MUCH has been written and said about Corazon Aquino since her death and interment earlier this month of August. What else can Silsilah add to the many glowing words and tributes about her? Very little.

Nevertheless, Silsilah would like to bring out the parallels between itself and the role played by Cory Aquino in the life of the Philippines, particularly in this part of the country.

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The vision of dialogue that Silsilah pursues to this day, and with God’s grace will continue to pursue for many years, had its background in the experiences of Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, Pime, in his mission assignment in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte in the early 70’s.

Martial law for the Philippines had been declared by Ferdinand Marcos and government forces were waging a shooting war with the MNLF in Sulu and the Zamboanga Peninsula.

In the Metro Manila area, Benigno Aquino and a number of other prominent Filipinos were waging their own fight against the Marcos dictatorship and were either in prison or in had gone underground.

Fr. D’Ambra found himself playing the role of mediator between elements of the Armed Forces and the Moro rebel forces.

His life under threat from both sides, in 1981 Fr. D’Ambra was sent back to Italy by his superiors in the Pime. Ninoy Aquino too was sent to the US about the same time. In 1983, when Fr. D’Ambra was back in Zamboanga City, Ninoy Aquino was killed shortly after he arrived in Manila from the USA. Ninoy’s widow, Corazon (Cory), then became the rallying point for all the non-violent efforts to end the dictatorship, culminating in the almost-miraculous convergence of forces that made up Edsa 1 in 1986.

Two years earlier, in May 1984, the Silsilah Dialogue Movement was formally established. Silsilah has never been politically active, if by “politically” is meant supporting one political group against another.

What Silsilah has pursued, and continues to pursue, is to teach people to listen to, and respect, the views of others. What Silsilah strives to promote is for people to lay the foundation for meaningful relationships so that trust in each other is made possible, which in turns leads to more open and effective communication.

Shortly after she became president of the Philippines, Cory Aquino made the effort to open lines of communication between the government and groups like the MNLF and the communists. Some will question how effective these efforts have been, since over the years there is still much left to be worked out between the parties concerned. To her credit, the Aquino administration set the precedent for negotiation and dialogue rather than the declaration of open hostilities. This is also the essence of the vision of Silsilah.

An essential element of this vision is that the more we are grounded in the genuine teachings of our respective faiths, the more we can be sincerely involved in dialogue with others though they be of other faiths. Certainly Corazon Aquino was an example of this orientation.

Deeply religious and not hiding her loyalty to the Catholic faith, her devotion to her faith however was not the kind that excluded those who did not believe as she did. Rather, her faith inspired others to deepen their own commitment to their own faith.

On February 24, 1990, Silsilah was the recipient of the Aurora Aragon Quezon Peace Award. In ceremonies in Makati, Metro Manila. Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, Pime, who represented Silsilah, had the distinct honor of receiving the award from President Corazon C. Aquino, a person who lived the ideal of dialogue. She will continue to inspire the members of Silsilah to pursue its vision.

Silsilah Dialogue Movement
Zamboanga City, Philippines