CFM joins hands with Napolcom
MANILA, Philippines - The Christian Family Movement (CFM) joined hands with the National Police Commission who spearheaded the 15th National Crime Prevention Week in the Philippines, September 1 to 7, with the theme “Krimen ay Sugpuin, Pamilya ay Patatagin.” Among the major activities of the week was a one-day seminar entitled “Forum on Family Life: Towards Stronger Families and Safer Homes.”
Welcome remarks were made by Director Myrna DP Medina, service chief, Napolcom-CPCS followed by the opening message of Eduardo Escueta, commissioner and vice chairman and executive officer, Napolcom.
The orientation on the day’s activities, meanwhile, was given by Zeny Capistrano, national president of the Christian Family Movement (CFM). The speakers were PCSupt. Yolanda Tanigue who tackled “Crimes against the Filipino Family,” and “Crimes against and by Parents”; PSupt. Ildebrandi Usana, acting chief, ITPD-DHRDD, PNP who discussed “Crimes against and by Children” and “Crimes against and by Society”; and Emmeline Verzosa, executive director, NCRFW who talked about ”The Filipino Family’s Fight against Crime.”
CFM conducted the workshops in the afternoon. The topics taken up at the Napolcom were “Dealing With Marital Issues” by Jorge and Josie Santamaria and Mario Nery; “Family Conflict Resolution” by Roger and Naty Dayan and Rene and Inday Pronstroller; and “Solo Parenting (for Widows, Widowers, Separated, Unwed and Spouses of OFWs)” by Sony Sison, Jin Reyes, and Reby Toledano. The three workshops were well-attended by police officers, both male and female, and representatives from NGOs and other government offices.
CFM has been at the forefront of marriage and family services in the Philippines since it was brought here from the United States in 1956. It is the CFM that started the Pre-Cana seminars in parishes for engaged couples getting married, as early as the ’60s. It is also to the CFM that the founder of the Encounter programs, Fr. Gabriel Calvo of Barcelona, Spain and now of Washington, DC has entrusted the Marriage Encounter (ME) in 1969, the Sons and Daughters Encounter (SADE), the Family Encounter (FE), the Priest Encounter (PE), the Self Encounter (SE), the Engaged Encounter (EE), the Family Communication Workshop (FCW), the ME Retorno and the SADE Retorno. Besides these, CFM Philippines has also initiated local programs like the Family & Life Education Series in schools, offices, and parishes, the Parent-Child Interaction (PCI), the Basic Course on Family and Life (BCFL), the Tipanan, the Tipanan ng Mag-Anak, and many others. In fact, CFM has a speakers bureau that is willing to conduct programs on any aspect of marriage and family life.
CFM is holding its biennial national convention late in October in Cagayan de Oro.
