Meet the Ancop Scholars

Much has been said about Ancop's Child Sponsorship Program which is the direct beneficiary of the Ancop Global Walk but seldom can an article be found featuring an Ancop scholar. At the presscon of the Ancop Global Walk 2012, I was fortunate to talk with three of the Ancop scholars, namely, Simon Jake Beringuela, Ken Mark Agustin and John Ray Supera, all of Bagong Silang, Kalookan City.  All of them are residents of the Ancop sites at Bagong Silang.  Each one of them has a story to tell.

Simon, Ken and John Ray, the faces of Ancop Global Walk

Simon Jake Beringuela at 19 years old, is the oldest among the three.  He took up Accountancy at  the University of Caloocan and is currently attending review classes at CPAR for the CPA board in November. Orphaned by his father when he was in third year high school, his mother raised all four children by selling soda.  There never was not enough money for food and other basic expenses and the education of Simon and his siblings was sidelined.  Simon is grateful for being chosen as one of the Ancop scholars.  His dream of becoming an accountant is fast becoming a reality and hopefully this will help in plucking his mother and siblings out of poverty.

Another future accountant is Ken Mark Agustin, the poster boy of Ancop Global Walk.    Like Simon, he is in review classes at CPAR.  He is very grateful to his benefactor for sending him to college and as an added bonus, shouldered his fees for the review classes.  Second child of four children of a taxi driver and a housewife, he is the embodiment of his parents' hope for a better life.  Ken did not stop going to school even if there was not enough to start with.  His siblings stopped their schooling to give way to Ken's.  Unlike his siblings, Ken is smart and intelligent and his parents staked whatever meager resources they had on him.  They were not disappointed, he graduated magna cum laude from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

John Ray Supera is a Grade 6 pupil at the Amparo Elementary School. At a tender age of 11, he dreams of becoming a scientist someday.  With an Ancop scholarship, John Ray is confident that he will be able to alleviate his family's plight as it answers not only the tuition fees but have enough left for transportation and projects.

Simon's, Ken's and John Ray's stories are stories of faith and hope.  In seeing Jesus Christ in the faces of thousands of Simons, Kens and John Rays, hope springs eternal.  Contact us through this website or through email at cfc.westc@gmail.com.

Small Things... Big Dreams

Mother Teresa of Calcutta often said that little things done with great love often leave a lasting impact on a person. Thus, one need not perform grandiose things to make a mark. This is exactly the concept behind Ancop's Global Walk (AGW). By setting aside a measly P10 a day for a month,  one can participate in the walkathon that would help send a poor child to school.

To jumpstart the preparations for this year's Global Walk,  the West C sector under Steve Maningat launched the 2012 Global Walk last April 25 at the Santuario de San Vicente de Paul.  The main speaker for the night was Eric delos Reyes, ANCOP President. He rallied the members of the sector to support this cause which aims to raise funds in order to send less fortunate children to school, hopefully twice as many as those who were given scholarships as a result of last year's walk activity.  Adding pizzaz to the occasion was the attendance of the reigning Miss Philippines-Earth, ANCOP Global Walk advocate and SFC member Athena Imperial.  ANCOP Global Walk overall head Paolo Maningat talked on the importance of getting more walkers and donations to meet the overall target.

The sector activity was a prelude to the second ANCOP Global Walk that will be held on August 12 at 5 in the morning at the Quirino Grandstand.  The Walk will be done near simultaneously with other ANCOP Walks all over the world.  Walkers are encouraged to be a disciple of change, a harbinger of hope for children, whose continuing education provides that spark of light for a future that will be bright for them and their families.


This article came out recently at the Ugnayan supplement of the CBCP Monitor.

2000 Hail Marys

Last Sunday was an auspicious day for me.  It marked my first participation in the 2000 Hail Mary's.  It was sponsored by our chapter and as such, my husband and I arrived early at the venue, the ground floor of Bahay Rekoleto at Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Quezon City.

From home, I brought food to be shared with everyone, crucifix, table cloth, candles, projector, laptop and of course, a rosary.  The image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, flowers, prayer guides and a tall vase to be used as a receptacle for the personal petitions were brought by Sis. Rose Banzon and Sis. Estela Baytan.

It was on March 25, 1933 when a teenage Salesian seminarian, Juan Riu Farran, heard from a co-seminarian that he will obtain at least three graces if he prays 2000 Hail Mary's on  the feast of the Incarnation of the Son of God.  When the day arrived, Riu prayed the 2000 Hail Mary's and asked that he become a Salesian, to become a priest and to become a missionary.  In a span of 19 years, Riu obtained all three graces.  The devotion of the 2000 Holy Mary's has spread to many countries with the Marian devotion and fervor of the Filipino people.

How do you go about with the 2000 Hail Mary's?  From the 2000 Hail Mary's, a sample schedule is attached though the time could be adjusted.  The sequence of the prayers are included plus the Divine Mercy chaplet and other prayers.  There are 20 petitions and the prayer leaders for each petition have to lead in praying 100 Hail Mary's.  After completing the 100 Hail Mary's, personal petitions that are written in small pieces of paper could be dropped in a vase, box or any container.  To mark each petition that just ended, a rose is put in a vase.  To check on how many petitions had been prayed for, one has to count the roses in the vase.  Dropping of petitions while in the midst of praying the 100 Hail Mary's is allowed though it would be better if it will be done in between praying of the petitions so as not to distract the body.  

After singing praises to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the petitions in the vase should be burned. Usually it takes nine hours for the entire proceeding to be completed.

While I was writing down my petitions, I sensed a liberating experience in entrusting my cares and woes to the Lord through the intercession of Mama Mary.  Now I have somebody else praying with me and for me.for all my troubles and aspirations.  Days after Sunday, my husband and I received several blessings, most of which were included in the petitions we wrote.

CFC West C Magnificat Echo Weekend

This article came out today on the Ugnayan issue of the CBCP Monitor.


A month after the first Magnificat Weekend for the leaders of Couples for Christ Metro Manila was held, it was time to bring the message to the Unit Leaders, Household Leaders and senior members of CFC West C.  Led by Bro. Steve and Sis. Minnie Maningat, the sector held their Magnificat Echo Weekend at the Teacher's Camp in Baguio City from March 2-4, 2012.

Steve Maningat, sector head of West C, Metro Manila

As early as the morning of Friday, more than six hundred participants from the six clusters of West C converged in Baguio City to participate in this monumental event.  By Friday night, the echo conference proper started with a fellowship night-cum-chorale competition entitled "West C Goes Glee."

Saturday's and Sunday's activities started with the praying of the Rosary followed by a Mass celebrated by Msgr. Allen Aganon, Couples for Christ Spiritual Director.  To kick off the Saturday sessions, Msgr. Aganon gave the prologue, expounding on the significance of the Magnificat from which CFC's theme this year is based on.

Over the course of the conference, four talks were delivered and all of them delved on the faithfulness of Mary to her Son, Jesus.  From these words, we learned that Mary was always there for Him at all phases of His life and therefore, she could be considered the first disciple of Jesus.  It was Mary's "yes" to Angel Gabriel that paved the way for mankind's salvation.  The Blessed Sacrament was exposed at the end of the Saturday sessions.

The CFC West C Magnificat weekend ended with a praisefest and healing session.  As the echo conference came to its inspiring end, everyone was spiritually high and ready to emulate Mary and ready to take on the mission that God has entrusted to them.

Magnificat Weekend

One of the biggest activities that we go to being leaders of the Couples for Christ community is the MC Weekend.  This is a gathering of the members of the Mission Core (MC) Group, the top leaders of Couples for Christ. The MC Weekend Conference is a retreat cum fellowship that every MC member looks forward to every year.  It is held at Baguio City on the last weekend of January.  Every year, the theme for the conference changes.  For this year, it is called the Magnificat Weekend based on the community's theme "Proclaim the greatness of the Lord"  (Luke 1:46).

Photo taken from the CFC website

My husband and I prepared well for this trip.  As early as the first week of January, Jun bought a new pair of tires to replace the worn-out ones.  He also made sure that our vehicle was in tip top condition so as not to encounter mechanical problems while out of town.  Three years ago we had that unfortunate experience when this same vehicle conked out in Baguio City for the 2009 MC Weekend.  We had to leave the vehicle in the repair shop of Jun's client.  We traveled back by Victory Liner a week later to retrieve the vehicle.  Meanwhile, Bro. Rainier and Sis. Meng Figueras welcomed us in their vehicle for our trip back home to Manila.

We checked in at Hotel Elizabeth on a Friday afternoon.  I readily fell in love with the hotel the moment I stepped in their lobby.  The hotel staff were friendly and attended to our needs immediately.  I am not surprised, Hotel Elizabeth has been voted Baguio's Best Hotel a few years back.  The room was clean and doesn't smell musty.  I told myself, "I have found my home in Baguio".  After resting and freshening up, we, together with another CFC couple, Bro. Deng and Sis. Reiah Yango proceeded to the venue, Camp John Hay. 

Breakfast with Reiah at Hotel Elizabeth.

Jun and I at the driveway of the hotel.

The conference had fellowship on the first night and talks on the next two days.  There were worships and Mass before each session and a praise fest capped the conference on Sunday noon.  Though Sis. Reiah and I suffered from hypertension from Day 1, the conference and bonding time with CFC brothers and sisters made the trip all worthwhile.

Great Divide

This is the original article that I submitted for In His Steps, the daily prayer guide of the members of Couples for Christ and its ministries.  My initial attempt at writing for In His Steps appears in the Sept. 12, 2012 issue.

LUKE 6:20-26

And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said:  “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.  Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied.  Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh.  Blessed are you when people hate you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.  Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!  Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.  For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.  But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.  But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry.  Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep.  Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”

Jesus Christ has always been the champion of the poor, the downtrodden and the oppressed.  At the time this gospel was written, there was no middle class to speak of that would bridge the elite class and the poor.  The elite had everything including access to the churches but the poor had practically nothing. Fast forward to the 21st century and although there is already a middle class, the elite still owns almost everything while the poor still suffer. Look around and the great divide is still evident.  Though it is not a sin to be rich and endowed, sharing of resources to the poor is expected of us.  Sharing could be in the form of giving them equal opportunities and opening doors for them to uplift them from their present predicament. This gospel is about hope.  Jesus is assuring us that there is something better to look up to in His kingdom.  Whatever suffering we have endured or are enduring on earth will be rewarded in the afterlife.  Heaven is one great equalizer:  both rich and poor have equal chances of entering His gate.

Christmas is Sharing Love

It is officially Christmas season for me with the onset of Simbang Gabi.  Though the puto bumbong and bibingka are available all year round, they seem to taste better when you eat them after attending the dawn Masses of which they become synonymous with.  As the days get nearer to Dec. 25, everyone is busy preparing for the countless Christmas Parties, Noche Buena, and gift giving.  I am no exception.  Christmas has taken a very materialistic meaning to it which veered away from the reason why we are celebrating it.  That He was sent to save mankind.  That God the Father in His deep love for us has sent His own Son to save us.

While watching the Christmas episode of Glee 3 on TV the other day, I heard the cast sing "Do You Know It's Christmas".  This song dates back to 1984 when Band Aid, a group made up of British bands, sang this to raise funds for famine-stricken Ethiopia of which more than a million died.  BBC crew referred to the famine as "the closest thing to hell on earth".  The lyrics of the song hasn't escaped me.  It sings about sharing what we have to those whose concern is when their next meal will be.  I don't think that Christmas was in the minds of the Ethiopians during the great famine of 1983-1985.

Amidst the revelry of this season, let us all reflect on the real meaning of Christmas, that is, sharing love.  Would you rather be on the receiving end of relief lines or be the giver?

Clinging to God's Promise

I saw this image earlier in Facebook which was shared by my cousin.  What immediately came to mind is the verse from the book of Jeremiah (29:  11-14) that goes like this:  

"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe, plans to give you a future full of hope.  When you call me, when you go to pray to me, I will listen to you.  When you look for me, you will find me.  Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, you will find me with you, says the Lord, and I will change your lot, I will gather you together from all the nations and all the places to which I have banished you, says the Lord, and bring you back to the place from which I have exiled you."

This verse is one of the more popular verses of the Bible.  I am not surprised at all with that because people who have reached the end of the rope will cling on to even a flicker of hope.  Just by reading it will put a damper to an episode of hopelessness.  I am no different from other people.  I, too, like to escape from the pits of despair.  Just thinking that there is a God who knows what's best for me and that He won't allow me to fall and fail, immediately lifts my spirit up.

So when everything else doesn't seem right, cling on to His promise.  Read Jeremiah 29: 11-14.

Photo Contest Winner

Two weeks ago I headed to Conti's Trinoma to meet with Madelin Galvez, the winner for the photo contest that I ran recently.  At stake was an Epson inkjet printer.  It was more convenient for me to just send the printer through courier but I decided to give it to her personally so I could also meet her.  Like me, Madelin is also a blogger.  She has several blog sites to her name.  

The winner of the just concluded photo contest, Madelin Galvez.

Thank you Madelin Galvez for participating in this contest.  Hope to see more of you in the blogosphere and in Facebook.

Covenant Orientation

Last Saturday, my husband and I attended the Covenant Orientation of the newest members of our chapter at Our Lady of Consolation Parish.  I couldn't help but reminisce the time that Jun & I attended ours in 1998.  How time flies.

We had our Covenant Orientation on a Sunday afternoon at the old barangay hall located at the back of the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Project 6, Quezon City.  I recall that almost all of the new members of the new unit were present for the occasion.  The four household heads of the new unit were present so with our unit leaders.

The Covenant Orientation is part of the first year formation program for all Couples for Christ members.  It is mandatory for all members and is given three months after the Dedication Night or twelfth talk of the Christian Life Program.  The Covenant Orientation is given early on in the journey in Couples for Christ to drill in each new member his covenant and commitment with Couples for Christ.  

Front and back of the covenant card.

The inner portion of the covenant card.

Aside from laying the covenant that each should abide as a Couples for Christ member, prayer and scripture, ways to strengthen family life and Christian culture are also discussed.  All topics spoken of at the Covenant Orientation are given emphasis by the household head during the regular household prayer meetings soon after the Covenant Orientation.  

Ancop Global Walk: Walk for a Scholar

Four days from today, Ancop, the ministry of Couples for Christ mandated to bring God's transforming love to the poor is launching the Ancop Global Walk on August 21, 2011 at the SM Mall of Asia.  It is global because it will be replicated simultaneously all over the world.  The walk aims to raise funds for the Child Sponsorship Program or CSP of Ancop.  Ancop believes that the best way to alleviate the poor from the mire of poverty and break the chain of despair and hopelessness is through education.  If one child finishes college, he can help his whole family rise from poverty.  Send one hundred children to school and you see the multiplier effect on a big segment of our society. 

Let us all join Couples for Christ in this noble undertaking.  For a registration fee of P300.00, you can participate in the walkathon that will help send a poor child to school.  Stand up and be counted.  If you are a Metro Manila resident, please take note of the following details:

WHAT:  Ancop Global Walk

WHEN:  August 21, 2011 5AM

WHERE:  SM Mall of Asia

WHO:  Everyone who wants to be an instrument of change

This is where the action will be for Metro Manilans on August 21.

If you were not able to register for the walk, you can still help by clicking on this link:  CFC Ancop West C. By setting aside P35 a day for a year, a child can get an elementary or high school education that is the first step to his journey away from poverty.

Christian Life Program

Are you a weekend Catholic, meaning your idea of being a Catholic is to attend Mass on Sundays?  Do you have everything but feel empty inside?  Do you want to have a more personal and intimate relationship with the Lord, your spouse and your children?  If you answered Yes to any of the questions, you are an ideal candidate to attend the Christian Life Program.

The Christian Life Program (CLP) is the entry point to the Couples of Christ.  It is open to couples from all walks of life who want to have a deeper relationship with God and a more meaningful existence as a Christian.  While the organization is for spiritual renewal, it is not boring or dogmatic as religious organizations are perceived to be.  Being a member of Couples for Christ opened me to a lot of friends, better understanding of what a wife, a mother or a Christian should be.  I have been a member since 1998 and I won't stay this long if I found it boring.

Come August 13, 2011 at 8 PM, the chapter where my husband and I belong to will be conducting an Orientation on the CLP.  I hope you say yes to my invitation.  By the way, did I say that it is FREE?  It is free.  Just come with your spouse, have an open mind and be ready to make new friends.

WHAT:  Christian Life Program

WHEN:  August 13, 2011 to November 5, 2011

8:00 in the evening

WHERE:  Sanctuario de San Vicente de Paul

Tandang Sora Ave., Quezon City

CONTACT PERSONS:  Bro. Deng Yango (0916-4625254)

Sis.  Reiah Yango (0922-7245192 or 288-0402)

Sis. Marla Rances (788-2025 or 215-1305)

Sis. Vicky Francisco (0929-1540737)

Be Smart, Use the CFC MMD

If you are a chapter leader, chances are you have been busy for the last few weeks making the database of your chapter.  Chapter Leaders have to submit their rosters of members to their respective Sector Heads for offering at the 30th anniversary celebration of Couples for Christ last Sunday, June 26.  Another reason is the Center's campaign for full compliance and implementation of the Couples for Christ Members Management Database or CFC MMD. The CFC International Council (IC) envisions the CFC MMD as a tool for the mission.  It aims to lessen the time spent for administrative work so there will be more time for pastoral formation and evangelization. 

The CFC MMD is the latest buzz going around in our sector.   By going through the manual for the first time, I was overwhelmed by the scope of information that has to be encoded for each member of our chapter. If a chapter has at least 50 couples, that's 100 databases to be encoded.  From my experience, I did not find any difficulty as there is batch encoding.  The CFC MMD is so easy to navigate specially because of our familiarity of how social networks like Facebook, blogs, LinkedIn, Multiply and the like work.  Now tell me, who doesn't have a Facebook account up to this time?  Even my nephew's dog has an FB account!  

To put it simply, it is like a Facebook fan page of a chapter, a cluster, sector.  It gives you a bird's eyeview of what goes on in a chapter, cluster or sector et al.  The scope of the network depends on the member's level of service.  If you are a chapter leader, you can only view the activities, reports and members' database of your chapter. A cluster leader on the other hand has access on the chapters under his cluster and so on and so forth.

Why is it a powerful tool for the mission?  The portal can generate reports at real time of the evangelization and pastoral formation initiatives of the smallest chapter.  It can keep track of all members, both active and inactive.  It is like having your CFC DNA.  Just by reading the reports, a leader can chart the course that his group will take.  Since the reports are important in decision making, encoding of data should be done responsibly by a qualified chapter servant if the chapter leader is not available to do it.

We are now ready to start.  Go to Google and type http://cfcglobaldata.com.  After clicking go, your screen will look like this:

Log-in by typing your username and password.  This will bring you to your chapter's dashboard.  At this page, you can choose the task that you want to do by clicking on the appropriate tab.

Not only data of a chapter or cluster et al can be found in the CFC MMD.  A member can also access his own page by doing the following:

Go to Google and type http://cfcglobaldata.com. Instead of logging in, click on Member's Portal.

 

To be able to go to your page, you have to type your member ID number and password. Don't know your member ID number?  Ask your chapter head or chapter servant for your number.  If you are a first time user, you have to provide your ID number and email address.  

Check your email for your password.  Once you have your password, click to login.

You are now in your own page.  You can choose to edit your profile, upload your profile picture, or change the system generated password to one of your own creation.

I hope this little exercise has helped you with the creation of your chapter's database.

Pearl of Great Price: Celebrating 30 Years of Blessings

June is a busy, make that hectic month for Couples for Christ.  It is anniversary month.  Traditionally, the anniversary is celebrated with congresses, that big parade and celebration at Luneta and what have you.  This year, 2011 is special.  CFC is 30 years old.  To mark the 30th or Pearl Anniversary and the unity that has remained strong and steadfast, despite undergoing tough challenges, Couples for Christ has a lot of activities lined up.

The celebration officially started with a Global Community Recollection Day on June 4.  For the chapter leaders, the recollection was given a week earlier during the Chapter Leaders Training on May 28.  After a week, said recollection was cascaded to the general membership.  A week before the big celebration at Luneta, various activities will be held to be participated in by delegates from all over the world.  The climax of the anniversary celebration will be a grand parade at the Luneta in the afternoon of June 26.

To commemorate this special milestone in CFC, a song was composed  and recorded.  I have downloaded the song (with lyrics and chords) and included it in this article so you will not have a hard time searching for it.

Aside from the song, CFC is coming out with a coffee book that will include pictures of different household groups, etc.  You can have it at P500 apiece.

Commemorative t-shirts which are very cool and world class are available.  The t-shirts come in different shades of blue, depending on the ministry you represent:  royal blue (Couples for Christ and Servants of the Lord), navy blue (Singles for Christ and Youth for Christ) and aqua blue (Handmaids of the Lord and Kids for Christ).  Aside from t-shirts, there are also commemorative stickers for a very affordable price of P20 each.

Let's all be counted and join in the celebration on June 26.  See you all.

Shok Ariola: The Making of a Full Time Worker

I had the opportunity of meeting a full time worker of the Couples for Christ when my husband and I were the Youth for Christ (YFC) Couple Coordinators of our chapter.  His name escapes my mind and he was assigned to the YFC of the West C Sector.  He was full of passion and dedication and from the information about him that I gathered, I found out that he graduated with honors from college.  I asked myself what is it in mission work or becoming a full time worker that made him give up a higher paying job working in a prestigious company to settle for a minimum amount of pay?  I said to myself that this is not normal nor logical.

Last March at our sector's Echo Conference at Baguio City, we had Bro. Shok Ariola as one of the speakers.  Bro.  Shok Ariola is a full time worker and at present the Program Head of Singles for Christ and the Migrant Workers Program.  I asked myself what message will Bro. Shok impart to the participants as I have already a preconceived picture playing in my mind of how a full time worker delivers his talk or sharing.  It was not a good picture, the result of listening to the sharings in the past of other full time workers who used the stage to fish for praises or empathy for the sacrifices that they have to endure because of their low pay.  When Bro. Shok delivered his talk, it erased my prejudice on full time workers by just being himself.  It was a refreshing departure from the typical talk by a full time worker.  But who is Shok Ariola?

Shok, aside from his day job at the CFC Center, occasionally travels to Africa and Mekong countries to do mission work.  He is as ordinary as anyone of us, no holier than thou posturings that endear him to the people he associates with.  He is the loving husband of Carel and father to their two lovely children.  He is also father to a nineteen year old whom he had when he was in his teens.  

He is a product of a broken family and one weekend he left home after a big fight with his mother. He ended up in the house of this friend who cannot accommodate him as his friend was on his way to attend a Youth Camp.  Since he needed a place to stay for the weekend, the Youth Camp was the perfect place with free meals no less.  Shok claimed that no earth shaking moments happened at the camp.  His transformation to a new life didn't happen overnight but noticed that  he doesn't curse the way he used to.

Six years after attending the Youth Camp in 1996, Shok left in 2002 and spent a year in Africa as a full time mission worker.  He decided to become a full time worker for the Couples for Christ because he wants all people to experience what he had experienced.  He wants people to experience the good changes in his life, the love of God and for His people, and the joy in serving Him.  

In 2004, he went back to Africa and this time with his wife and daughter in tow to spend five years spreading the Word of God by conducting Christian Life Programs.  Those five years in Africa were memorable times for the family as he became closer to his wife and vice versa.  While away, his parents became part of the community as members of the Servants of the Lord and Handmaids of the Lord.  His siblings also joined Couples for Christ.  Shok is quick to say that he didn't talk them into joining but his unceasing prayers did the trick.

Just like other missionary couples, Shok and Carel worry and struggle to provide for the needs of their growing family but they find comfort in the knowledge that the God who provided for today is still the same God tomorrow.

Couples for Christ is fortunate to have full time workers like Shok who help spreading the love of God less difficult for us.  Let us continue to support them with our prayers and be more generous with the amount that we tithe.  

Education: Best Weapon Against Poverty

Yesterday, my husband and I attended Teaching Night.  Every third Tuesday of the month, leaders of Couples for Christ flock to Meralco Theater (the previous venue was the gymnasium of Xavier School in San Juan) for the Mission Core Group (MCG) Teaching Night.  The MCG is composed of senior leaders of Couples for Christ.  My husband and I have been attending it for the past four years.

For the numerous times that we have attended Teaching Night, yesterday's topic is one of those which tugged at my heartstrings.  The guest speaker for the night was Sec. Armin Luistro, FSC of the Department of Education.  He rattled off with statistics which underscored the sad state of the Philippine's public education system.  The Philippine public educational system just like the ones in other countries is free and available to all citizens.  Despite it being accessible to everyone, Sec. Luistro lamented that not all pupils who enrolled in grade 1 is sure to graduate.  A big percentage or 33% of the total grade 1 population will join the ranks of dropouts. There are many factors why these children drop out of school and foremost of all is economic, they are just too poor to afford school supplies, jeepney fare and what more personal things like a toothbrush.  

The good secretary mentioned that quite a number of dropouts stopped going to school altogether because of a simple toothache, a toothache that could mean a two-week absence from school.  By the time the toothache is gone,  should the child elect to go back to school, he will have difficulty in catching up with his classmates.  Most of the time, the child leaves the school for good and is unlikely to return. A study by the National Education Testing Center shows that the earlier the child drops out, the greater the likelihood of his reverting to illiteracy.  

I am a strong advocate for education being the most potent weapon against poverty and I have written articles in the past about the importance of education: Ancop's Child Sponsorship Program, Bravo Khan Academy!, and My Bucket List Part 2.  I am fortunate and happy that I am a member of Couples for Christ and has been a volunteer for Gawad Kalinga and Ancop for quite a time thus giving me a firsthand account of life in the slums.  Building them houses in different colors of the rainbow, no matter how noble the intentions are, sadly does not alleviate them from their present predicament.  The root of the problem of poverty like inadequate/poor quality of education and/or no education at all, should be the one addressed instead of palliative measures (I need not elaborate on this so as not to offend others who have a different point of view as that of mine).

Before ending his talk, Sec. Luistro pleaded for prayers for him who is at the helm of the Department of Education and for his staff who collectively have the gargantuan task of preparing the young for a bright future through education.  Aside from prayers, he also hinted that there are several ways of helping.  To know the kind of help that a public school needs, one just have to go to a nearby public school and talk to the principal.  Different schools have different needs.

Before the schoolyear 2011-2012 opens next month, let us think of ways to make learning more effective.  Let us open our eyes, ears and most specially, our hearts.

Related Reading:

• Learning to Stay in School

Keeping Your Household Members Beside You

Making members remain in a group or organization without monetary consideration is a big challenge.  This is true with Couples for Christ though am not singling it out.  A lot of organizations go through this phase.  

There are a lot of reasons why members lie low but foremost of all is that they have lost interest in the organization because it has failed to address the reason why they joined in the first place.  I will be listing down tips on how to hold on to your members.  Let me warn you though that these tips are purely my own culled from more than ten years of being a CFC and don't represent anyone's or CFC's stand.

1.  Have a trusting and sincere relationship with your member.  Trust is the core of any lasting relationship.  This is true for all kinds of relationship whether with one's spouse, friend, child or client.  If a person trusts you enough, you will know what makes him tick.  Selling something to a prospect will be a breeze as you know what to offer him.

More so in the case of the household member, he expects nothing less.  You, as household leader, will have his loyalty, love, support and this started with trust.  Isn't it that he started to divulge something of himself during the one on one session after Talk 4 of the Christian Life Program?  Though different members react differently during the one on one session, it nevertheless is a good start.  Some have a difficult time opening up.  Once the member has opened up, it is the duty of the household leader to keep everything confidential.

2.  Have a caring and nurturing attitude towards your member.  A household member attends the weekly household prayer meetings because he feels cared for by his colleagues in the household.  He feels like he is at home in the household.  Everyone accepts him for what he is and nobody judges him.  It is a place where he can be himself.  When he needs support, the household members led by the household head are there to give support and understanding.

3.  Have  fun once in a while.  I won't deny that I look forward to these gatherings.  The activity will depend on how much budget there is.  Going out of town for a day or two is the preferred activity of the majority.  Though going out of town costs more money and consumes more time, that picnic-style element of this sortie never ceases to appeal to everyone.  Still wondering why there is a higher percentage of attendees to the weekend conferences when done in Baguio than the one held at Manila?

If time and budget do not warrant an out of town getaway, there are numerous fastfoods, eateries and karaoke bars in Metro Manila you can choose from.  My personal preference is going to karaoke bars.  You just have to scour the different promos being offered by these karaoke bars to minimize on expenses.

4.  Be yourself.  Members can see through you if you are wearing a mask.

What's Cooking in the Household?

One of the joys in being a member of Couples for Christ is belonging to a household.  In My First Household Meeting, I went into details on what a household is.  It is in the household that one draws support, strength, love, spiritual nourishment so it is not surprising that lasting friendships are forged among the members.

Since the household meetings are held weekly with the members taking turns in being hosts, it has become an avenue to showcase the cooking prowess of the hostess.  If there is no cooking prowess to speak of (joke only) or the hosts weren't able to prepare, restaurants nearby make a killing from their orders.

It is in the household that you can eat bopis, dinuguan, pinakbet, callos, laing, Bicol express, caldereta, papaitan and other Filipino specialties that you can taste during fiestas and gatherings.  Of course, cooking laureat-style is not the norm for Couples for Christ.  Couples for Christ encourages its members to be simple, so it has to be one solid and one liquid.  But the hosts can not be faulted if they prepared something more than what is expected.  This is borne out of love for their co-members, generosity, plain Filipino hospitality and a celebration for a recent blessing.

Food galore at the Figueras' residence

Christmas Party of the Lopez' household, 2009.

When it is our turn to host the household meeting, I usually cater to what our co-members love to eat like spicy Bicol express, laing or ginataang santol.  There are times that I serve new additions to my menu, new learned recipes from friends, cookbooks or the internet, that I am confident enough to have them try.  It flatters my heart no end when I see them enjoying what I have served and having a good time just being together.

Good Friday Menu

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For Catholics worldwide, Lent marks the time for repentance of sin, renewal of faith and preparation to celebrate Easter.  Fr. William Saunders of the Catholic Education Resource Center further said fasting and abstinence have been a big part of Lent since the earliest time of the Church.  Though fasting and abstinence were pretty tough during the early Christians, the observance has slowly evolved through time.  Nowadays only two days, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, are left for strict observance of fasting and abstinence.  But what is fasting?  Abstinence? 

Fasting is having one full meal a day with small snacks to keep one's strength, the full meal eaten preferably at 3 o'clock or evening.  Abstinence on the other hand is refraining from eating meat on those two days.  One can go the extra mile by "giving up" something as a sacrifice.  It could be smoking, drunkenness or any other addiction or obsession that is/are hard to give up.

For the budget-conscious housewife, here are suggestions for your Good Friday meal:  fried daing na bangus, brown rice, sauteed mung beans with smoked fish or ginisang monggo sa tinapa, for you.  The young ones will enjoy the sour and garlicky taste of marinated bangus and the healthy twist to ginisang monggo.  Down it with a lot of water every now and then to block off occasional cravings for food.

Ginisang Monggo

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Daing na Bangus

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The Ideal Chacoco

From an older article, Serving the Youth, I narrated my husband and I's experiences when we were the Youth for Christ (YFC) Couple Coordinators of our chapter or Chacoco, a term coined by the YFCs themselves.  It was different from the previous ministries that we served.  Different in the sense that the objects of evangelization are the teenagers.  If on the older article I talked about being a Chacoco from our point of view, for this article I am fortunate to sharing the floor to a former YFC leader, Bro. Ezra Paguntalan.  I couldn't bring myself to addressing him as Bro (he already crossed over to Singles for Christ) as I got used to dealing with the teenaged Ezra in the past.  Below is Ezra's account of his ideal chacoco (with minor revisions due to space considerations):

My ideal chacoco are those who answered the call to service and at the same time embraced the youth  as one of their own. They share not just their time and limited resources but more importantly, their love and desire for the youth to be better persons. They are able to make a difference in the lives of the youth and these youth changed for the better because of them.

My ideal chacoco believe in the innate and intrinsic goodness of the youth.  They are not judgmental.  They understand that the youth make mistakes but will never judge them because they believe in the youth's intrinsic goodness. For my ideal chacoco, nobody is a hopeless case: lots of doses of understanding, guidance and love are all that are needed.  They must be firm but loving. Being young themselves once upon a time, a lot of lessons can be imparted from their experiences.

One of the most memorable experiences that I have with my chacoco was the advice that they gave me about opening up to my parents and that I should take the first step.  That our parents also want to get to know us more and it’s possible that they just don’t know how or where to start. They told me that I have nothing to lose in trying.  I never regretted initiating it.  Now I am happy to say that I have a wonderful relationship not just with my parents but also with my brother and sisters as well. I am who I am now also because of our chacoco.  I am truly grateful and indebted to all the chacoco that I have met as a YFC.

What else can I say?   I just hope that Jun and I were able to make a mark in the life of even one YFC when we were their chacoco.