Sunday, June 9, 2013

Selling out Filipino cultural heritage and history -- the Archdiocese of Ozamiz sets its sights on the ancient acacia trees of the Parish of the Holy Rosary in Oroquieta City


While relaxing at my parents-in-law's home in Cebu, my wife requested me to read a newspaper article that I found to be disturbing, disheartening, disappointing, and maybe even portending the way that the Catholic Church is going to exert its power in Mindanao and the Philippines in general.  The title of this article, printed in the June 3rd edition of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (pages D1 and D2, LifeStyle Arts & Books) and written by reporter Mozart Pastrano, is "Commercialization Threatens Historic Mindanao Church Plaza."  Specifically, the article states that the Archdiocese of Ozamiz wants to cut down the ancient acacia trees that line the front and sides of the Parish of the Holy Rosary in Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental, Mindanao, in order to give way to build a commercial zone that will include a Jollibee fast food restaurant and a First Valley Bank.  According to the Daily Inquirer article, Archbishop Jesus A. Dosado has given the Holy Rosary parish an ultimatum:  give the Archdiocese of Ozamis P50,000 per month, or the archdiocese will cut down the acacia trees in front of the church and sell the church grounds to profit from Jollibee and the bank.  The reason for this demand for money is to cover the medical costs of priests (many who are elderly or nearly elderly) in the archdiocese. The original figure Archbishop Dosado demanded was P75,000 per month, according to the Daily Inquirer, although the Archbishop offered no further comment to the reporter.    The article also states that the parishioners were made to raise millions of pesos recently to support a church beautification project, which was not wanted by the vast majority of the parishioners.  In effect, the millions of pesos were wasted for frivolous superficial and unnecessary beautification of the church’s façade (including but not limited to a 1 million pesos sound system) – millions of pesos which could rather have been wisely allocated to budget for the medical needs of the priests.

So why do I even care about a parish grounds and some old trees half way around the globe from where I live, and why am I blogging about this?  Why can’t I just accept Jollibee parked on the front lawn of the church and look forward to my next sarsa float and crispy 2-pc bangus with rice (Oroquieta already has one Jollibee, by the way)?   I have two main reasons:  

1) This is my wife's home parish in her home town, and the grounds of this parish, including its acacia trees are as much an integral and critical part of Oroquieta's heritage, culture, and history as any other historical landmark in Oroquieta.  Cutting down the acacia trees and destroying the church grounds to put up a Jollibee and a bank is to me and to my wife's family as offensive and insulting as would be scraping off all the trees and beautiful landscaping in front of the Provincial Capitol building in Oroquieta to construct an on-site car dealership.  This parish is the beating heart of a large and vital community that's been dear to me since my first visit in 1996, two years after my wife and I were married, and its hallowed grounds and acacia trees are inextricably linked to the heritage, culture, and history not only of the parish, but also the Oroquietanian community in the Philippines and abroad, and even to the history of the Philippines as a nation.  As a little girl, my wife played the part of an angel at the annual traditional Easter time celebration of the “Hugos” [the hoisting of ‘angels’ singing ‘Alleluia’], suspended and hoisted from these grand and ancient acacia trees.  Over the last 125 years or so, thousands of native little Oroquietanian girls did the same thing, and the Oroquietanian diaspora transplanted throughout the Philippines and all over the world will consider those acacia trees and that church grounds as something uniquely special and irreplaceable.  This is a precious memory, tradition, and cultural/religious heritage that is now in jeopardy of being lost forever, never to be experienced again by future generations.  Innumerable baptisms, funerals, and other religious and civic ceremonies passed through these doors and under these trees, and the prayers, hopes and fears, joys and sorrows of thousands of individuals and an entire community were witnessed by this acacia grove. These trees and this parish grounds bore direct witness to an incident during the Philippine-American War maybe about 1898 or so when Filipino soldiers under General Rufino Deloso attacked Americans stationed in the parish convent in a dawn raid. 117 Filipino soldiers were killed on the church grounds in this attack when the Americans defended their forces with artillery aboard a troop transport ship anchored on the nearby shore, and were buried behind the church.  Somewhere deep within the living wood grains of these ancient and gnarled acacia trees, it’s possible there are concealed shrapnel fragments from those artillery shells of 114 years ago.  This same grove of acacia trees witnessed better times 40-some years later first when President Manuel Quezon came ashore in Oroquieta shortly after escaping Corregidor, and then when the Americans came and camped nearby again – this time not as heavy-handed imperialists, but as friends and brother-in-arms fighting and dying side by side with the Filipinos to liberate the Philippines from the horrors of the Japanese invasion.  

2) I care about this issue because I feel that if this lack of due process from the Church does not get nipped in the bud by the power of the people now, there is no telling when it will stop.   It sets a precedent.  Where in the Philippines will this process of commercial assimilation go the next time, and to what extent/magnitude will this process of commercial acquisition go with the next parish? Will they be contented with just cutting down the trees and selling the land to commercial entities, or will they want more from the next parish, perhaps posting advertisements on the sides of the church?   Chopping down these acacia trees and selling out to commercial interests now is likely a signal of things to come.  Does the lack of forethought and fiscal/moral responsibility justify an easy land grab for commercial purposes?  Is this a message telegraphed from the Church and the Archbishop that this is the new mandate, the new edict, the way things are going to be? I understand and sympathize that funds are needed for the medical costs of priests, especially those who are becoming elderly – it’s a tough economy worldwide, and health care costs of the aging population is a major issue in every country.   But I really think that this is the wrong way to address this, and if this proposed “solution” is actually executed, it sets an ill conceived, poorly thought-out precedent for future resolution of budgetary problems in other dioceses.  There has to be a better way than selling out and selling off Filipino heritage to commercial interests.   Why were the parishioners recently pressured and “hit up” to fund a superficial (and unwanted) beautification project when these funds could have been wisely earmarked for the health needs of the priests in the archdiocese?

The people of Oroquieta and the parishioners won't just sit down and take this desecration of their church (grounds) by the Church – they are not, and a petition letter with over 10,000 signatures as well as vigorous opposition from many in the community is in progress.   People around the world have made the mistake numerous times over – selling off our heritage, our history, our hearts and souls, to make a quick profit from commercial development.  Americans have done this numerous times, and it almost happened again recently at a hallowed Civil War battlefield site on which blood was shed to preserve the nation.  It was almost sold to the giant commercial retailer Wal-Mart (which is similar to an SM hypermarket or Robinson’s supermarket).  I surely hope the same won’t happen in Oroquieta.  

I’ll close with a quote from the famous American naturalist and wilderness preservationist from the 1800’s, John Muir:

“A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease. Every hidden cell is throbbing with music and life, every fiber thrilling like harp strings, while incense is ever flowing from the balsam bells and leaves. No wonder the hills and groves were God's first temples, and the more they are cut down and hewn into cathedrals and churches, the farther off and dimmer seems the Lord himself.”
John Muir, My First Summer in the Sierra

Holy Rosary Church, Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental, Philippines
Aerial view from steeple/belltower of Holy Rosary Parish, Oroquieta City.  Courtesy of Philippine Daily Inquirer.


14 comments:

  1. The Catholic church need to start paying taxes and stop trying to excert itself on the people. You want to make rules for catholics, knock yourself out if they want to follow, but don't try to smother everyone with the dogma.

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    1. I can definitely see where you're coming from, and I think your first point in particular (about the Church paying taxes) is something that a lot of people in the Philippines (and elsewhere) are discussing now. Too much accumulation of wealth by the church or by the state (or heads of church or state) becomes a problem if the people are becoming poorer and poorer, especially in a bad economy. Thanks for stopping by and posting your comment.

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  2. Hello Buzz, this again is a very inspiring post and I would like to thank you for sharing and opening our eyes about it.

    A lot of things had touched a sensitive chord while reading your post. The name of the church is the same as the name of the school where I graduated from high school which is connected to the one of the oldest churches in Philippine history,built even the time when the Spaniards came.

    Second it reminds me of our old house where we were told to leave and was torn down due to my dad's family's misunderstanding. That house was built around 1950's form my soldier uncle's pension killed in action during WW II. It could have been a historical landmark but because of envy and ignorance on my aunt's family who had lived next to our house, they did not stop until my mom and my kids leave the only home we ever had.

    Lastly I am humbled that a foreigner like you chose to be vocal and pro active about a very current issue who perhaps is unknown to a lot of people especially Filipinos, myself included and what sad about is the fact that beneath the current issue lies a more ancient problem rooted many centuries ago.

    I am not sure who wrote it but one author said that those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it. I hope that your drive to have 10000 signatures will be successful.

    Blessings.

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    1. Hello Sarah,

      Thank you so much for your insightful comment; I am humbled and touched by your comment because I find your posts on your website to be incredibly inspiring.

      I am very sorry to hear about the misunderstanding that resulted in your family home -- the home built by the pension of a Filipino who gave his life fighting honorably for his country and against tyranny -- being torn down despite its great importance to you and your mom and your kids. That's really sad it ended that way and disrupted your lives, and that unfortunately envy was part of the equation. It seems that when it comes to properties of sentimental value or historical significance, rash decisions made on impulse are often irreversible, which is what is worrisome about the church grounds and acacia trees in Oroquieta and whether a precedent could be set by the decisions of those in power.

      Thank you for your very kind remarks about me as a foreigner choosing to raise awareness of this issue. In some ways, I at first felt uncomfortable doing so because I didn't want to be seen as an outsider meddling or interloping with this issue. But I quickly realized there's a lot at stake and so much to potentially lose here, and that the vast majority of Oroquietanians are against selling off the church grounds. So I thought I'd at least try to raise awareness among Filipinos at home in the Philippines and abroad who haven't yet heard about this or read about it in the Inquirer.

      That is a great quote about those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it. I also wish the Oroquieta opposition group all the best of luck with success in their petition and in getting a reasonable and logical solution to this problem from the Archdiocese.

      All the best to you and yours!

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    2. Happy Father's Day Buzz ! Your daughter and your wife are very lucky and blessed to have you. Thanks once again for this eye opener and for finding value in our rich cultural heritage and traditions which sadly at times we take for granted. I have shared your post on my facebook wall so that others may know. I also left the link about a very touching post of mine written a year ago. Here it is.

      http://notonmyownanymore.blogspot.com/2012/04/end-of-homeless-journey_28.html.

      Blessings!

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    3. Hello Sarah,

      Sorry I'm so late with my reply, finally catching up with everything after returning back home. And thank you so much for greeting me Happy Father's Day, that's very kind of you, as is your kind compliment!

      There are indeed many parallels of this post with the (indeed very touching and well written) post on your website, linked above. We all (Filipinos, Americans, citizens of all nations) need to be cognizant of our heritage and culture, and importantly, try to do what we can to protect cultural assets, national treasures, and nature's wonders that are in danger. Unfortunately sometimes that just can't happen and the powers of envy or greed or ignorance are not able to be stopped. Hopefully this time in Oroquieta they'll realize the value of the very special piece of land that should remain undisturbed.

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  3. haven't been to ozamiz... hope to visit this place soon :)

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    1. Misamis Occidental is really beautiful, you will definitely enjoy your visit when you decide to go. Thanks for dropping by and commenting!

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  4. Indeed, that is very disheartening. Those acacia trees are part of the cultural heritage of Oroquieta people. Losing them is like forgetting its legacy in the history of Oroquieta. History is the link to the future. It is sad that the Archdiocese has placed no values to one's heritage when in fact the very essence of their teachings is preservation of history. Thanks, Buzz, for spreading this awareness. I hope this will serve as an eye-opener for the rest of us.

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    1. Thank you for stopping by and for sharing your viewpoint. Indeed you made a good point that history is the link to the future... there will be no future for all those public gatherings and ceremonies if the trees are cut down and the grounds sold off. Preservation and wise use of land and resources should trump wasteful spending and unwanted "upgrades".

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  5. Hi Buzz L!
    This is indeed a good eye opener. I absolutely didn’t know about this issue. I just hope that there will be an action from the parishioners of Oroquieta against the plan of the Archdiocese of Ozamis. Yeah, people power is needed here.
    Thank you for the concern to the Filipino heritage, despite being a foreigner. Hopefully, many of our countrymen would be awakened and show interest on this issue as well.

    Good day and God bless!

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    1. Hello Beng Gee!

      Sorry for my late reply, just getting things back in order after returning home from the Philippines. Thanks so much for your appreciation of this story. I can guarantee you that there will be an action from the parishioners, but I don't know what form it will take beyond the petition or whether there will be enough "teeth" behind it (i.e., support from local attorneys, funding etc.) to put up a good fight that the Archdiocese will not want to take on. Not that I'm trying to make the Archdiocese out to be the "bad guy" here... I just think the problem needs much more study and discussion before the Archdiocese making an uninformed and heavy-handed decision.

      My contribution is only tiny -- I think the most powerful ally to the cause is The Philippine Inquirer and particularly Mr. Mozart Pastrano's article, which will reach many more Filipinos than my blog. But I think the more this news is disseminated not only in Mindanao, but throughout all regions and provinces and cities of the Philippines, the more compelling the case and the argument against selling off the church grounds. I would really hate for such an action to really be taken by the Archdiocese, as it would set a precedent for future similar actions.

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  6. wow, you know more about the Philippines than me! I should read my history books again. We have no idea about this news.(i dont think it is even in the news). This post reminds me of the movie "Avatar".

    I would really like to preserve the trees and all. I like old structures. I want to preserve traces of our old culture. To remind me and the future generations of what it has been like before. I hope and pray that the place be preserved.

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    1. Hi Sheena,

      Thanks for stopping by, good to "see" you! I'm sure I don't know more about the Philippines than you ha-ha! It is interesting you thought about "Avatar" (what a cool movie, although sad), and I can see the parallels there and how it would remind you of this story.

      I agree with you that we should all (everywhere in the world) try to preserve the trees and nature as much as we can, as well as the old structures. I really appreciate the old structures too and, like you, hope that the traces of the old culture will be preserved. Take care!

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