Augustinian Promotion of Justice and Peace (Part I)

Fr.Aladdin P. Luzon, OSA (Justice and Peace Commission Coordinator) Dennis Abarrientos (Commission Office Staff)

CEBU, Philippines — The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight, to set the downtrodden free, to proclaim the Lord’s year of favor (Luke 4:18-19).

The above text is one of the gospel foundations of the promotion of justice and peace. To say, a passion for justice, a desire for peace, and a concern for the integrity of God’s creation form part the fundamental way of living out the gospel. A deeper reflection of the biblical passage would lead one to realize that indeed the bible and social justice have a very close link. God’s message to the people through the prophets and the commandments He laid down for them to live with are meant to establish a profound relationship between Himself and his creatures, and among creatures. We call such profound relationship as right relationship. The theme of justice runs through this thread of reflection. Biblical studies suggest that there is indeed an evolution of the understanding of the biblical concept of justice as right relationship (see, The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church, Pontifical Biblical Commission, 1993). It can be said therefore that the quest for justice is the very effort itself in building constructive and liberating relationships at all levels. Peace then is achieved when a profound relationship is present.

As for the Augustinian Province of Sto. Niño de Cebu-Philippines, the Commission on Justice and Peace is the very office through such evangelical promotion is taken into serious consideration. Since it became a full commission of the Filipino Augustinians in the year 2012, it has made significant steps in instituting its programs particularly in advocacy, networking, and services. It is strengthening its four pillars, namely: Respect for Human Rights, Development of Women and Children, Reduction of Poverty, and Promotion of Dignity of Labor.

The following are the major activities through which the commission undertakes its mandate in the promotion of justice and peace:

1. In Cebu, the Archdiocesan Discernment Group, in which the commission is one of the core conveners, is taking the lead in guiding the people in understanding the tedious process in fulfilling the requirements of a bill for the people’s initiative to abolish the pork barrel. The pork barrel system in the country is one of the great culprits of the poverty of the great majority of the Filipino people. With His Eminence, Archbishop Jose Palma, at the helm, the Cebu Coalition Against Pork Barrel System was created. This is a coalition of the different groups, faiths, and affiliations that abhor corruption. It is bent to put an end to the abusive use of the public funds in the name of service. The Augustinian Justice and Peace Commission coordinator serves as the finance committee head and his office at the Colegio del Sto. Niño serves also as the Cebu Province People’s Initiative headquarters.

2. From January to June 2014, the JPC continued to provide relief missions in northern Cebu in the heels of the devastation of super typhoon Yolanda.  It tapped not only the Colegio del Santo Niño, the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, Colegio San Agustin-Binan and other Augustinian communities, but also its network of civic groups.  It focused its efforts on the remote island of Kinatarcan, which bore the wrath of the typhoon without a single casualty.

Among the beneficiaries, it has surveyed and identified the most needy of recipients of a shelter program, which is responsive to resiliency requirements and risk reduction efforts.

In the first year commemoration of the super typhoon Yolanda event, the commission held a forum, themed: “Building a Culture of Resilience through Faith in Action!”  on November 8, 2014 at the Aula Magna, Pilgrim Center, Basilica del Sto. Niño.

A briefer on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and Climate Change Adaptation was discussed first.  This was followed with the discussion on main topic, titled: “Looking Back: Lessons Learned After the Disaster.” Various organizations of Sto. Niño devotees attended, both based at Colegio del Santo Niño and the Basilica.

A Holy Mass with candle lighting concluded the event.

3. Learning from the previous year’s disasters, the Commission embarked on a long term pro-active engagement in disaster-risk reduction and management (DRRM) plan. It partnered with a local research institution in piloting a school-based DRRM approach at the Colegio del Sto. Niño (CSN).  It held a seminar on DRRM with the CSN faculty and staff as facilitated by the Alternatives to Development, Inc. (A2D) and with the Cebu Provincial DRRM Officer Balthazar Tribunalo, as speaker. It held workshops on risk assessment and response with representatives  of  CSN-PTA, Barangay Sto. Niño, Cebu City, Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, and the Pilgrim Center.   

It expanded its drive by strengthening the collective preparedness and response to disasters of the Augustinian community through the 2nd Augustinian Justice and Peace Conference with the theme “Building a Culture of Resilience through Faith and Action,” at the Santo Niño Spirituality Center, Barangay Tolotolo, Consolacion, Cebu on October 7-9, 2014.

To reduce losses in lives and property caused by disasters, participants to the 2nd Justice and Peace Conference developed systematic actions, such as scaling up education on DRRM and climate change for all levels and across all sectors, to increase public awareness of risk and develop a culture of risk management and resilience.

Mindful of top-to-bottom impositions, participants were guided by the resource persons of the people-centered approaches and participatory strategies in crafting DRRM plans.  Speakers to the Conference include UN Awardee Alfredo Arquillano, Fr. Charles Jayme, and Rusty Biñas of Netherlands-based CORDAID.

- To be continued