NING panahon sa pandemia isig-pahero ang mga politico. Naay mga hambug ug aroganteng tig-suroy-suroy bisag bawal ang tapok-tapok, sig panghatag kunog kwarta ug proyekto, mora pug gikan sa ilang bulsa. Ang kwarta gikan man sa atong buhis. Naa gud puy daghang buotan nga mga lideres; mapaubsanon ug kinasingkasing ang pag-alagad.

Ang tinuod nga bayani anaa sa gawas sa gobyerno. Wala silay tuyo nga molangsad. Kasagaran naa sa civil society ug business sector; mga bayaning nagpahipi lang.

Usa na niana ang Diocese of Tagbilaran kinsa, samtang aktibong nagsilbi sa ispirituhanong panginahanglan sa katawhan, kongkreto usab ang tabang sa mga komunidad pinaagi sa iyang Commission on Service o Diocesan Social Action Center (DSAC). Daghan silag proyekto, inisyatiba ug pakig-alayon nga sa hilom lang miusab sa daghang kinabuhi.

Duna silay housing ug anti-poverty project niadtong 2016 hangtud 2020 diin ang lideres sa informal settler organizations gihatagan sa mga capacity-building strategies sama sa planning, project implementation, monitoring, ug evaluation kabahin sa pagpanag-iya sa yuta, kapasidad pagsagubang sa climate change ug hulga sa eviction ug demolition. Pinaagi sa ilang pagpaningkamot ang mga miyembro nakaangkon sa mga skills pagpanahi, pagpangluto, hollow block-making, masonry, plumbing, organic farming ug backyard gardening uban sa partnership tali sa Bohol Island State University.

Niadtong 2015 ngadto sa 2020 aktibo nilang gipanghingusgan ang usa ka farming, resource management ug climate-adaptation project uban sa laing walo (8) ka diosesis sa tibuok nasud. Gihimong pilot locations ang pipila ka mga parishes alang sa kasayuran ug kahanas sa natad sa climate change adaptation strategies ug sustainable management of resources, lakip ang organic farming, disaster and calamities, inubanan sa pagpakig-alayon sa mga lokal nga barangay.

Ilang gitabangan ang unom (6) ka mga komunidad pagpatuman sa coastal cleanup, tree planting, solid waste management, sustainable fishing, ug mga demo farms diin adunay rainwater collection system ug renewable solar energy ang mga farmhouses. Ang maong farmhouse nagsilbi usab isip evacuation center, ug karon isolation facilities ning panahon sa pandemia.

Isip ilang Covid-19 response ang DSAC, nga gipangulohan ni Fr. Warli Salise, ug giniyahan ni Bishop Abet Uy, miapud-apud usab sa mga diaaster risk-reduction kits sa mga komunidad nga nakatabang sa barangay Covid-19 information dissemination.

Sukad niadtong April 2020 gilunsad sa Diocese ang ABAG Program Rice Distribution nga nakahatag nag 15 rounds sa 50 packs nga tag 4-kilo premium rice ngadto 58 parishes diin mismo ang mga parishioners mialayon sa purchasing, repacking ug distribution niini. Mi-train usab sila sa mga lokal nga kababayen-an pagbuhat og mga face masks ug eco-bags.

Bisan wa pa mauso ang Community Pantry diha na ang Caritas Kindness Station sa simbahan diin ang Diocese of Tagbilaran ubos sa iyang Covid-19 response mihatag og mga batakang panginahanglanon sa mga apektado sa pandemia. Nagmugna usab sila og “kindness stores” diin ang mga parishioners makapalit sa mga basic goods sa ubos lamang nga presyo.

Ubos kang Bishop Abet Uy ang Diocese of Tagbilaran nanguna sa usa ka Tree Planting Program nga anaa na karon sa ika-5 ka tuig. Ang tanang 58 parishes niini apil gayud isip usab halad atol sa pagsalulog sa 500th year of Christianity. Giawhag ang matag parokya pagtanum sa dili mokubos sa 500 seedlings sa mga bakanteng lote.

Daghan pang importanteng proyekto ang Diocese sama sa distribution of affordable lots nga nagsugod 11 ka-tuig na kanhi. Ang DSAC usa ka loyal nga kaalayon sa mga kabus pagpangitag kapuy-an nga dili mahal ang presyo ug maabuot ra sa ilang bulsa. Nakigtambayayong usab sila sa mga parokya sa nasud pagtabang sa mga nahiagum sa bagyo, baha ug uban pang katalagman.

Labaw sa tanan, samtang kini loyal partner sa mga government agencies, local government units, ug ubang non-government organizations, pagpaningkamot pagtabang sa mga kabus, kabataan, kababayen-an, persons with disabilities ug mga senior citizens, dili gayud nato hikalimtan ang lig-ong baruganan sa Diocese panahon sa mga eleksyon pinaagi sa PPCRV o Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting sa 58 niini ka mga parokya nga aktibong miapil ug miboluntaryo. Tinuod gyud nga bayani!

UNSUNG HEROES (Part I)

In this time of pandemic politicians play heroes. Those who are either flamboyant or arrogant go around their local government units giving goods or projects as if the funds come from their own pockets. The money comes from our taxes. But of course, there are many good political leaders, too, the ones who are humble and sincere in serving.

The real heroes however come from outside the government. They who have no agenda to get elected or reelected. They mostly come from civil society and the business sector. They are the unsung heroes in our midst.

One such civil society institution is the Diocese of Tagbilaran which, while actively serving the spiritual needs of our people, is alsoconcretely helping our communities in its temporal concerns through its Commission on Service formally called the Diocesan Social Action Center (DSAC). It has various high-impact projects, initiatives, partnerships and engagements that have silently changed many lives.

They had a housing and anti-poverty project from 2016 to 2020 where leaders of informal settler organizations were empowered through capacity-building strategies in planning, project implementation, monitoring, and evaluation towards land tenure security, capacity to respond to climate change and threats of evictions and demolitions.Through their efforts community members also acquired skills on dressmaking, cookery, hollow block-making, masonry, plumbing, organic farming and backyard gardening in partnership with the Bohol Island State University.

From 2015-2020 they were actively involved in a farming, resource management and climate-adaptation projectwhich was a consortium of eight (8) dioceses throughout our country where certain parishes became pilot locations for knowledge and application of climate change adaptation strategies and sustainable management of resources,including organic farming strategies in their individual farms, collectively dealing with disaster and calamities as a community in coordination with their barangay local government units.

They helped six (6) communities in crafting and implementing mitigation plans including the spearheading of coastal cleanup, tree planting, solid waste management, sustainable fishing,setting up demo farms with farmhouses adopting rainwater collection system and renewable solar energy. The farmhouse also functions as an evacuation center with some of them currently utilized as isolation facilities during this pandemic.

As part of its Covid-19 response the DSAC, under the leadership of Fr. WarliSalise and of course the advice and active involvement of Bishop Abet Uy, also provided disaster risk-reduction kits to these communities recently which were utilized by their barangays for Covid-19 information dissemination. 

Since April 2020 its ABAG Program Rice Distribution already distributedin 15 rounds, 50 packs of 4-kilo premium rice to 58 parishes with parishioners assisting in the purchasing, repacking and distribution. They also trained and assisted local women who produced face masks and eco-bags through these projects.

Even before the Community Pantry phenomenon was born, the Church already had its Caritas Kindness Station in selected dioceses in the country including the Diocese of Tagbilaran where part of its Covid-19 response in selected parishes was the distribution of goods to selected families mostly affected by the pandemic. They also established “kindness stores” in the parishes that gave livelihood opportunities to those who were affected by the pandemic and opportunities for parishioners to purchase basic goods at low prices.

The Diocese of Tagbilaran also has its Tree Planting Program which is now on its 5th year, an initiative started by Bishop AbetUy himself participated by all 58 parishes that targets the planting of certain number of trees. In time for the celebration of 500th year of Christianity, each of the parishes is strongly encouraged to plant at least 500 seedlings in their parish grounds and vacant lots.

There are still other important projects of the Diocese such as the distribution of affordable lots which started 11 years ago.The DSAC has been a loyal companion in the search for lots to consolidate for informal settlers to acquire at affordable prices. It also coordinates all the parishes in raising funds to extend to other dioceses affected by calamities such as strong typhoons in other areas of our country. 

And of course, while it is a loyal partner of government agencies, local government units, other non-government organizations, and individuals operating for the welfare of the vulnerable sectors including children, women, persons with disabilities and the elderly, we must not forget the pivotal role the Diocese plays during elections through the PPCRV or the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting with all of its 58 parishes and their volunteers participating. Unsung heroes, indeed.