December 14, 2018
The Philippine Bible Society (PBS) has selected “The Bible: Real Talk” as the theme for 2019’s National Bible Month (NBM) celebration. The official hashtags for the month-long festivities are #TheBibleRealTalk and #NBM2019. Psalm 19:7-8 and 2 Timothy 3:14-17 serve as our reference verses. National Bible Month will be in January 2019, while National Bible Week will be held from January 21-27, 2019 specifically. National Bible Sunday will be on January 27, 2019.
What makes NBM 2019’s theme unique is the fact that it puts its emphasis on the youth. PBS acknowledges that the youth today are going through many issues and struggles. There is an urgent need for the Bible to be highlighted in their lives as the one true source of life that can “real talk” them into having more hope, clarity, and comfort.
National Bible Month is a time of great rejoicing. Motorcades, parades, and rallies are organized among churches and organizations. The Scriptures are read and distributed in public places. Homilies and sermons are also aligned to put focus on the Bible’s role in life transformation.
History allows us to trace the origin of National Bible Month to 1982 when former President Ferdinand E. Marcos signed Presidential Proclamation No. 2242, which declared a nationwide Bible celebration. Originally, the first Sunday of Advent and the last week of November every year were known as National Bible Sunday and National Bible Week, respectively. The transfer of the celebration date to January was brought about by former President Corazon C. Aquino, who issued Proclamation No. 44 in 1986. Former President Fidel V. Ramos reinforced this when he declared Presidential Proclamation No. 1067, which called for national attention to be focused on the Bible and Bible reading.
January 5, 2017 marked the declaration of Presidential Proclamation No. 124 by President Rodrigo Duterte, which called for the month-long celebration in January every year. That is why today, we have National Bible Month. The proclamation states, “It is fitting and proper that national attention be focused on the important role being played by reading and study of the Bible in molding the moral fiber of our society.”
As an organization, PBS has been working towards a vision of a transformed Filipino people through God’s Word by making the Bible known. This is done through the translation, production, distribution, promotion, and fundraising for the Holy Scriptures. National Bible Month is one of PBS’s many endeavors to strive towards the mission’s completion.
Everyone is invited to join in on the celebration of National Bible Month. PBS can provide the necessary documents one may need in order to carry out a successful NBM celebration. Memorandum circulars, endorsement documents, Bible reading guides, activity suggestion sheets, and more can be requested from the Philippine Bible Society.
