At simbang gabi in Negros Oriental, Siquijor diocese starts anti-pork barrel signature drive

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines – The traditional nine-day novena masses or Simbang Gabi, which began yesterday, was highlighted by a massive signature campaigns at the different parishes of the Diocese of Dumaguete to show support to the People's Initiative to scrap the pork barrel system.

Dumaguete Bishop, Most Reverend Julito Cortes, celebrated the first Simbang Gabi or Aguinaldo Mass at 4 a.m. yesterday at the St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral, the seat of the diocese.

While a symbolic signing of the petition for the People's Initiative was held earlier at the diocese level, the first of the nine days votive Aguinaldo Masses was held with the simultaneous launching of the drive in all of the parishes of the Dumaguete Diocese.

This came after the inter-faith Ecumenical Coordinating Council, comprising the Catholic Church, the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente and other bigger churches, agreed to undertake the signature campaign in Negros Oriental.

Cortes explained that the anti-pork barrel signature campaign was secondary only to the main focus of this year's Advent celebration, particularly the novena Masses held nine days before Christmas.

"The challenge of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, actually, for the Misa Aguinaldo, is to make it as part of the preparations for the Papal Visit," said Cortes, adding that they have been "encouraged to develop and reflect on during the Misa Aguinaldo about mercy and compassion."

This is the same theme of the five-day visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines from January 15 to 19, 2015. Through nine days of the novena, the Church will be exploring the different aspects of "how we can live out mercy and compassion in our own lives and especially in the community," he said.

It is also very timely to banner such theme as the Catholic Church is also celebrating the Year of the Poor starting last November until late next year, Cortes said.

For the Diocese of Dumaguete, the Misa Aguinaldo of the bishop is a bit different from the other years as he will go to the different "situations of poverty" in the diocese that need attention.

Each Mass in the succeeding days will be for a particular sector or aspect, such as for Persons With Disabilities, jail inmates, communities affected by typhoon Sendong (those that are living with the Caritas shelter projects), informal settlers and at the hospital, to name a few, Cortes said.

"Considering that the objective of the Year of the Poor is to make us more sensitive to the many situations of poverty, we also need to go into the root of poverty", the bishop said. These included "structures" that contribute to the perpetuation of poverty, and one of them is the pork barrel system that promotes "patronage politics."

This is why the diocesan-wide launching of the signature campaign is held at the start of the Misa Aguinaldo, he added.

The Diocese of Dumaguete covers the towns and cities from Jimalalud in the north to Basay in the south of Negros Oriental and the island-province of Siquijor.