The Bishop-Businessmen's Conference (BBC) for Human Development conducted its first regional consultation on "Communal Actions in the Light of the Present National Situation" aimed at increasing interaction among bishops and businessmen last May 14, 2008 at the Archbishop's House in Cagayan de Oro City.
"We shall document the proceedings from this city while also conducting other regional consultations in Pampanga, Iloilo and Batangas," said Belle S. Beluan, BBC executive director. "These shall be consolidated then presented during the plenary session of the country's bishops on July 4 for the purpose of coming up projects the BBC can undertake in the regions."
Beluan said the BBC is at present implementing two programs in the regions: marketing farmers' yacon produce in Bayombong, Nueva Ecija and a Botika sa Parokya in Iloilo in coordination with United Laboratories.
The consultation was led and hosted by Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, S.J., D.D., BBC national co-chair who also represented the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) as its vice president. It was attended by 38 businessmen, clergy, members of civil society and media.
As additional inputs designed to put the BBC's thrust into perspective, Beluan read the statement of BBC National Co-Chair Vicente T. Paterno, who was unable to attend because he was sick. Xavier University Rector Fr. Asandas Balchan, S. J. read the endorsement of "Guidelines for Communal Discernment and Action to Address the National Crisis" to Jesuits and Jesuit Institutions of the Philippine Province while Ansaldo read the statement of Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO) entitled "Ending a Bad Presidency: Reclaiming Good Governance, Moving Forward as FSGO."
The consultation was made more significant by the presence of Agriculture Undersecretary Jesus Emmanuel M. Paras, who was invited to explain the present national situation by workshop facilitator Roberto W. Ansaldo, Mindanao representative of Mindanao in the BBC executive committee.
Without categorically coming to the defense of President Gloria Arroyo, Paras said the government bureaucracy of which he is a part was finding it extremely difficult to implement coherent programs due to the present political system.
"DA has a clear program pushing for increased production and self-sufficiency," Paras said, explaining his agency's thrust to address the perceived rice crisis. "But our hands are tied because of the political system we have."
Archbishop Ledesma read two CBCP statements in behalf of its president, Jaro Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo, D.D.: "Seeking the Truth, Restoring Integrity" and "Reform Yourselves and Believe in the Gospel!" (Mark 1:15).
The participants were divided into three workshop groups which sought to answers to three questions: 1) How does the present national situation impact on the region's economy and business' major concerns? On the lot of the region's poor? 2) Identify three problems in your area that deserve priority attention and what steps to take to address them; both from the perspective of business and the clergy. 3) What steps may be taken by businessmen or the clergy to strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships between bishops and businessmen in your region?
Among the major concerns identified by the workshop groups were the fallout from the pullout of the Hanjin Shipyard project in Phividec as a result of alleged corruption among local officials, the rice crisis, and the lack of support for farmers.
On the third concern, former city councilor Guilly Parrel proposed the revival of the Cagayan de Oro Chapter of the BBC.
"Businessmen and clergy can work together in a critical combination that can bring about a lot of social change," Ledesma noted.
Initially, Fr. Emeterio Barcelon, S.J. invited those interested to form the core group of the proposed chapter to join them every Tuesday morning at the Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan canteen in an informal gathering to discuss burning issues of the day.
"Those who can't make it to the weekly meetings can join us in our monthly meetings here at the archbishop's house," Ansaldo suggested. "Once we have formed a nucleus going to get things started, we can go to the rest of Region 10 and the archdiocese."
The Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro is an Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. It is a Metropolitan See and comprises two civil provinces, Misamis Oriental and Camiguin and a town in Bukidnon. The total land area within its jurisdiction totals 3,799 square kilometers, with a population of 1,012,820, of which 87 per cent are Catholics. Today it is headed by Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, S.J and its seat is located in the Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral in Cagayan De Oro City.
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Photo caption: Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, S.J. gestures as he explains to a group of businessmen including Agriculture Undersecretary Jesus E.M. Paras (extreme left, in black) how inputs from the regional consultations of the the Bishop-Businessmen's Conference for Human Development will be used to help draw a national picture for BBC projects. (Photo by Mike Banos, PPA-CdO)
"We shall document the proceedings from this city while also conducting other regional consultations in Pampanga, Iloilo and Batangas," said Belle S. Beluan, BBC executive director. "These shall be consolidated then presented during the plenary session of the country's bishops on July 4 for the purpose of coming up projects the BBC can undertake in the regions."
Beluan said the BBC is at present implementing two programs in the regions: marketing farmers' yacon produce in Bayombong, Nueva Ecija and a Botika sa Parokya in Iloilo in coordination with United Laboratories.
The consultation was led and hosted by Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, S.J., D.D., BBC national co-chair who also represented the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) as its vice president. It was attended by 38 businessmen, clergy, members of civil society and media.
As additional inputs designed to put the BBC's thrust into perspective, Beluan read the statement of BBC National Co-Chair Vicente T. Paterno, who was unable to attend because he was sick. Xavier University Rector Fr. Asandas Balchan, S. J. read the endorsement of "Guidelines for Communal Discernment and Action to Address the National Crisis" to Jesuits and Jesuit Institutions of the Philippine Province while Ansaldo read the statement of Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO) entitled "Ending a Bad Presidency: Reclaiming Good Governance, Moving Forward as FSGO."
The consultation was made more significant by the presence of Agriculture Undersecretary Jesus Emmanuel M. Paras, who was invited to explain the present national situation by workshop facilitator Roberto W. Ansaldo, Mindanao representative of Mindanao in the BBC executive committee.
Without categorically coming to the defense of President Gloria Arroyo, Paras said the government bureaucracy of which he is a part was finding it extremely difficult to implement coherent programs due to the present political system.
"DA has a clear program pushing for increased production and self-sufficiency," Paras said, explaining his agency's thrust to address the perceived rice crisis. "But our hands are tied because of the political system we have."
Archbishop Ledesma read two CBCP statements in behalf of its president, Jaro Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo, D.D.: "Seeking the Truth, Restoring Integrity" and "Reform Yourselves and Believe in the Gospel!" (Mark 1:15).
The participants were divided into three workshop groups which sought to answers to three questions: 1) How does the present national situation impact on the region's economy and business' major concerns? On the lot of the region's poor? 2) Identify three problems in your area that deserve priority attention and what steps to take to address them; both from the perspective of business and the clergy. 3) What steps may be taken by businessmen or the clergy to strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships between bishops and businessmen in your region?
Among the major concerns identified by the workshop groups were the fallout from the pullout of the Hanjin Shipyard project in Phividec as a result of alleged corruption among local officials, the rice crisis, and the lack of support for farmers.
On the third concern, former city councilor Guilly Parrel proposed the revival of the Cagayan de Oro Chapter of the BBC.
"Businessmen and clergy can work together in a critical combination that can bring about a lot of social change," Ledesma noted.
Initially, Fr. Emeterio Barcelon, S.J. invited those interested to form the core group of the proposed chapter to join them every Tuesday morning at the Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan canteen in an informal gathering to discuss burning issues of the day.
"Those who can't make it to the weekly meetings can join us in our monthly meetings here at the archbishop's house," Ansaldo suggested. "Once we have formed a nucleus going to get things started, we can go to the rest of Region 10 and the archdiocese."
The Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro is an Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. It is a Metropolitan See and comprises two civil provinces, Misamis Oriental and Camiguin and a town in Bukidnon. The total land area within its jurisdiction totals 3,799 square kilometers, with a population of 1,012,820, of which 87 per cent are Catholics. Today it is headed by Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, S.J and its seat is located in the Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral in Cagayan De Oro City.
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Photo caption: Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, S.J. gestures as he explains to a group of businessmen including Agriculture Undersecretary Jesus E.M. Paras (extreme left, in black) how inputs from the regional consultations of the the Bishop-Businessmen's Conference for Human Development will be used to help draw a national picture for BBC projects. (Photo by Mike Banos, PPA-CdO)
