a
leaders training Crissy
and Jose were
scheduled to
attend. And
so Aria had
to come with
them, all bundled up and
cozy.
I remember
experiencing
this with our
own daughters who
grew up in a
CFC environment. Irma
and I would
take them everywhere Household prayer meetings, assemblies, and all of the CFC activities.
And the Lord always protected them from the
elements. Even when they were growing up, God
shielded them from bad company. In fact, one of
my daughters wanted to become a nun, and almost
entered the convent!
Who knows, my granddaughters might become
nuns later on. The strong Catholic foundation that
these children would be raised in can make that
possible. And that would truly bring us joy. As
a matter of fact, my daughters nun-friend has
consecrated these little ones to the Lord.
What a joy it is to be a grandfather!

to the quiet and rural OLB Community. Yet, the


Canadian missionaries experienced the same
warm welcome from the families living there.
Visiting Saint Martin
Among the places the Holy Cross delegates
visited was the Saint Martin de Porres childrens center in Tondo, Manila. After the Mass
concelebrated by Fr. Pat and Msgr. Matt Garcia,
the high school kids spent time with the children and gave them gifts. One of the students,
12th grader Courtney Barich, prior to her trip to
Manila, had pledged to raise money for the said
center when she opted to forego the purchase of
a gown for her graduation dance. Instead of an
expensive gown, she decided she would wear a
dress made from a potato sack, use the money
shell save to start the fund-raiser, and hopes
to send $10,000 to Saint Martin. (See Courtney
Barich story at http://tinyurl.com/k9w5hct).
After that encounter with the street children
of Tondo, Vida Cuares, CFC ANCOP Coordinator for Canada, took the party to a brief historical tour of Manila, with a kalesa ride being the
highlight of the tour.
Personal mission
Among the missionaries were the motherdaughter tandem of Wendy and Rachel
Beauchamp. Wendy, who is also a teacher
at Holy Cross, came to Manila with another
goalto fund the building of a house in honor
of Tessa, her daughter who had died of cancer
a year ago. In a symbolic turnover, Wendy
and Rachel personally awarded the house to
a family in AVANAI, together with framed
photographs of Tessa.
Through this home, I know Tessa will have a
family here in the Philippines, Wendy added.

We came as strangers
Judging from how these kids related with the
children in the places they immersed in, it can
be surmised that the Holy Cross students, and
even the teachers, made a mark in the lives of
the families in ANCOP AVANAI and the OLB
Community. As the kids shared during their
last day in AVANAI, they were amazed how
they were treated like celebrities. But more
than the royal treatment, what truly made
an impact in the students lives was the fact
that although they arrived as strangers, they
were leaving as family.
For Rachel Beauchamp, the experience opened
her eyes to the realities of life. According to Fr.
Patrick, although the Holy Cross kids come from
middle class families, the experience has made
the students more appreciative of what they have
back home. They were likewise amazed at how
hardworking the volunteers in AVANAI were.
The huge gulf that somehow separated the
young people from AVANAI and Holy Cross
in the beginning was quickly bridged at the
end of six days. Gifts were exchanged between
the missionaries and the residents. Even the
younger children of AVANAI, OLB and Saint
Martin de Porres appreciated the gifts from the
kids from Star of the Sea Elementary School.
For the students, the bake sales, the Dollar for
Jeans Day, the lumpia (spring rolls) sales, participating in the ANCOP Global Walk 2013 in
Surrey (they raised $12,000 from AGW alone),
and the other creative ways they did to raise
funds for the trip were all worth it.
As of press time, the group has flown back to
Canada, eager to share their stories and hopefully inspire more students, even from the other
Catholic schools, to have the same experience
with CFC ANCOP.

CFC Toronto In a Courtesy Visit to Cardinal Collins

Present during the meeting are (L-R)Kevin Muico Fulltime Pastoral Worker for CFC-Youth; NoliArzadon, Regional Head (RH)Western Canada; Greg Parillas, CFC-National Director; Jun Clarito, RH-Eastern Canada and wife Malou; His EminenceThomas
Cardinal Collins; Eric delos Reyes, Country Coordinator-Couples for Christ Canada and wife Carina; Jimmy Arzadon, Area Head
(AH) Vancouver; and Francis Yap, AH-Toronto and wife Jessie.

By Francis Yap
Couples for Christ Toronto
was given the privilege to pay
a courtesy visit to His Eminence
Thomas Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of Toronto last March
10, 2014.
During the meeting, CFC updated His Grace on the communitys work towards New Evangelization, stressing out CFCs
mission of Building the Church
of the Home, which is focused
on Family Evangelization, and
Building the Church of the Poor
through ANCOP. His Eminence

was also very pleased to hear


about updates with CFC Youths
active presence in schools and
the ministrys coordination with
Fr. Frank Portelli of the Office of
Catholic Youth.
For his part, His Eminence
mentioned the importance of
supporting movements that
focus on family like Couples for
Christ and would like to see the
community spread throughout
the whole diocese. He likewise
spelled out the Archdiocese
Pastoral Plan which focuses on

evangelization and caring for


the needy which is an affirmation of the work of Couples of
Christ. He ended by thanking
the community for all the work
CFC is doing in the archdiocese,
exhorting the leaders and members to continue to stress on the
virtues, provide alternatives and
draw energy towards the good.
The short visit ended with His
Eminence blessing the whole
Couples for Christ community
and humbly saying, You pray
for me and I will pray for you.

CFC ANCOP, DLS-CSB Partnership Welcomes


15 New Scholars
By ANCOP USA Communications

For the third year, ABS-CBN/ DZMM


and CFC ANCOP USA are co-sponsors
for the grand finals of the USA Global
Pinoy Singing Idol (GPSI) competition in
Orlando, Florida on April 5, 2014.
Fourteen singers from seven states will
compete. They are Aaron Caras (FL);
Giselle Delos Reyes (MN); Vanessa Quillao (FL); Michael Toledo (FL); Ian Ramos
(FL); Kyle Mercado (FL); Cheryl Badiola
(FL); Jozen D De Leon (TX); Jolilorlyn Q
Wenghofer (IL); Michael Rey Calalang (NJ);
Alessja Morales (CA); Martin Honor (MD);
Maria Raina Rivere (MD); Rodel Sajor (CA).
Singer Pops Fernandez and actor Gaby
Concepcion will be the guest performers
during the competition.
Awell Paz and Melody Garcia-Muniz of
DZMM will co-emcee the five-hour singing
contest that will be carried live by DZMM
in all it coverage areas around the world.
According to Roger Santos, Executive
Director of ANCOP USA, two first prize
winners will be awarded $1,000 each, plus
free round-trip tickets and weeklong stay
in Manila for the Global Finals of GPSI
sometime in January 2015.
Proceeds from the event will go to CFC
ANCOP USAs ongoing projects for the
poor in the Philippines, including the
victims of Typhoon Yolanda.

CFC ANCOP visits Eastern Samar Barangay

By Rizal Ting

On the rainy afternoon of March 22, 2014, CFC ANCOP, composed of Eastern Leyte PAH Willie Padida, PAD Roger Chua, ANCOP Head Jun Derion and CFC ANCOP HQ Operations Rizal Ting, visited
Barangay Bua Bua, Salcedo, Samar in response to the request of ANCOP Bermuda regarding their effort to help the parishioners of the Our Lady of Salvation Parish to rebuild their church. The town of
Salcedo was badly hit by Yolanda and most of the residents were living in tents.
The group arrived at around 3:00 in the afternoon. Barangay Chairman Severino Bagon introduced
them to the Parish Priest, Fr. Alfonso Pony Asis. Upon inspection of the parish church, the team found
that the roofing was ripped out, and there was heavy damage at the altar area. A temporary shelter was
made at the back of the parish where the priest celebrated Mass, and a small room at the side of the church
served as the room of the parish priest.
The parish priest welcomed the support of ANCOP Bermuda and presented the group an estimated
BOM amounting to Php1.530M to provide roofing for the church. This did not include the labor and
other incidentals. CFC ANCOP pledged to get back to the parish as soon as the donation of ANCOP Bermuda is finalized. The funds will be downloaded thru CFC ANCOP Eastern Samars account. Likewise,
ANCOP proposed for the area to be part of the adopt-a-barangay Community Development program of
ANCOP, as there has been an established relationship with the parish priest and the barangay officials.
ANCOP hopes to be back early April to download the approved funds for the parish roofing and
firm up the proposal to help rebuild the community thru the ANCOP Shelter Program.

The News Supplement


of Couples for Christ

The Ugnayan News Supplement is published by the Couples for Christ Global Mission Foundation, Inc.,
with editorial offices at 156 20th Avenue, 1109 Cubao, Quezon City.
Editorial trunk line: (+63 2) 709-4868 local 23
Direct line : (+63 2) 709-4856
www.couplesforchristglobal.org
cfcglobalcommunications@gmail.com
facebook.com/CFC.Global.Mission

@CFChrist

Ugnayan

CBCP Monitor
Vol. 18 No. 07

March 31 - April 13, 2014

CoFC Manila holds 14th GA


and Board Elections

C3
Jun Uriarte

CFC in the New


Evangelization (Part 2)
THE following is the content of the talk of Bro. Jun
Uriarte during the 2nd Global Leaders Empowerment Convention last January 12, 2014. Part 1, from
the February 3, 2014 issue of the UGNAYNAN,
discussed the Scope of and Need for New Evangelization. This second part tackles the Strategies of
evangelization as employed by St. Patrick and St.
Francis Xavier.

CoFC gets ready for year 15, clockwise from top: the Board of Directors, both incoming and outgoing; Chairman Victor Hizon
presiding over the assembly; members line up for the automated elections; the five new members of the Board.

Co-ops for Christ Manila conducted its 14 th General Assembly and elections of the
members of the Board of Directors last March 29, 2014 at the
Obispado de Cubao in Quezon
City. After the declaration of a
quorum by Secretary Margarita
Uy, CoFC Chairman Victor Hizon called the meeting to order.

After the consideration of


the Minutes of the last regular
General Assembly and Special
General Assembly and the matters arising from the minutes of
the meeting and the approval
thereof, Co-ops General Manager and COO Letty Jayme
gave the Management Report
to the body.

This was followed by the election of 5 members of the Board


of Directors from the 8 nominees. After the canvassing of
the automated election returns,
the following were elected to
the CoFC Board: re-electionists
Tess Cecilio, Baby Dacanay, and
Ted Topacio; and new members
Emil Reyes and Nick Olivar.

ANCOP USA turns over equipment, medicines

Dr. Raul Banias presents the medicines to Governor Defensor.

After the inventory, these medical equipment were turned


over to WVSUMC.

The team makes a through inspection to make sure the equipment that each would be in optimum condition.

Dr. Jerry Alabado inspects the medical equipment and supervises the inventory of the items.

By Nathaniel Gomez

ANCOP USA, following their recent medical mission to Iloilo, turned over medical equipment and
medicines to the province via the West Visayas State University Medical Center and the provincial
Governor.
The equipment and medicines came from Direct Relief International, a non-profit organization that
focuses on improving the quality of life by bringing critically needed medicines and supplies to local
healthcare providers worldwide. The donation was made through the initiative of Rene Palma of AUSA.
Gerry Alabado, Provincial Area Director of Iloilo, who is a physician himself, and CFC Iloilo AGT
member Dr. Giovanni delos Reyes, VP for Medical & Allied Sciences, and OIC, Medical Center received
the brand new medical equipment for WVSUMC.
Afterwards, the group proceeded to the Provincial Capitol where they turned over the medicines to
Governor Arthur Defensor and City Administrator Dr. Raul Banias.

Cornerstone tutees move up

At the end of each school year, Cornerstone conducts a Moving Up Day to honor the students for
their perseverance and hard work, as well as the
public school teachers and principals who embrace
what Cornerstone embodies.
During the Moving Up ceremonies, tutors and
coordinators give out certificates and special cita-

tions to the students in order to give recognition


and continue inspiring them to become better in
the next school year.
Aside from the Moving Up rites, high school
students under the Cornerstone Program were also
given leadership and capability training in order
to equip them even after graduation.

What will be the approaches to new evangelization as defined initially by Pope Benedict, and,
then now, clearly, in Evangelii Gaudium? However, for us to be able to state the approaches
that CFC should take, Id like to bring you over
quickly and share with you some vignettes
short storiesabout evangelization in the past.
And then perhaps we can learn from them.
I used to work for the United Nations in
Thailand for 8 years, and so I travelled to the
U.N. Headquarters in New York very often. I
always stayed in a hotel that was within walking
distance from the U.N. Headquarters, and at the
same time also within walking distance from
the Cathedral of St. Patrick. There is always an
early morning Mass, at 7:00, and so, even during
winter, I would walk from the hotel to St. Patrick
to hear Mass daily. After Mass, at around 7:30,
I go to this nice restaurant near St. Patrick and
have breakfast there before heading back to the
U.N. Headquarters for our meeting.
During those years that Ive been going there,
I always reflect and ponder, and marvel at that
great Cathedral of St. Patrick and try to remember
the person whom that Cathedral was named after.
St. Patrick was born in the west coast of the
British Isles in 398. At the age of 14, he was captured by a raiding party and became a slave in
pagan Ireland. After 6 years he escaped, and he
returned to his family in Britain. Later he studied in Gaul (which is now modern-day France)
under Egyptian monks. He was ordained a
priest and later became bishop. And then he was
sent as a missionary to Ireland. The conversion
of Ireland was due to great missionary work
of St. Patrick.
In evangelizing and converting Ireland, St.
Patrick had a strategy. And this is the reason
why we want to recall these vignettes about past
evangelizationto learn what were their strategies that worked so that we too might be able to
adapt those in our work of new evangelization.
What did St. Patrick do? He put particular
emphasis on the evangelization of the aristocracy. Its not my recommendation, its not
the ICs recommendation, it was St. Particks
strategy. And I am merely sharing with you
these vignettes.
He said that once the aristocracy converts, the
others would follow. And the aristocracy provided protection for the converts from the lower
class, from the masses. And it worked. Because
we know that Ireland is strongly Catholic.
Learning from St. Patrick
I did not only live in Bangkok for 8 years, I
also lived in Jakarta for 12 years. Let me share
with you some vignettes of the missionary work
in Indonesia. When we arrived in Indonesia,
there was a small group of Couples for Christ,
but they were not growing. And so we adapted
a strategy, and I remembered the strategy of St.
Patrick. And so I said, Why dont we evangelize the expatriates first?
The expatriates were very well paid in Indonesia at that time. We get them converted, we
convert their wallets too. And the Holy Spirit
allowed it. I remember when I was the head of
the expatriate group in Indonesia, we had people tithing regularly at $2,000 a month!
And then we said, What about the locals?
and so we modified the strategy. We evangelized the locals who can speak Bahasa Indonesia
fluentlyand there were many! And so we
purposely and strategically invited them and
we were able to bring them into the community. And then they were able to go out with
resources that have been provided. And with
their fluency in the local language, they were
able to travel and spread the gospel in the community in Indonesia.
Then we said, Well, the expatriates are
purely Filipinos. What about the other expatri-

ates?, and that was difficult. A Filipino lecturing to Caucasians?


Aha! Lets invite Jack Burgoyne! Those who
remember our brother Jack Burgoyne know that
hes tall, Caucasian-looking, but he is Filipino
and speaks Tagalog. And so we invited him to
come over to Jakarta and told him, Jack, dont
ever speak Tagalog! Always speak in English.
Theyll think you are an American.
I said, You give the first three talks. That
was the strategy. And he did. He came over, and
to cut the long story short, there was one time
we had 13 nationalities in our community in
Indonesiawe had British, Australian, Indian,
New Zealand, Singaporean, Malaysian And
the best proof of that success in that strategy is
that now, the leadership is within Indonesians,
proven by our brother Alex and sister Suaning.
A brief history of evangelization
Christian evangelization began in Jerusalem
at Pentecost. Peter was the first to convert, we
know that from the Acts of the Apostles3,000
people in one day. Christianity was first established in Jerusalem and in Antioch, where the
followers of Jesus (followers of the Way) were
first called Christians. Bartholomew preached
the Gospel in northwest India, Thomas established the church in Malabar in south India, but
the greatest missionary to Asia was St. Francis
Xavier. In just a decade, St. Francis converted
an estimated 700,000 people.
He established Christian communities along
the western coast of India, from Goa to Cape
Comorin. He established Christian communities in Sri Lanka, Malacca, and Japan. Now here
is the secret, and we hope we can discuss this in
the workshops because this is the very purpose
of GLEC: the success of his evangelization is attributed to 6 things, from the reflections of those
pondering about this saints writings:
1. Visible holiness not just holiness, but
visible holiness; people seeing Christ in us,
which comes out of a life of constant prayer.
2. Unceasing preaching the equivalent to
this at this moment is constantly inviting
people to our Christian Life Program.
3. Unrelenting pastoral work the equivalent
to this being the unceasing mending of our
nets. We should not lose people that we
have caught. We have to continue to mend
our nets. Remember, ne as defined by Pope
Francis already includes pastoral work.
4. Techniques unique to each situation and
methods consistent with conditions of the
people in practical terms, to be an effective
evangelizer, we must learn the language of
the people we are trying to reach.
5. Minister to the sick like what St. Francis
did. For CFC, that is our BCOP.
6. Preach the gospel in our Christian Life
Program Francis wrote and taught and
catechism. We need to know our religion,
know who Jesus Christ really is. We need to
know the story of Jesus. And he established
a school in Goa to train missionaries.
Thats what Francis did. So after three years
in India, he went to Malaysia, Indonesia and
Vietnam. And then there was a convert in
Goa, a Japanese named Anjir who was later
on baptized as Paul. In 1549, Francis and Paul
(Anjir) went to Japan, and in two years were
able to convert 2,000 in Japan. And it was the
love and concern for each Japanese that brought
many to Christianity.
But then, here is again another very important strategyFrancis noted that the Japanese
looked up to China as the source of civilization.
And Francis said, If I can convert the Chinese,
since the Japanese look up to the Chinese, the
Japanese will follow. Sounds familiar? This
was St. Patricks strategy also.
And so Francis returned to Goa, he prepared
for a mission to China and in 1552, he sailed
from Goa to China. He reached the island of
Sancian near Canton, but God had another
plan. Francis became sick and he died before
he could enter China.
And so the other Jesuits continued the evangelization of China, the most important being
Fr. Alessandro Valignano. (To be continued)

Ugnayan

C4

CBCP Monitor

Vol. 18 No. 07

March 31 - April 13, 2014

Central Luzon MC Members gather for the Beloved Weekend


More than 1,700 mission core members
of CFC Central Luzon gathered at the
Baguio Convention Center on March
15-16, 2014 for the Beloved Weekend.
The Conference service team was the
province of Bulacan, who warmly welcomed representatives of the different
provinces as they practiced their entry
for the Songs of the Beloved.
Day 1 of the program started with the
praying of the Rosary, followed shortly
by the celebration of the Mass by Fr.
Allan Antonio, the spiritual director of
CFC Bulacan.
CFC Central Luzon Regional Head
Romy Alfaro gave the Prologue, highlighting CFC Central Luzons spiritual
journey with Mother Mary from 2012
until today, and relating them to the
topics to be discussed on this two-day
gathering. The first talk, Ponder, the
Family of Love, was given by Family
Ministries Director Mannix Ocampo.
His wife Aileen and their children
inspired the audience with heartfelt
sharing about their family life and how
they are blessed by God as they put
complete trust in the Lord. The sharing
of the family of Rey and Anne Atessor
also confirm how God takes good care
of his faithful servants. Mon de Leon,
through a video sharing, expressed his
gratitude for the opportunity given to
them in serving CL. The whole Central
Luzon offered prayers for the complete
healing of his wife, Penny. The former
provincial area heads and area directors were also acknowledged for their
sacrifices and dedication in leading the
community to where it is now.
The afternoon session brought the
attendees to a deeper reflection, as

former International Council Member


Joe Yamamoto, who was celebrating
his birthday on that day, gave his insights on the second talk, Ponder, the
Mangers Message. His wife Mila shared
her humble beginnings, their sacrifices
and the people who have been used by
God to support her in becoming a good
doctor. The ANCOP scholars further
gave testimonies on how their lives
have been changed and how they have
become spirit-filled individuals full of
hope and gratitude.
The third talk, Behold, The New
Mission given by the CFC Chairman
Ricky Cuenca kept the audience
excited as he shared his own experi-

ences in doing evangelization work


in foreign lands, and how his strong
faith in God and devotion to Mama
Mary led him to people who paved
the way in undertaking the CFC mission. His wife Irma, in her sharing,
recalled how their lives have been
transformed, from a worldly to a
spirit-filled life, through fasting and
prayers of their first household leaders. She also stressed how the full
support she extended to her husband
led them together in joyful service to
CFC worldwide.
Chito Magsajo shared how CLPs can
be undertaken in the workplace here
and abroad, while his wife Chichi talked

CFC Migrants Program in


SM Global Pinoy

about their journey of hope in the Lord


when Chito was diagnosed of cancer 12
years ago while serving as area head of
Pampanga.
Young couple Raymond and Minette
Rimando likewise inspired the audience with their courage and creative
approaches in evangelization.
The high-energy level of the attendees
continued until evening for the Songs of
the Beloved segment hosted by Bulacan
Provincial Area Head Raffy Ballesteros
and his wife Amie. Pampangas rendition of the song Mahal Naming Ina,
composed by Kenneth Makapugay
won first prize. Bulacans entry Birheng
Maria by Gil Cruz and Dexter Domingo

and Nueva Ecijas entry titled Its About


Love by Perry Modesto, ranked second
and third place, respectively. The songwriters of entries from Aurora, Bataan,
Tarlac and Zambales were also given
plaques of recognition for their participation. The winning province brought
home an image of Mama Mary who will
continue to journey with them.
The second day, after the recitation
of the Rosary, Aurora PAH Mon Baas
led the inspiring worship. The last session begun with the sharing of Jei and
Winkie Aligada, whose full trust in the
Lord allowed them to be healed of their
illnesses and be blessed with a baby girl,
despite complicated and late pregnancy
of Winkie. Mimai Parangue, who was
afflicted by cancer, shared how she was
healed because of her faith and full support from the community, family and
neighbours.
CFC Executive Director George
Campos, who delivered the 4
talk,
Behold, The Beloved Son, stressed on
how CFC can become another Christ,
a beloved son and daughter. His wife
Cynthia shared about the challenges in
their married life and how Gods grace
has kept their union intact, and how
they are able to fulfil their mission of
serving the Lord as a family. To close
the conference, Ben Babilonia led the
attendees to a powerful praise fest. It
was followed by the Holy Mass with Fr.
Allan Antonio as celebrant.
The two-day echo conference was
truly spirit-filled. And as it ended, the
conference opened the new journey to
becoming beloved sons and daughters
of God, and by being the ears, the
mouth, the hands and feet of the Lord.

AGW goes back to SM MOA

By Jess Ferrer
The partnership between the CFC Migrants
Program and SM Global Pinoy will push thru
with its initial activities starting April 1, 2014
and all succeeding Tuesdays of April thereafter.
Through the partnership, CFC shall be conducting the Moral Values Reorientation Program
(MVRP) using the Family Circles module to

benefit the members of SM Global Pinoy who


are families of OFWs.
The Global Pinoy Centers are present in 35
SM Malls all over the Philippines out of the
total of 48, and is part of SMs Corporate Social
Responsibility for OFW Family members. Below
is the schedule of the activities:

First Set, April 1, 8, 15 & 22


Mall

Venue

SM City North EDSA

3rd Floor City Center

SM City Sta. Mesa

Events Center

SM City Bicutan

Bldg. B Events Center

SM Southmall

Events Center

SM City Rosario

Events Center

SM City Sta. Rosa

Activity Grounds

SM City San Pablo

Events Center

SM City Lucena

Events Center

Second Set, July 1, 8, 15 & 22


Mall

Venue

Confirmed dates

SM City Baguio
SM City Tarlac
SM City Pampanga

Events Center

All dates confirmed

SM City Rosales

Atrium / Cinema area

All dates confirmed

SM City Marilao

Cinema

All dates confirmed

SM City Lipa

Events Center

SM City Consolacion

Events Center

All dates confirmed

SM City Bacolod

Food Court

All dates confirmed

SM City Davao

Annex Events Center

All dates confirmed

SM City General Santos

Events Center

All dates confirmed

SM City Cagayan de Oro


SM City Manila

All dates confirmed except


July 15 due to PR event

Events Center & Enclosure


215-217

All dates confirmed

Seafarer Center

SM City Iloilo Events Center will be the venue


for all Tuesdays of September. SM Fairview,
Taytay, Valenzuela and Dasmarinas, Cavite
schedules will be announced later on.
The sessions will start at 1:30pm and end at
3:30pm. Snacks will be provided for the participants and facilitators. Furthermore, participants
who will finish the 4 sessions will be given a
Certificate of Attendance.
With this partnership, apart from the
Global Pinoy registered members who will
be invited to attend the MVRP, the SM GPC

also expects CFC members to attend and participate in the workshops. Further, it would
also be an opportunity for our CFC members
to appreciate the Migrants Program and learn
from these sessions.
As such, CFC leaders of the sectors and provinces are encouraged to participate, support and
learn from these engagements. This would also
be an opportunity for non-CFC participants to
feel the warmth, expressions of faith and solidarity of CFC at the venue in the hope of affecting
them positively.

The CFC UAE echo of the


Behold & Ponder Leaders
Conference was a resounding
victory for the Lord. More than
two hundred members of the
Mission Core and top leaders
of CFC, SOLD, HOLD, and SFC
Ministries gathered last March
1, 2014 at the Saadiyat Ballroom
of Grand Millennium Hotel in
Abu Dhabi. Despite having to
come from the CFC UAE Beloved Weekend the day before,
this did not prevent the leaders
from having another magnificent
encounter with the Lord in the
Leaders Conference.
The first talk, Ponder, was
given by Arnel Santos, CFC
International Council member,
who also shared his personal
transformation story. The UAE
leaders were equally inspired
and encouraged to hear Santos
personal testimonies of their
own challenges in service and
personal life with wife, Bing, and
their eventual victories in overcoming them. Rita Verdolaga
added her own powerful and life
changing experience when she
had to really ponder on Gods
will for her and her family.
The second talk (Behold)
was delivered by CFC Executive
Director, George Campos. The
CFC UAE leaders were truly
blessed to hear the Lords message through the talk as Campos
led them to relive the past thirty
three years of the CFC Interna-

tional Community along with


its Family Ministries. Similarly
inspiring were the testimonies of
Romy Alfaro, Country Coordinator of CFC UAE and Regional
Coordinator for the Middle East,
and Cynthia Campos, who both
shared about their life in community and Building the Church
of the Home.
Mar Santos, CFC UAE NC
member, and Danny Abutas,
CFC Sharjah and Northern Emirates Area Director, shared their
personal insights and experiences when they joined the
BCOP experience last January
in San Fernando. Pampanga and
Bani, Bataan.
The conference was concluded
with a pray over of the CFC
UAE leaders by the CFC Elders
and CFC UAE National Council
Members for the local leaders
continuing zeal, passion, and
mission readiness to go wherever the Lord is taking them to
serve Him.
The CFC UAE echo of the
Behold & Ponder Leaders
Conference was a resounding
victory for the Lord. More than
two hundred members of the
Mission Core and top leaders
of CFC, SOLD, HOLD, and SFC
Ministries gathered last March
1, 2014 at the Saadiyat Ballroom
of Grand Millennium Hotel in
Abu Dhabi. Despite having to
come from the CFC UAE Beloved Weekend the day before,

this did not prevent the leaders


from having another magnificent
encounter with the Lord in the
Leaders Conference.
The first talk, Ponder, was
given by Arnel Santos, CFC
International Council member,
who also shared his personal
transformation story. The UAE
leaders were equally inspired
and encouraged to hear Santos
personal testimonies of their
own challenges in service and
personal life with wife, Bing, and
their eventual victories in overcoming them. Rita Verdolaga
added her own powerful and life
changing experience when she
had to really ponder on Gods
will for her and her family.
The second talk (Behold)
was delivered by CFC Executive
Director, George Campos. The
CFC UAE leaders were truly
blessed to hear the Lords message through the talk as Campos
led them to relive the past thirty
three years of the CFC International Community along with
its Family Ministries. Similarly
inspiring were the testimonies of
Romy Alfaro, Country Coordinator of CFC UAE and Regional
Coordinator for the Middle East,
and Cynthia Campos, who both
shared about their life in community and Building the Church
of the Home.
Mar Santos, CFC UAE NC
member, and Danny Abutas,
CFC Sharjah and Northern Emir-

CFC Mission Team Pays Courtesy Visit to


Laos Bishop
After a Spirit-filled weekend conducting the
Covenant Orientation, Spiritual Warfare, and the
Healing and Deliverance Talks last March 22-23,
2014, CFC Laos Country Heads, John Jevy and Rea
Ancog, together with the Manila Mission Team
led by Country Coordinators, Manny and Grace
Panagsagan, Mila Ladrido, Phil de Guzman and
Tony and Tess Concepcion, met with the Apostolic Vicar of Vientiane, Laos, Bishop Jean Khams
Vithavong, OMI.
Bishop Jean warmly welcomed the group with
a smattering of Filipino words, learned during
his four-year stint at the Loyola School of Theology in Ateneo de Manila. He spoke fondly of his

stay in the Philippines, particularly with the close


friendship that he has with His Eminence, Orlando
Cardinal Quevedo, who also belongs to the Oblates
of Mary Immaculate (OMI) congregation.
The group gave Bishop Khams an update on
the CFC programs in Laos, including the program
to plan to reach out to Laotians. Bishop Khams
expressed hope that there will be positive developments in the renewal of the Catholic Church in
Laos, with the Filipino clergy and laity playing a
vital role in the call to new evangelization.
On behalf of CFC, Manny Panagsagan invited
Bishop Khams to attend the Clergy-Lay Congress on
June 19, 2014 during the CFC 33rd Anniversary Week.

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