By FR. DAVE TABO-OY
www.nordis.net

Church people composed of pastors, priests, bishops, and lay people got together during that momentous event in order to affirm their commitment to serve the people. photo courtesy of CEMAT.

BAGUIO CITY — “As the newly elected officers of the Cordillera Ecumenical Movement for Action and Transformation (CEMAT), you are called to serve our people by exercising your pastoral responsibility and prophetic role as leaders of the ecumenical movement, to call and preside over meetings and consultations, to implement and promote the programs of the Cordillera Ecumenical Movement for Action and Transformation…. In view of this awesome responsibility, I now charge you in the presence of God and before this assembly to answer the following questions….”

These were the words of the installing officer, Mr. Nardy Sabino, Secretary General of the Promotion for Church People’s Response (PCPR), to the newly elected officers of CEMAT on September 22, 2009 at the culminating activity of the “resurrection” of this progressive Christian organization here in the Cordillera. The newly elected officers responded, “We do subscribe, and we promise by God’s grace to fulfill these responsibilities.”

In January 1988, a seed was planted with this progressive ecumenical group in this region. It was grounded in the Holy Scripture’s exhortation found in the Gospel according to Saint Matthew: “What you have done to the least of my brethren, you have done it to me” (Matt. 25:40).

Church people composed of pastors, priests, bishops, and lay people got together during that momentous event in order to affirm their commitment to this Gospel imperative.

CEMAT was active until 2001 despite its meager resources though it did not operate in its last year as it did during the past years.

The assembly on September 22 this year held at the Katinnulong Dagiti Umili iti Amianan (KADUAMI) Training Center, in Bengao, Baguio City. It was guided appropriately with the theme: “Renewing our Commitment to our Prophetic Role”. It was the fourth assembly of CEMAT and also dubbed as its “resurrection” referring to Christ’s rising from the grave.

The program started with an Opening Liturgical Service with the Reverend Dr. Luna Dingayan, President of the Ecumenical Theological Seminary here in Baguio City, giving the Biblical Theological Reflection on the assembly’s theme.

Twenty nine church people (priests, pastors, laypeople, and one bishop) attended the assembly. Mr. Nardy Sabino of PCPR updated the participants on the situation prevailing in the country today which calls for more vigorous response from church people.

As reflected on its orientation paper, the organization is the “manifestation of the growing ecumenical endeavor in the Cordillera region which could be traced from the desires of church people to respond actively to the different issues and questions affecting not only them but also the whole population especially in the Cordillera”.

This is a manifestation of their incarnate spirituality in the struggles of the Filipino people especially the indigenous peoples of the Cordillera toward the building of the Kingdom of God here and now.
Elected to serve for two years are the following officers: Fr. Joseph Requino as Chairperson, Bishop Marino I. Inong as Vice Chairperson, Fr. Dave Tabo-oy as General Secretary, Rev. Marcela Alegoyojo as Treasurer and Deacon Hilda Kitkitoy as Auditor.# nordis.net