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- Filipino Catholics urged anew to be 'authentic missionary disciples'
- 'Progressive rehabilitation' underway in Leyte mining site
- Northern Samar top cop warns illegal loggers
| Filipino Catholics urged anew to be 'authentic missionary disciples' Posted: 31 Mar 2021 02:40 AM PDT APOSTOLIC Nuncio to the Philippines Most Reverend Charles John Brown on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, reminded Filipino Catholics to become a "community of authentic missionary disciples" as the Catholic Church commemorated the Quincentennial of the First Easter Mass in the Philippines on the island of Limasawa in Southern Leyte. "Every celebration of the Eucharist ends with the presider saying 'Ite missa est: Go forth, the mass is ended', to which the congregation responds 'Deo gratias: Thanks be to God!'. Five hundred years after the first Mass was offered in the archipelago, the Church in the Philippines is invited anew to 'go forth,'" said Brown. The papal nuncio also expressed his "heartfelt greetings" to the Diocese of Maasin Bishop Precioso Cantillas, clergy, religious men and women, and the lay faithful who were gathered for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist on the island. "The love of Christ made present in every celebration of the Holy Mass, impels us to proclaim the Gospel we have received to all the world. It is in this sharing of the gift of faith with others that we can best express our thanksgiving to God who has loved us through His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered, died and rose again from the dead," said Brown, who missed the commemorative mass in Limasawa due to travel restrictions brought by the coronavirus pandemic. "Invoking the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, and of St. Joseph, Her most chaste Spouse, in the name of the successor of Peter, His Holiness Pope Francis, I bless all of you," the papal nuncio said in a statement that was read by Cantillas. "We should be progressive in proclaiming God's love. Going to mass is our life, what is more essential to our life is our Eucharist," added Cantillas in his homily, which was attended by around 1,000 pilgrims who braved the heavy downpour and waited for hours before the mass started around 11 a.m. Wednesday. According to the bishop, he was grateful that they were able to celebrate the First Easter Mass on the island amid the pandemic. "I believe that we can humbly admit we might have failed to make the Eucharist the most important. The church of Christ had experienced and suffer a destructive onslaught from within and outside. This is why the Diocese of Maasin is privileged to be the site of the Christ's Eucharist," the bishop said. "We should be an active member of making the Eucharist shine more," he added. Following Brown's statement, Cantillas pointed out that Jesus came to Limasawa Island 500 years ago through the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and Catholic priest Pedro de Valderama, the chaplain of the Magellan-Elcano expedition. During the commemorative event, the pilgrims, along with the bishops from other dioceses in the Visayas, joined in a fluvial procession from Maasin City port to Limasawa, carrying the image of Sto. Nino de Cebu. Church and local officials also led in the unveiling of a new historical marker in Barangay Triana, Limasawa. Leyte-based historian Dr. Rolando Borrinaga, a proponent of Limasawa as the site of the First Easter Mass, received a plaque of appreciation from Cantillas, Southern Leyte Governor Damian Mercado and Southern Leyte Congressman Roger Mercado. Meanwhile, the Diocese of Maasin announced that the Apostolic Penitentiary granted a jubilee year with the accompanying plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, to the Christian faithful "who are truly penitent and moved by charity, and may also be applied by them, by way of suffrages, for the souls of the faithful detained in purgatory, if they will go on pilgrimage to a 'jubilee church.''' The jubilee churches in the Diocese of Maasin include the Shrine of the Holy Cross and the First Mass in Magallanes, Limasawa Island; Maasin Cathedral – Diocesan Shrine of the Our Lady of the Assumption in Maasin City; San Isidro Chapel in Punta, Baybay City; Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church in Hilongos, Leyte; Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church in Baybay City; Santo Niño Church, Malitbog, Southern Leyte; Saint Joseph Church in Matalom, Leyte; and Saint John the Baptist Church in San Juan, Southern Leyte. The schedule of the opening of the jubilee doors will be from April 5 to 8, 2021. First Easter Mass In their best attire and unarmed, Magellan and his expedition crew, along with siblings Rajah Colambu of Limasawa and Rajah Siaiu of Butuan-Calaghan, attended the first Easter Mass on the island 500 years ago on Wednesday. "After the mass, Magellan held a fencing exposition to amuse the rulers of Mazaua and Butuan. Afterward, a cross was planted at the highest peak in Limasawa. In the evening, Magellan was told about how prosperous and active the trading was in the port named Cebu," wrote the National Quincentennial Committee. Since 1921, the Philippine government recognized Limasawa as the site of the 1521 Easter Sunday Mass, based on the stand of the Committee for the IV Centenary of the Discovery of the Philippines created by the U.S. Insular Government of the Philippine Islands, according to the committee. Both the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines agreed to adopt the term "Easter Sunday Mass" to refer to the Christian mass celebrated on March 31, 1521, in the highly contentious place called Mazaua, presently known as Limasawa. (SunStar Philippines)  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Progressive rehabilitation' underway in Leyte mining site Posted: 30 Mar 2021 05:29 PM PDT A MINING company in MacArthur, Leyte has started its rehabilitation program amid anti-mining sentiments in the town. Januar Ong, community relations officer of MacArthur Iron Sand Project Corp. (MIPC), said they were already done with the first phase of the rehabilitation, which involved the backfilling of the topsoil and pure sand with no iron ore content in the one-hectare mining field in Barangay Maya. "We are true to our commitment. We are going for progressive mining and rehabilitation. We are going to show that progressive rehabilitation is doable. This is part of our commitment to the landowner, to ensure that the land is productive at the minimum when we started the mining operation," Ong told reporters in Tacloban City. According to Ong, they have already plowed the land and put organic fertilizer while waiting for the right weather condition for the planting of vegetables. "The planting won't coincide with the rice planting season. We opted for ampalaya, monggo, and watermelon," said Ong. "We hope to harvest in three to four months. We will try if we can get an optimum production or we need soil improvement. We will also infuse agricultural technology," he said. According to the mining official, they have involved the landowner and coordinated with the Department of Agriculture. The management also constructed drainage and irrigation canals in the rehabilitated area. In MacArthur town alone, the MIPC has mining claims of about 300 hectares for three years. At present, the mining company has leased the seven-hectare rice land owned by Maya village chief Pepito Guimalan for their black sand extraction. The management leased the private land in the amount of P270,000 per hectare for two years. Amid criticisms from anti-mining groups, the MIPC management maintained they complied with the national government's necessary permits and tax payments. According to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, the MIPC has mining claims of 2,300 hectares in Leyte, covering the towns of MacArthur, Javier, and Abuyog. The mining company, which reportedly invested P500 million in their black sand operation, hired around 300 workers in MacArthur. The minerals will be shipped to China, according to the MIPC management. Black sand is a valuable component in the making of steel, concrete, jewelry, cosmetics, and other industrial products. (SunStar Philippines)  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Northern Samar top cop warns illegal loggers Posted: 30 Mar 2021 05:26 PM PDT THE top police official in Northern Samar has issued a stern warning to illegal loggers in the province following the arrest of seven suspects and the confiscation of P872,500 worth of hot logs and conveyance in San Isidro, Northern Samar last week. "Paulit-ulit na akong nagbabala na kung hindi kayo hihinto sa illegal na pagtrotroso at pagkawasak ng ating yamang gubat ay siguradong may kalalagyan kayo. Hindi kami titigil ipatupad ang mga batas pang kalikasan at sa aming kampanya laban sa mga lumalapastangan sa ating kalikasan," warned Colonel Arnel Apud, director of Northern Samar Police Provincial Office. The police official also urged the public to report any illegal logging activities to authorities. On Friday, March 26, 2021, elements of San Isidro Municipal Police Station, led by Lieutenant Lyndon Dagalea, intercepted a total of 29 assorted dipterocarp species, 20 boat keels, and a motorized banca worth P400,000. Operatives caught the suspects in the act of transporting undocumented lumber products along the seawater of Barangay Balite, San Isidro. On March 23, police arrested seven suspects and seized 800 pieces of "lawaan" worth P239,999 in Bobon. Elements of Northern Samar Provincial Special Operation Group and Allen Municipal Police Station also apprehended a trailer truck loaded with P79,360 worth of sawn lumber in Allen port area on March 14. The anti-illegal logging operation in Allen came after the seizure of P117,000 worth of illegal lumber in San Isidro town. On March 12, Northern Samar police also confiscated 151 flitches of lawaan lumber worth P500,000 and loaded in a wing van from Bobon town bound to Legazpi City in Bicol region. The owners of the confiscated illegal lumber will face charges in violation of Presidential Decree 705, or the Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines. (SunStar Philippines)  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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