s
I approach nine months here in the Philippines, I would like to share some first
impressions with our friends and benefactors.
It is impossible to have a true understanding of the people, their
culture and their situation in such a short time, especially for me who has had
a rather sheltered stay.
The firs thing a visitor experiences upon arrival to Ninoy International Airport (Manila) is the heat. As soon as one walks into the terminal, one experiences a wave of heat and humidity which engulfs the unsuspecting visitor. It is enough to take one’s breath away.
Along the way, one is impressed by the number of people who seem to be everywhere. Most are involved in some sort of venture in order to meek out a meager living. Continuing along one is struck by the natural beauty of the Philippines, but in the same breath, one also sees its scars and disfigurement caused by pollution and neglect. Rivers once teaming with fish now support only trash and human waste. It is a sad sight to behold, but sadder still is witnessing people who are forced to make a living scavenging off of other people’s refuse in these clogged and smelly streams.
Our theology house is situated in a nice middle class neighborhood where we have been well received and supported by all those around us. We invite the public to celebrate the Eucharist with us on Wednesday nights and we have developed a good following of Xaverian friends.
Near our house there are four squatter areas where many people are forced to live in extremely close quarters. I passed through two of these areas with Fr. Emanuele and Br. Nicola and Br. Giovanni a couple of days after I arrived. To say the least, I was overwhelmed by what I saw. I had never witnessed such poverty, even in the inner cities of the US. One cannot help but experience a sense of helplessness in the face of such systemic poverty.
However, as we continued going through these areas and meeting people, I began to notice almost every house was hanging clean laundry. Looking more closely at the children, I realized that they at least started the day with clean clothes and a bath. Entering a house one sees that it is neat and orderly. In these simple ways the people try to maintain their human dignity and their self-respect despite their poverty and squalid living conditions.
This realization gave me hope and I began to understand that I was not called to solve all their problems. Instead, my call, our call as missionaries, is to witness to the love of Christ and contribute to the building up of God’s kingdom, especially among the poor such as these. How this will be realized is up to God, who will reveal this to us through our daily lived experience with these people.
Over the past two months, there has been a group of us visiting families and the sick in Sitio Militar every Saturday. This is one of those squatter areas close to our house and included in our parish. Through these encounters one begins to get an idea as to how difficult their lives are, lives which are sustained primarily through their faith and mutual care and concern for one another.
Where God will lead us remains to be seen. We are content for now with having a ministry of presence, that is, being in solidarity with these families. We try to accompany them in their struggles and to reaffirm their dignity as children of God.
Keep us in your prayers and pray especially for all those living on the margins of our society, especially for the children who make up a large portion of this group. It is in them that the people place all their hope for a better tomorrow.
(From Xaverian Mission Newsletter)