CBCP Monitor
C1
August 17 - August 30, 2015 Vol. 19 No. 17
The News Supplement of Couples for Christ
WALKING FOR ANCOP SCHOLARS
Aerial shot of the Liwasang Aurora at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City where CFC Metro Manila held the AGW (photo courtesy of signalFire)
UNLIKE the previous ANCOP Global Walks (AGW), the sun was high up in the sky during this year’s AGW, not only in Metro Manila, but in the other parts of the globe where walks were also held. CFC Florida reported a downpour before gun start, but the rains brought out not only a rainbow shooting from the ground, but a cool climate definitely conducive for a 5-kilometer walk.
Such was the scenario all over the world last Sunday, August 15, which made it possible for thousands of walkers to converge at the various walk points, even in the wee hours of the morning, and to walk for the 1,500 scholars of the ANCOP Global Walk. In Metro Manila, the twelve sectors gathered at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City as early as 4:00 AM. In the Philippine provinces, walkers from Batangas, Misamis Oriental, Zamboanga Del Sur, Sorsogon, Quirino, Isabela, Rizal, Pampanga, Tarlac, Palawan, Cebu, Laguna, Oriental Mindoro, Bulacan, Camarines Norte, La Union, Bacolod City, Masbate, Lanao del Norte, Dumaguete, Samar,
Bataan, Albay, Quezon, Agusan del Norte, Compostela Valley, Iloilo, Zambales, Davao, Negros Occidental, to name a few, were likewise raring to walk for their respective AGW scholars. Some provinces, particularly Masbate and Apayao, opted to walk earlier. Some of the countries that walked with the Philippines were Israel, Italy, Lebanon, the Federated States of Micronesia, USA, Canada, Singapore, UK, and Switzerland. Now on its fifth year, the ANCOP Global Walk aims to create awareness about CFC ANCOP’s initiatives on education and to raise funds in order to help send children from under-privileged families to school. To date, the AGW has 804 scholars in college/ vocational-technical school, 375 in high school and 335 through elementary school. This year’s walk will not only sustain the needs of these scholars; hopefully, through the new partners and supporters, more will be added to the number of children the AGW will send to school next school year. The ANCOP Global Walk is one of the initiatives of CFC ANCOP in order to encourage more individuals to participate in the Child Sponsorship Program. The Child Sponsorship Program is a one-to-one sponsorship that provides for education assistance, health and medical care, values formation and spiritual enhancement, as well as parent involvement and partnership to support the child’s education.
Photo credits: Joey Tomas, John Paolo Bautista, Romeo Medina; photos from Provincial and Global AGWs taken from Facebook.
Celebrating the Joys of Mary through the Franciscan Crown Rosary
EVERY member of the Handmaids of the Lord (HOLD) looks forward to the annual Marian Conference. The conference, over the years, has been a rich source of inspiration for the members, particularly because each year, the conference provides a fresh look at Mary, the Mother of the Lord, at her attributes and how women can fully love God by imitating her. Last August 15, 2015, HOLD leaders and members from Metro Manila and the nearby provinces trooped to the Ynares Sports Center in Kapitolyo, Pasig for the 2015 Marian Conference. Titled The Joys of Mary, this year’s Marian Conference focused on Mary who, despite her sorrows as a
mother, was truly a joyful woman. The conference also focused on the devotion called the Franciscan Crown Rosary and how, through the efforts of a young novice, these joys of Mary spread through this devotion. HOLD Coordinator for Indonesia and Metro Manila Central C Ching Santiago provided a brief introduction on Mary’s seven joys, and the history of the devotion to the Franciscan Rosary. “Mary’s joy in the midst of pain and suffering, in spite of her sorrows, came from God’s presence in her, MARIAN CONFERENCE, C2
New CFC Leaders Appointed EFFECTIVE September 1st, 2015, the following leaders shall be holding new assignments in the international mission: 1. Rudy Gaspillo, concurrent Sector Head of Metro Manila South A, as the Country Coordinator of the United Arab Emirates, vice Romy Alfaro; 2. Boyet Rafael, concurrent Provincial Area Head of Davao, as the Country Coordinator of Bahrain, vice Jerry Tanigue; 3. Romy Alfaro, concurrent as Middle East Regional Coordinator, as Country Coordinator of Saudia Arabia vice Ramuel Garcia. Meanwhile, the CFC International Council also announced the establishment of the Indian Ocean Islands group as a separate region in Africa. The Indian Ocean Islands include the following countries: Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Reunion. This will bring the regional groupings of Africa to six—Northern Africa, Western Africa, Central Africa, Eastern Africa, Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. Some countries have also been realigned to their appropriate regions; thus Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea will be part of East Africa; Sudan, South Sudan and Rwanda part of Central Africa; and Angola and Zambia part of Southern Africa. New Regional and Country Coordinators for
the African region have also been appointed: 1. Ricky Cuenca as Regional Coordinator for Western Africa; 2. Lay Laya, formerly Regional Coordinator for Eastern Africa, as Regional Coordinator for the Indian Ocean Islands Region; 3. Jun Clarito as Regional Coordinator for East Africa; and 4. Harold Oraňa as Regional Coordinator for Central Africa. 5. Boy Guinto as Country Coordinator for Nigeria, in place of Cesar Rodas; and 6. Francis Yap as Country Coordinator for Ghana and Sierra Leone, vice Vouleen Ben and Raul Aclan, respectively. In a memo released recently announcing such assignments, CFC Chairman and International Missions Director Joe Tale thanked the former Regional Coordinators and Country Coordinators, who are now stepping aside for the new leaders, for their dedication and zeal in moving the mission forward in these mission areas. On behalf of the International Council, Tale also thanked all the brothers and the CFC countries that continue to support the growing mission in Africa. He encouraged the global CFC community to include in their prayers the new appointees who need the Lord's guidance and providence in their new assignments.