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| Population: | 68.6 million |
| Area: | 300,000 sq.mi. (comprised of more than 7000 islands) |
| Religions: | 85% of the people are Catholic. Islam is strong in the south. There are many Christian denominations too. In the recent years, there is an influx of fundamentalist religions, both Christian and Islamic. |
| Languages: | National language is Filipino. Besides there are eight major regional languages and several dialects. |
RNDM PRESENCE IN THE PHILIPPINES
The first two RNDMs to be missioned to the Philippines were from India and Bangladesh. They came here in October 1987 and started to work among the Manobo people of Kulaman. No doubt, sickness and many other forms of trials have been part of our history. Yet the mission has come a long way.
After a peiod of language study and culture they began ministry to the Dulangan Monobo in response to their request after the loss of their forests and former way of life. Today their are 18 sisters working in the Philippines and one sister is working in Senegal.
Our region depends primarily on donations, bequests, funding from beyond the Philippines. While some of our sisters are in remunerative positions and we are making efforts to become self-supporting are income is still not suficient to cover the expenses of our ministries and our livelihood.
Sisters in the Philippines
RNDM Residence in Kulaman (May 1988):
community oriented health education
training of health workers
training in sewing and craft
non-formal adult literacy
reforestation programme
dormitory for Manobo girls
women's issues
collaborative projects aimed at self-determination for the people
Cotabato (August 1991):
Accomodation for those coming to the town
House of business, meetings, gatherings
Peace education
Women's issues
Teaching at Notre Dame University and chaplaincy
Ministry to a poor Muslim community in the city
Formation House, Cotabato (March 1994):
Novitiate, Postulancy, "Come and See
Programme" for those intersted in becoming an RNDM.
RNDM Residence, Manila (1995):
A house of study for sisters, including those from
other parts of the congregation
Business and administration, visas and immigration
House of hospitality
Opening of a simple hostel for the first Dulangan Manobo girls to attend Elementary School.
See Newsletter: #4/03
In 1997 the Sisters celebrated their
10th Anniversary of foundations in the Philippines.
San Vicente Community, Quezon Province (1998):
Health care work and catechetical ministry
Sisters Helen and Aisling
visited with the private nurse in San Vicente to ask her opinion about what she would
think the Health needs of the parish could be. She suggested that the people with
high blood pressure could be monitored to begin with, and that there were some old people
who were sickly and they could be visited. Then she said that she would talk with
the doctor that she collaborated with. The doctor arranged for Aisling to go as a
volunteer in the Government Hospital, and that I, Helen, could monitor the underweight and
malnourished children and offer advice on diet and feeding to the mothers. As a
result of this visit both Aisling and I work in Magsaysay Provincial Hospital as
volunteers. The malnourished children monitoring program has yet to be organized,
but the blood pressure monitoring is done by both of us twice a week. Hopefully as
the Purock Renew Groups develop some health education programs, classes can be done there.
With the money from the Little Child Association, sick people are being helped with
medicines. Once the malnourished Children's monitoring is begun, we can offer
vitamins and deworming medicines.
Sister Fe is involved in the Parish Inter-Ministry. Five
main ministries/programs exist in the Parish, namely: 1) The Family & Life
2) The Catechetical 3) Prayer & Worship 4) BEC Munting Sambayanang
Kristiyano 5) Renew Program and there is also health ministry.
In addition there are other religious associations and movements
of the parish. Fe is fully involved as animator, teacher and preacher of many days
of recollection, retreats and seminars, both within the parish and beyond, and also at
Diocesan level. As part of this years parish plan, there will be trainings or basic
orientation seminars in every barangay for backyard catechesis purposes.
The parish is poor as are the people. Most of them are
small fishermen and farmers and laborers, whose earnings are below the minimum wage.
The youg coconuts are forced to be cut and sold to provide for the needs of the
family - for survival. Big trees are no more!
Sr Fe - Catechist's Room
1998: El Nino caused
drought conditions in the Kulaman Valley leading to death for many Manobo people.
First Profession of the first two Filipina RNDMs
2000: Graduation of first
Dulangan Manobo girl from High School . The young woman hopes to go on to
college/University and become a teacher for her own people. We are looking for a
scholarship for her, otherwise, this will not be possible. Any funding or
scholarship possibilities please contact:
rlt-phil@ndu.fapenet.org
2006:
Opening of RNDM International Formation House,
Davao, Mindanao.
APOSTOLATES (WORKS) INVOLVED IN:
| Health Related Work: | safe water, herbal gardens, reforestation, health training programs, child care, immunization programs, women's health, general health care. |
| Education: | women's issues, non-formal and formal education, child care, peace education, music, cultural education and promotion, Muslim/Christian dialogue of life, Catechetic's Training Program, Religion teaching in schools, university chaplaincy. |
| Pastoral Care: | seminars, home visits, retreats, ... |
All ministries are in collaboration with the local people.
Report from Philippines <from Sister Kathleen Prendergast>
- Catechist Programme, Gumaca
Sister Fe is delighted with the catechetical centre that RNDM Solidarity helped to fund. It was blessed and opened on 19 November 2000.
She is beginning to set up the workroom area with catechetical resources. Seminars are held on the open veranda. The catechists and the parish are very proud of their centre.
Sister Fe Felizarta has recently inaugurated a 9-month programme for 25 catechists in the parish of St Vincente Ferrar, in the diocese of Gumaca. The population of the entire parish is 50,000 and the people are poor fisher folk and farm labourers who eke out their existence by working for absentee landowners. They live in fear of the ongoing and escalating armed struggle between the military and the New Peoples’ Army and are often caught in the crossfire and forced to flee their homes.
Most of the people are Catholic through tradition but have had little or no faith formation. Many of the adults and children have not been baptized, and marriages tend to be common law – mainly because of poverty. Fundamentalist groups easily influence the people.
When trained, their catechists will have and adult approach towards their own faith formation and the knowledge and skills to catechize their children in the barrio schools. In time they will be responsible for seminars in preparation for the sacraments of Baptism, First Communion and Reconciliation, Confirmation and Marriage, involving families as a whole. Thanks to RNDM Solidarity Funds this programme is becoming a reality. The catechists have become enthused about how they might generate income to continue this ministry. Already they have persuaded local business people to contribute towards a room for their training, part of which will house a small food and local craft stall. Proceeds from this will hopefully keep their programme running. A little seeding money goes a long way. Thank you !
See Newsletters: #3/00, #4/01, #4/02
2. - Training Manobo
Health Workers, Kulaman Valley
Sister Salota Aimalefoa has been observing the cultural patterns of the people with whom she works. There are interesting links with her own Samoan culture, especially in the communal ownership of property and goods. Using ideas from Samoa, she and the people have come up with a creative and culturally acceptable way of disbursing the Honorarium granted by Misereor, Germany as payment to the Manobo Health Workers of the various villages. Part of the money will go to the respective villages for community development - provision of spades, hammers, nails, seeds; another part will be put aside for health-related emergencies and functions in the villages and the Health Workers themselves will receive a portion in return for their services to their communities. This decision has the wholehearted approval of the people who are already responding to this incentive with enthusiasm. And the amount per month? US $10 per village!
- Another example of how a little goes a long way in the missions. Thank you Misereor.
ASSOCIATES & VOLUNTEERS
As yet, there is no formal program for Associates and volunteers. There is a small number of men and women who are associated in a variety of ways, mostly ministry related.
VOCATIONS
Photo:
Our first Filipina Sisters to make final profession - in 2004
L.- Cora Cagalawan, working in Senegal; R.- Fe Felisarta, working in Philippines
The young
professed Sisters gather each year to reflect on their call to religious life
and the challenge to personal growth. A number of Sisters in this 2004
group are fom our other provinces, studying in Manila, or on international
experience.
Christine Lowther, Claudia Stecker and Kathleen Prendergast are in the back row
- L.-2,3, and 4.
Please contact the following for more info on vocations, archives, associates, volunteers:
Leadership Team <rlt-phil@ndu.fapenet.org>
or
Leadership Team
RNDM Residence
PO Box 249
Cotabato City 9600
Philippines
