This year’s celebration of the feast of the Holy Child Jesus continues to bring in record numbers of devotees attending daily novena masses at the Pilgrim Center of the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. There are 11 Sinulog masses throughout the day which are attended by some 5 to 7 even 10 thousand people every scheduled mass, which means there maybe more than 100,000 devotees who go in and out of the Pilgrim Center every day and the crowds are expected to swell as the fiesta approaches.
The Order of St. Augustine that tends the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu marks this year’s celebration as its 452nd.
That’s how long the OSA has been keeping the oldest icon in the Philippines. The theme of this year’s religious celebration is, “Sto. Nino: Source of Communion and Protector of Creation”.
Care for the environment has always been the core advocacy of the Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu-Philippines, and I think this is inspired by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s teaching on “the ecology of the human person”.
Many years back, I had the privilege of speaking with Fr. Tito Soquino, OSA who was quite excited to inform me about the OSA’s social action program of bringing the holy image of the Santo Niño to the remote islands.
The Sto. Niño de Cebu Augustinian Social Development Foundation (SNAF), the social action arm of the OSA, would bring the image of the Holy Child in far-flung areas where people find it difficult to visit the Basilica in Cebu City. The mission is to deepen the faith of the people, at the same time educate and awaken them to their civic duties in caring for the environment. By fostering community spirit nourished by the sacraments and capped by coastal clean-ups, mangrove planting and, I can imagine, boodle fights where people bring in food for the group, SNAF and its partners are able to open the hearts of the people to a new outlook.
The OSA outreaches in collaboration with lay volunteers fit what St. John Paul II referred to as, “A New Evangelization.” It is characterized by “personal and spiritual renewal, witnessing to others and the transformation of society and culture, including pro-life activism, social justice work, service to the poor and marginalized and engagement in politics or even the arts,” according to the saint of our times.
Last Saturday, I had the privilege of interviewing Fe Barino, executive director of the drug rehabilitation program that is now gaining waves in many parts of the country. She was in company with Fr. Ramon Ofredo and San Roque Barangay Captain Johnny Cantero appearing in the advocacy show “Co-op TV.”
The highlight of our discussion is the 7th principle adopted by co-ops worldwide, “Concern for the Community”.
Launched in August last year in cooperation with IT WORKS, an NGO which treats alcoholics using the universally accepted Narcotics Anonymous (NA) modules, SuGod has “graduated” at least 300 drug dependents through a 10-day program that integrates the psychological, social and spiritual approaches in treating drug dependents. Drug possession is a crime but experts say that drug dependency is a disease. Fr. Mon Ofredo, who acts as the spiritual guide of the SuGod program, also voiced the same view.
As I write, some 50 to 70 drug users have registered to take SuGod Batch 5 starting yesterday. The end result is to help them to stay off drugs for the rest of their lives, enroll in some skills training program and find a job with the help of SuGod partners.
During the TV program, barangay captain Johnny Cantero of San Roque, Liloan town revealed that petty crimes used to be rampant in his community, but with SuGod practically based in his neighborhood, petty crimes have significantly reduced if not totally eradicated. Cantero’s sincere and active campaign in practically going door to door asking users in his community to join the program has yielded positive results. These people now make up his volunteer brigade, and although the barangay gives no compensation except for free meals, they have found a new hope in what seemed to be an impossible situation before they joined SuGod.
SuGod is making waves because it is doable, time-bound, handled by professionals, aided by volunteers and founded on solid Christian values. That the government has not given the community-based drug rehab program a single centavo makes it even more commendable.
According to Fe, each participant is pegged at P500 a day for 10 days, which means that assuming there are 50 registrants, SuGod organizers would need P250,000.00 per batch.
I invited Fe and fellow SuGod workers to a sit-down interview on “Co-op TV” in the hope that cooperatives will be encouraged to help drug rehab efforts in pursuing the 7th co-op principle. Every cooperative has an allocation for Community Development Fund (CDF) and this can be tapped for the urgent and crucial community work.
Co-ops can encourage drug dependents in their own community to take the program and sponsor their registration; or they can help out by way of sponsoring meals for the day. Co-op members can also serve in the secretariat or even train to become facilitators if they want to volunteer.
If co-ops worked tirelessly as a sector to help victims of the deadly earthquake in October 2013 and Super Typhoon Yolanda in November 2013, I believe the movement will not close its eyes on the plight of one million drug victims who cry out for help.