Bataan Project at the Mission Forum
summit January 11th, 2009
“Does Christmas really end? To Fr. Hannibal, to Fr. Diego, it does not.” Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, Archbishop of Jaro, Iloilo and chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) stated in his homily during the Mass following the Rogationist Mission Forum.
It was an apt tie-up to the morning’s activity where Fr. Antonio Dammay presented Project Bataan to the participants as well as to the public who came to the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish in Multinational Village in Parañaque, a parish being ran by the Rogationists. Project Bataan or the Fr. Diego Buscio Skills Training Program, which has been chosen as this year’s Rogationist Mission Day project was presented to the people to respond to, according to Fr. Dammay. Bataan plays a significant role in the history of the Rogationists in the Philippines as it is the first parish that was assigned to the congregation as it started its mission work in the country. It was opened by Fr. Diego Buscio, Fr. Vito Di Mazzio and Fr. Antonio Barbangelo. Fr. Diego’s untimely death in 1978 due to a vehicular accident on the way to celebrating Mass is considered a seed of the growth that followed the Philippine mission soon after.
According to Fr. Dammay, Project Bataan is a project for the out-of-school youth of Parang that will train them in mechanical, electrical, automotive, electronics, and hotel and restaurant services skills that will equip them to find work. It is a program in coordination with the Rogationist College in Silang, Cavite as well as some government and non-government organizations. Modular classes will be held with trainors coming from the Rogationist College, TESDA and others.
The project will have two phases: the first from 2010 to 2015 while the second phase will run from 2016 to 2020. Each phase will have lecture and practicum. The program will be managed by the two Rogationist priests assigned in the area together with the Parish Pastoral Council.
Mr. Noel Risos, who gave the layman’s point of view after Fr. Dammay’s presentation laid out reasons why Project Bataan is a good endeavor for the youth, the parents and even for the manpower recruiters. He emphasized that the project will give a big hope for the folks in Bataan to be able to earn income if they will just have enough skills. He exhorted the participants to give hope to the people of Bataan.
During the homily, Bishop Lagdameo, wove together the day’s celebration of Jesus’ baptism, the Bataan project and the missionary work of the Rogationists by reciting: “When the angels stop singing, when stars stop shining, when the three kings are able to reach home through another route, so the missionary task begins.”
- Chronicle
- Comments(2)
The message of Bishop Angel Lagdameo, Archbishop of Jaro, Iloilo last Jan. 11, 2008 regarding the project Bataan was inspired me to reflect on the aspect of mission in my vocation journey as a seminarian. It is a good opportunity for me to witness this first mission forum that was held here in the Philippines and to here the inspiring and heart-warming message of the bishop which made me to realize the importance of ‘mission’ in my life as seminarian and it also encourage me to be more docile in my calling.
I have been to Parang twice, during the installation of my kababayan Fr. Bong and the anniversary of Fr. Diego’s death. All that I can say is that the place is deserving for the project of the very first mission summit. Not only because the place was very dear to Fr. Diego, also because we can see the need of the youth there.