A Ride To The Land Of "Truth and Fulfilled Promises"

"For it is by grace that you are saved, through faith; and that not from yourselves, it is the gift of God: Not by works, so that no one can boast."

Ephesians 2:8-9

March 4, about nine in the evening Ahlie and I left for Mindoro. It was a trip to visit the mission field we have started and have been working on with for 13 years now. This is Drops of Faith Christian Missions (DFCM), the tribal mission ministry to the Iraya-Mangyans of Occidental, Mindoro. Our ministry which I have founded is an independent work and is never connected to any other organizations except that we partner with local churches within the area of our operations and we also host guests from other foreign mission organizations as we provide them with some ministry exposure to the tribes.

Our operation includes feeding program, medical missions, para-schooling, small scale livelihood programs, scholarship grants to selected Mangyan children, orphanage and we also provide other ministry helps to the local churches specially on evangelism.

THE DEPARTURE

Ahlie and I were able to avail of the door-to-door service van that will pick us up from our house in Pasig City and will bring us all the way to our mission center in Mindoro. Fare cost for this kind of service is 900 pesos per person. It's a bit pricey than commuting via cab-bus-ferry-van mode which would cost only around 830 pesos, but considering the hassle of transferring from one vehicle to the next, the risk of missing the ferry schedule and the long walk from the port terminal to the ferry dock (specially if you're carrying heavy luggages with you) this door-to-door service is a lot practical in many ways.

Our intention is to catch the 2:00 am "Ro-Ro" (short for "roll on/roll off ferry) trip schedule from Port of Batangas to Port of Abra De Ilog in Occidental Mindoro. After the long stretch along the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and the Star Tollway we safely arrived at the Batangas City around 11:30 pm. giving us an hour and a half to wait for the Ro-Ro to arrive, it was our chance to catch some power nap before the sea voyage.

Once the ferry arrived their crew handed us the travel manifest and Ahlie printed our names and basic info's there. It is very important whenever one travels on a sea vessel to fill up this official passenger list. Travel manifest or transport document serves as a tally-sheet, and gives a detailed summary of all bills of landing issued by the carrier for a particular voyage of a particular vessel or vehicle. With the vessel or vehicle carries passengers, it lists the names, port of embarkation, port of disembarkation, etc., primarily for use by the immigration authorities.

It normally takes three hours to cross over to Abra De Ilog on a Ro-Ro, sometimes during a stormy weather it would even take more than four hours. During this trip the water was so calm so it only took us less than three hours so before 5:00 am. we were able to dock on the island.

Once our service van rolled off the ferry we were on for an 80 kilometers dusty ride along the shores of South China Sea passing by Mamburao, the capital municipality of Occidental Mindoro, before reaching the last town at the northern tip of the island, a 4th class municipality in the province -the town of Paluan. This agricultural town is straddled by rolling to steep mountain ranges under the majestic shadow of Mount Calavite, a former forest reservation for the rare and famous Mindoro Tamaraws (Bubalus Mindorensis) or the Mindoro Dwarf Buffalo. 

THE ARRIVAL

Ever since we have established our mission operation there in the mountains of Calavite we always secure a base camp in the lowlands within the town. By renting old houses and warehouses through those years we were able to house our mission workers, our Mangyan orphans and KKP Scholars. It also served as staging point for travelers who would be coming from the remotest places in the mountains. It is also being used as our safe storage for our supplies. Being a neutral ground in this small town with many churches it is also recognized as a gathering place for the different church ministers in the Paluan. As we provide training and exposure trips to other mission groups it also provides housing for our occasional guest both from local and foreign missions.

Today, the renting has ended, we are all excited to settle down in our very own DFCM Mission Center and Orphanage. The Lord is faithful and true to His promises!

DAY 1

March 5, upon reaching the place we were welcomed at the doorstep by our ever loving and very committed mission staff, Marlyn Teodoro. Mam Marlyn, as she was known by the Mangyans, has been with us for four years now and is also a very dear family to us. At first, Marlyn came to Paluan just to visit and have a vacation. Then she encountered the Mangyans when we brought her with our mission team to the mountains, and that's the beginning of an amazing historia de amor. She have shared so much labor of love to these people as she have served them like her own without reservation. Today, as she has been established by God as a missionary her special role is the house mother for our Mangyan kids in the center and also as a para-teacher to the tribes. 

Next to meet are the people who have been with me for the longest time, Datu (Rolly) and Nanay Patchie. This couple has been working with me in the tribes since 1999 and has never left my side whenever I am ministering to the Mangyans. Since our trip this time was unannounced, a few minutes after we have arrived, the couple walked in the mission center and was totally surprised. Nanay Patchie has always been very emotional every time I would come over, it's funny she has never outgrown that reaction. She always break into tears and hug me very tight and it will take a while before she would release me. What a motherly love!

We also arrived just in time to catch up with our Mangyan scholars before they left for school. These kids are the beneficiaries of our Kalingang Kapatid Program (KKP). They are all from the mountains who were found to have the capacity to undergo formal education and has the potential of bringing hope to their tribes one day. This time we only met five of them namely Magelyn (1st yr. highschool), May (grade 6), Lisa (grade 2), Ledesma (1st yr. highschool) and Marita (grade 4). The rest of our scholars are still attending school activities in another place at the moment (Hinugasan), and they did not expect our coming so they were not able to come over to meet us, we just missed them so much.

We also brought some supplies with us in this trip like food, medicine and some clothes. The supplies were with us in the door-to-door service and right after the van has alighted all the passengers they came back to drop the boxes in our center. Shipping boxes to our mission center has always been a very expensive process. For this occasion they charged us 250 pesos for the small boxes (2pcs), 500 pesos for the medium sized boxes (2 pcs) and a hefty 1,000 pesos for the big "balik bayan" box. Just for those five boxes we already spent 2,500 pesos (not included yet is our 1,800 pesos fare).

After freshening up ourselves together we went for a ride to Pastor Artemio "JR" Torreliza, the chairman of the ministerial organization in the town. He has been working with us in the tribal mission since 2005. Right in front of his house is a small parcel of land which we just acquired and it is where our new mission center will soon arise.

After some inspection in the place and vital discussion about the project we headed back to the mission center to have our "brunch". Marlyn prepared some fish and squid as our menu for the entire day. 

Our picture gallery in our pin board on the wall shows some of our past scholars who have already graduated in high school and are taking up college now in Mamburao, while some of them are those who have graduated in elementary and are now in high school.

Below is Lisa, one of the daughters of our Mangyan ministry workers in the mountain, Elmer and Sheila. After the devastating super-typhoon Ondoy in 2009 almost every child in their tribe died, Lisa is just one of the very few who was blessed to see this day. If you will look carefully at our poster behind her she is that little child at far left, she was very young then and had a very short hair that we have mistaken her for a boy. The picture in the poster was when these group of Mangyan kids were getting a bath time with us in the river, that was when we just found out what she really was.

Once a Mangyan child is brought to our center they were granted an outright second home and motherly care by our mission staffs. If they are in poor health condition we take care of all their medical and nutritional needs until such time they are fit to go back to their communities. And if the child is an orphan or have been separated from their families in the mountains we will take care of them until such time we find at least a distant relative to assume responsibility on them.  

It is a great blessing to have a co-worker and a true inspiration in Teacher Gloria, a full-blooded Mangyan who once dreamed and have worked hard to become a good teacher. She then finished school with flying colors and now became a well respected faculty member in Paluan Central School (high school). She is well appreciated for always extending special care and assistance to our Mangyan scholars whenever they are in school, what a wonderful lady she is.

After the horseback era, biking is the next common and basic mode of transportation in Paluan. Surplus bikes from Japan are very useful here for its cheaper price, simplicity and dependable parts. This kind of bike is specifically designed for utility purpose with its front basket and rear bike rack that provides the capacity to carry things with ease, and it also have fenders and chain guard to keep the rider tidy even during wet and muddy season. Plus it has an attached dynamo powered headlamp that makes this bike usable even at night.

My 13 year old mission buddy: A surplus bike from Japan.

When I first came to Mindoro in 1999 I was blessed to buy my first bike there. Before, you can get a bike like this for only 1,250 pesos each. I got mine that has been my buddy for 13 years now. It never failed me in moving around the town and even visiting the tribes situated at the foot of Mount Calavite. That bike is still in active service as Datu Rolly is still riding it regularly. Got plenty of dings and dents all over but still working perfectly, a very durable and dependable bike!

Our mission's second bike, also faring out well!

Town Hall of Paluan, Occidental Mindoro

Ahlie going for a short ride.

Our main purpose in this trip is to survey the 160 sq. meters piece of land which we have purchased at Brgy. Alipaoy where we will build our dream mission center. We are now happy to announce that we have resumed with the construction of the building. The mission team has decided to use the funds for the intended purchase of the currently leased property (mission center) for the construction expenses instead.   

The water pump we have drilled together.

The vision of building if not buying our own mission center and orphanage can be traced back in 2009. The mission team has prayed and worked together towards this vision. With an awesome God in spite of a limited capacity nothing is impossible to those who have faith. The vision has become our mission for three years and now the mission is finally turning to reality!

The entire mission family has prayed for this moment and now it's harvest time!

After layouting some details on the building project we headed back to our mission center to work on all the necessary documents. As I draft the revised floor plan and other remaining design details Ahlie, Marlyn and Ptr. JR were busy estimating the building cost. As it turned out we will be spending a little bit more with the building construction than purchasing the old house we are currently renting. But the size, the location and the design will be very much worth it. And perhaps with all the necessary repairs to be done with the old house, if we were still to pursue the idea of buying, we might still be spending a lot. It's a blessing the transaction with the lessor did not materialized as he withdrawn from the deal in spite of all the previous agreements and actions taken.

Another purpose of this trip is to secure some mission documents which are carefully filed in our center. These are the Lease Contract we have for a piece of 1 hectare land which we are providing as a temporary resettlement for the Agdilao Tribe (this is a different transaction for a different purpose), the Deed of Sale for a 160 sq.m. parcel of land where we will build our own DFCM Mission Center and Orphanage, our KKP Scholars Report Cards, and others.

The Lease Contract for Agdilao Tribe's resettlement for 3 years from August 2010 to August 2013.

The Deed of Sale of land for our own DFCM Mission Center and Orphanage.

 

18 report cards of our KKP scholars filed at the center by Marlyn Teodoro, our house parent.

Everyone's happy with the result of our day's work. We have done so much and were able to come up with a good plan because the Lord has been our guide and has provided us with wisdom. Now it is time to relax, have our dinner together and prepare for bedtime. Got to be ready for another big day ahead.

Preparing for dinner.

Our coal fueled stoves. Very economical!

DAY 2

March 6. Rise and shine for everyone! The day have started early with the aroma of pandan leaves steaming from the pot of rice in the kitchen. After a quick breakfast we hit the bathroom for a well-needed cool shower, it's going to be a very hot day and we will be moving around the town as we visit our scholars one by one in their classrooms and the communities around.

Paluan Central School is located in Barangay 6, today is our scheduled school visitation to meet with the teachers and principals who have been working with us hand in hand in building our Mangyan kids' future. They have two big campuses, one for the elementary and the other for high school. 

Bicycles are left outside the school gate without locks yet they remain safe from theft.

Since 2005 we have launched Kalingang Kapatid Program (KKP) for those Mangyan kids that have the capacity to undergo formal education. We do the screening process by putting up small classrooms inside the Mangyan villages and conduct a non-formal schooling program to everyone in the tribe, that includes adults and elderly too. After a certain period we can carefully gauge those kids who have potential and then we talk to their parents, once they agree to send their child to the town for schooling we prepare the necessary documents and they become our KKP Scholars. This public school in town then will be the doorstep to their dreams.

Magelyn, our honor student and KKP scholar with Teacher Mylene Losito

Our KKP Scholar Ledesma with her teacher Ms. Janeth Fetalvero

Bike and Beyond having a wonderful conversation with the high school principal, Mrs. Suerlita D. Dangeros 

Our tandem in building future, the faculty of Central School.

The student having a practice for their field demo.

Enough with the bike, let's try flying this time!

With the elementary principal/head teacher, Mrs. Emma Jarien and school secretary, Mrs. Marissa Viana

Lisa with her teacher, Mrs. Gecilyn Planta

Having a quality time with the teachers helps us a lot in providing our KKP Scholars a better schooling experience.

Emily with Mrs. Vivian Viana, Mrs. Susan Abriego and Mrs. Peby De Lara, her teachers.

Emily and Janet, our KKP Scholars in this classroom.

Marita's teachers, Mrs. Annie Sales and Mrs. Lerma Trillana. Marita is not in the picture because she is participating in an activity at the time.

Next time we will feature the other KKP Scholars we missed because of their activities in Hinugasan Elementary School, once their back in town.

As long as a Mangyan child attends school we provide everything to him/her from housing, food, other basic necessities, school materials and all other school requirements. These kids once in the mission center are also trained to be well-rounded and self-reliant as our staff teach them proper hygiene, housekeeping and good study habits. In the mission center every child is also discipled well in her spiritual walk with God. Once they are in our mission center their families are always free to visit them any time they want. Some of our kids are unfortunately orphans so they don't have family visits like the rest but they are happy and contented in the mission center none the less.

We also have extension center for KKP Scholars. Tertiary schooling is not available in Paluan, so if a child who has finished secondary education still desires to continue schooling we send them to the nearest local college which is in Mamburao, the Occidental Mindoro National Colleges. There they can get degrees in education or management. Our program here are not yet well established due to limited resources but we already have three kids who have enrolled there. 

After the school visits Pastor JR and I went to Mamburao to buy some materials for the building construction. Once we have settled everything needed we hurried back to Paluan to attend our final meeting and mission briefing for the coming summer. When we arrived in the center most of our mission staff were already eagerly waiting for us. Datu and Nanay Patchie have already prepared tuna for lunch, Ate Marlyn have finished all the documentations we were working with the whole night while Ahlie have finished packing up our things for Manila and have given an initial talk with the team.

After the meeting, we just have few minutes left for us to at least grab something from the dinning table before the door-to-door service arrives to pick us up for the Manila trip. At exactly 2:00 pm. the van arrived and we bid each one goodbye, just for now, for in a few days I will be back to check on the building construction developments and attend to other needs.

We reached the Port of Abra De Ilog at around 4:30 pm., just enough for us to stretch out a little before our van boards the Reina Justisya ship of Montenegro Shipping Lines. Our ship left the dock at exactly 5:00 pm. and it took us 3 hours to reach the Port of Batanggas.

This particular ship is new to us, it is not part of the regular line up of ships from Montenegro that connects Batangas and Abra De Ilog. But we liked it because its interior and facilities are a lot fresher than those usual ones. We just learned from the signage posted on the wall that this ship normally operates in Sorsogon. Well, good for us we had a taste of a better ship this day!

We were home by God's travelling mercy by 11:30 pm. It was a pleasant trip on the way back to Manila. But I can say this one is a short but very meaningful mission trip for Ahlie and I. We were able to accomplish thing more than we have planned and expected. And we know well that the Lord's hand was upon us all the time for He found favor in our sincere love and service for our fellowmen.

TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!

TO BIKE AND BEYOND!

Coming soon! Our blog on the Mangyan Tribes. Please watch for it.

Bike And Beyond is charity and we really mean charity!




"The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made."
Psalm 145:13












For another good blog on Mindoro Tribal Missions you can click and read:




Sunny Side Up In Paluan (part 1)