Thursday, October 05, 2006 Church alliance offers to help inform public on Asean effects
A NEW group that will be launched next year yet is starting its advocacy now to help prepare Cebuanos for this December’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit.
Dilaab, a Catholic church-based movement, aims to make each person a “heroic Christian citizen” through simple actions like proper garbage disposal and following traffic rules.
These could create “a positive impact” on visiting dignitaries, said Fr. Carmelo Diola, Dilaab’s “coordinating steward.”
Aside from that, Dilaab also vows to relay to ordinary folks the importance of the Asean summit, believing that people are wondering what role they could play in the upcoming gathering of leaders.
The group is encouraging the Asean summit organizing committee to come up with a primer to educate the public about the importance of the summit.
The Asean’s overall mission is to establish by 2020 an Asean community that is “economically integrated, prosperous and competitive; united in partnership in social development and living in peace with one another and with the world.”
But the public still has a lot of questions about this, said Diola, adding that Dilaab will arrange for the distribution of primers in different parishes all over the province.
Aside from heading Dilaab, Diola is also Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal’s liaison to the Asean organizing committee.
Other advocacies of Dilaab include values formation and leadership training of members of the Philippine National Police (PNP), “freeing the country from narcopolitics” and the orientation of Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families.
Causes
PO2 Sarah Dupio of the Regional Training School (RTS) discussed the module of their training, which includes the major relationships of a police officer: with God, with himself, his family and his work.
The project is organized by Barug Pilipino.
Kamatuoran Inc.’s Sr. Estella Parmisano told reporters about the problem of narcopolitics in Cebu City and the country.
“Despite efforts to curb proliferation of drugs, narcopolitics is still rampant because drug money is used to corrupt the political system,” Diola explained.
As for the Friends of Pedro Foundation, according to executive director Teresa Tejero, they will continue conducting orientations for those who plan to go abroad and their families through the Integrated Family Relations Enhancement Program.
Barug Pilipino, Kamatuoran and Friends of Pedro are all under the new umbrella organization Dilaab, which is a Cebuano term for fire.
Meanwhile,teams from the Mandaue City Government have been going to various business establishments to seek their support and cooperation in the beautification of their immediate surroundings, especially those that fall within the Asean route. (JGA/With ROV)
