The Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) has offered decades of service with rural poor communities. Known by their heart for the struggles of Filipino peasants, indigenous peoples and fisherfolks, Rural Missionaries have demonstrated evangelization through journeying with the communities where they serve.
Love is the most compelling impetus of RMP’s mission and commitment that has nourished missionaries and capacitated them to engage genuine ministry and service to the marginalized and oppressed.
Love fuels and powers RMP’s courage to carry on the mission, even as rural missionaries-laity and religious-have experienced persecution and harassment and in the course of fulfilling their tasks as missionaries with the poor.
Efforts by the Duterte administration to “red-tag” RMP is worrisome. RMP’s LOVE is mislabeled. In this time of “terror-tagging,” the LOVE of Rural Missionaries for poor communities has been misconstrued and hijacked by militarists. The military has fabricated testimonies and spread lies to justify false charges of “terrorism financing.” With efforts to force the forfeiture of their mission funds to the state, the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines is a victim of malicious “red-tagging” and vilification.
Over the decades, RMP has weathered other attacks and persecutions. They have continued to work for health, literacy, livelihood projects, and the self-determination of rural poor communities in their own development. Accompanying the marginalized and oppressed as they identify exigencies and pursue programs for the benefit of their communities has been a hallmark of RMP since its founding. A community who knows what they need and want is more difficult to exploit and oppress.
By demonstrating LOVE in the communities where they serve, Rural Missionaries have been targeted for “red-tagging.” As they stand with their communities, we stand with them.
Join us in exposing the malicious “red-tagging” witch-hunt, based on false appropriation and twisting the narrative of RMP’s LOVE and mission.
Let us acclaim that RMP is red with LOVE.
LOVE-tagged for their service to the people.
LOVE-tagged as committed to mission.
LOVE-tagged for how they join in work with farmers, fisherfolks, indigenous people and the rural poor.
LOVE-tagged for being with the rural poor in their hopes, dreams and struggles for social justice and genuine peace.
LOVE-tagged for demonstrating courage in ministry, even amidst persecution.
WE can show our LOVE and solidarity with RMP by
- Praying for them
- Writing press statements
- Joining in public witness, vigils, and accompanying them to the court.
- Writing letters of support
- Expanding the network of support and solidarity, by sharing their story
Let us stand with RMP and demand that the vilification campaign against them be ended. The Freeze orders on their bank accounts must be lifted, so that their mission monies can be used for capacitating much-needed ministries in rural poor communities.
Nine-days of prayer for RMP
On March 12, 2021 at 10 am, a hearing is scheduled at the Regional Trial Court, Manila. We enjoin the faithful to pray for the life and ministries of RMP before this hearing. *****************************************************
A Psalm for Rural Missionaries of the Philippines
God of the Journey, You are full of compassion.
Your love is constant and faithful.
You hear our cry.
You feel our pain.
You are deeply present in our struggles.
Enter into the darkness of our fears.
Cover us with Your Strength and Wisdom.
You know the hearts of our sisters and brothers,
the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines.
You have blessed them with attentive eyes and ears.
They have seen and heard the misery and cry of the poor.
All these 51 years, You have poured forth Your abundant light into their journey.
You have been delighted seeing their commitment of serving Your beloved rural poor.
God, You know the present afflictions of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines.
You see darkness hovering over RMP’s mission.
Pour your radiating light into RMP,
That all that is hidden in darkness, deeply hurting them, may come forth into awareness…
Look upon your servants, the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, the living and the dead.
They are victims of human rights violations.
Fabricated charges and accusations have been hurting the integrity and freedom of the RMP organization and members.
We are grateful for their lives generously shared.
Amy Pond,Sr. Patrica Fox, NDS,Sr. Elenita Bernardo, RGS, Sr. Emma Cupin, MSM, Angie Ipong, Marielle Domequil,and the late Fr. Marcelito Paez.
Reach into our hearts and enter into the darkness of our fears.
May we be courageous to confront and oppose these prevailing injustices
against the marginalized and vulnerable sectors of our society.
Unite our hearts and minds. May we be ONE in our dreams and aspirations for LIFE.
Together, we believe that we will be released from bondage.
This is our deep desire: well-being with justice, peace, and freedom for the Rural Missionaries and for all of us.
-Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (ICM SISTERS)
A Prayer for Courage
We lift up to you in solemn prayer the circumstances of the Rural Missionaries in the Philippines. We remember the hardships of those whom they serve, the Filipino poor, pushed to margins of society. We cry out to you amidst the malicious red-tagging and false accusations, which endanger the lives and security of nuns, priests, and lay people.
Let the truth be known: RMP’s long years of missionary work and dedication in accompanying the marginalized and poorest farmers and indigenous peoples are evidence of their mission integrity, as living witnesses to the Good News of God’s Shalom.
Free them from the terrorizing actions of a government whose gods are power, control and wealth. Unshackle and unfetter every obstacle to their mission and ministry. Give courage to all who stand in solidarity. Fill us with love to defend our brothers and sisters under attack and promote the welfare of peasants, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples and the rural poor.
-Rev. Nonie Aviso, UCCP
A Prayer for Justice
Grant us, Lord God, a vision of your world as your love would have it:
a world where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or poor;
a world where the riches of creation are shared, and everyone can enjoy them;
a world where different races and cultures live in harmony and mutual respect;
a world where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love.
Give us the inspiration and courage to build it, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We pray
…for all those who have fallen victim to hatred and inhumanity, for those who are left behind to mourn, for the souls of those whose hearts are cold…
…for the children who are being born into this world of conflict and violence, for women and mothers who suffer needlessly…
…for all those who have been forced into unemployment, for all who struggle to support their families…
…for the children who cry in their beds at night and wonder “what have I done?” and for mothers and fathers who must try to explain the unexplainable…
Lord, hear our prayer.
Sr. Elsa Compuesto, MSM, Coordinator, RMP Rural Missionaries of the Philippines
Out of the Ordinary
“For surely I know the plans I have in mind for you, says God, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then, when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says God.” (Jeremiah 29: 11-13)
Spirit of God, your fiery presence gives us passion to continue accompanying our peasants, Indigenous Peoples, and fisherfolk in their struggles for life and self-determination.
Blazing love, the radiant glow of your compassion fills us with awareness, kindness and understanding.
Purifying Flame, your refining fire transforms us as we experience life’s sorrow, pain, and discouragements.
Radiant Presence, your steady flame of unconditional love kindles our faithful and enduring mission to the marginalized and the oppressed.
Spirit of God, you came in the form of fire and wind to the apostles and disciples. In your coming to us now, change our timidity to boldness and fear into prophetic witness. Come to us, we pray, and transform our hearts. Let us use our gifts to carry on the mission with and for rural communities. Enkindle in us zeal to pursue social justice and genuine peace. Amen.
-adapted by Religious of the Good Shepherd Sisters from Joyce Rupp’s “Response” in Out of the Ordinary
March 8- PANALANGIN PARA SA RMP AT ANG MGA KABABAIHAN SA KANAYUNAN
We are known by our love of rural poor communities.
Diyos ng Kasaysayan, Ikaw ang lumikha ng Iyong kawangis upang makatuwang sa patuloy na pagpapalaganap ng buhay. Nilalang mo ang taon ang may kakayahang magpasya para sa banal na gawaing lumikha, mangalaga, magpaunlad, at magtanggol sa biyaya Mong buhay. Pinasasalamatan at pinupuri Ka naming ngayon, ang dakilang araw ng pagbibigay-dangal sa uring kababaihan sa buong mundo. At sa natatanging araw na ito, sa panahon ng pandemya, sadya Mong tinatawag kaming mga babae, upang patotohanan ang Iyong lakas, kapangyarihan, kalooban, at higit sa lahat pagkakaisa sa gitna ng unos, kadiliman, at kasamaan.
Dios ng Katarungan, alam naming alam Mo ang simulain, adhikain, at patuloy nalakbayin ng aming mga kapatid sa Rural Missionaries of the Philippines. Naniniwala kaming ikinalulugod Mo ang kanilang pagmimisyon sa pagsusulong ng pagkakapantay-pantay, seguridad sa pagkain, makatarungang produksyon, at batay ang karapatan ng mga magsasaka, mangingisda, at masa sa kanayunan. Ang mga ina, kapatid, at mga lola ay higit na nakauunawa sa usaping pagkain, edukasyon, kaligtasan, at kalusugan. Binasbasan mo ng 50 taon ang RMP bilang katuwang ng mga kababaihan sa mga komunidad sa gawaing pagmumulat, pag-o-organisa, at pagpapakilos ayon sa Iyong ipinagkaloob na likas na karunungan at kakayahan. Dahil dito, silang ayon ay hinagupit ng mapang-abuso at marahas na estado, at nahaharap sa kasong di-makatwiran.
Dios ng Kagandahan at Tuwa, batid naming dama Mo sa aming puso ang bigat, sikip, at init ng kasalukuyang kalagayan. Dama rin namin ang paglalim ng paninindigan, paglawak ng pag-iisip, at pagtibay ng pag-asa na maiigpawan naming ang lahat ng ito. Samahan Mo po kami sa pagdiriwang ng mga inialay na buhay ng mga kababaihang inusig at pinaslang, hinahabol, at pinahihirapan dahil sa kanilang tapat na pagliingkod. Mananatiling buhay ang diwa nina Zara Alvarez, Marielle Domiquiel at Melissa Comiso. Gayundin sina Sr. Pat Fox, Sr. Ellen Belardo, at Sr. Emma Cupin. Ingatan mo po kaming lahat, mga anak mong lumuluha, humalakhak, nagwiwika ng katotohanan, at umiindak sa saliw ng pag-asa. Dalangin naming tulad ni Hesus, papagtagumpayin Mo ang Buhay na maganda, kasiya-siya at walang hanggan. Amen.
-Sr. Rowena Pineda, MMS, Sisters’ Association in Mindanao (SAMIN)
A Remembering Prayer of a Rural Missionary
Remember, O people of this Land
That we were born out of this earth.
As food is planted on soil and water,
So are our bodies woken to life from earth and water,
So are our eyes and hearts open to new life.
Remember. O people of this Land
That human hands have toiled.
Their sweat and tears have watered,
Their knees and feet soiled,
Their bones broken and crushed
To grow our food on the table.
Remember, O people of this Land
That in earth, water, air and fire we breathe
The Ruah of God’s Spirit in the vast realm.
But alas, where borne of a wretched greed,
Power rises, storms abound.
Remember, O people of this Land
The wounds and scars peasants endure,
Back-breaking labor, sun-parched faces
Long hours thirsting, anguish,
misery, tormented lamenting, crying out…
Remember then, O Creator of All Life,
Our suffering, our loss,
Our Land and Being lost in the hands of avarice.
Send forth your Spirit to restore all of our ruin and desolation.
Increase our FAITH and LOVE to ACT on your call
To give voice to our desire for a just society,
To transform our misery and pain
And to increase our courage to continue
Our quest for land reform,
Our dreams of our land reborn in LOVE and JUSTICE.
May this prayer be.
-Weena Meily, Association of Women in Theology
Called to Be One with Them
We thank you for giving us the Rural Missionaries of Philippines and for calling us to be one with them, to care especially for the poorest of the poor in society who are deprived of access to the goods of the earth that assure a decent and dignified life.
We pray for our RMP personnel, staff volunteers, and field workers. Give them health and keep them safe from physical harm. They need your guiding light and inspiration, as they prepare to overcome another obstacle to their continued service to your people. Give them courage and strength as they prepare for the legal battle.
As we face malicious falsehoods, we pray thatthe law will favor the interests and welfare of the people.
-Fr. Jesus Dumaual, MSC
Exchanging gifts: labors of love
God of Wisdom and Understanding,
we are grateful for what the Lumad are teaching us.
Our eyes are opened, when we see through their optics
the beauty of the land, the mountains and the forests.
There is no shame, only gratitude, to know that we came from earth.
The flowers, vegetation, and people are kin under God’s life-giving breath.
We are truly blessed by the vision and dreams of the Lumad.
They long for education that would nourish their passion to defend their ancestral domain.
They aspire to read, to write, to learn science, math, and history, and to appreciate deeply their culture.
They desire for knowledge and wisdom, so that they would not become victims of abuse and exploitation.
We thank you God for your grace and the gift
of calling on the church and humanitarian networks to love and solidarity.
Our communion with Lumad peoples has birthed hundreds of schools and places of learning,
that teach the young to count and value equality that teach history from the perspective of the Filipino people
that teach students how to read, write and articulate
that create hospitable atmospheres for dreams, aspirations and vision.
We come to you with hearts heavy-laden
schools closed, under misuse of the powers of the law.
Teachers and leaders targeted with trumped-up charges
and some even detained and suffering in prison.
We come to you, God of struggling people,
praying that you will restore these gifts, that we are sharing.
We labor in love, so that we can mutually encourage one another
and demonstrate the love that you have for us all. Pour through us the Spirit of COURAGE, HOPE, & LOVE, we pray.
In Jesus’ name, AMEN.
Deaconess Norma P.Dollaga, KASIMBAYAN
Aming Manlilikha
Sa bawat sayaw ng mga dahon sa saliw ng ihip
Ng hangin, papuri sa iyo, Aming Manlilikha.
Sa bawat halik ng taib at hibas ng dagat
Sa dalampasigan, Pagpupugay sa iyo, Aming Manlilikha
Sa bawat pagbukadkad at pagkatuyo ng mga bulaklak
Kasabay ng hamog at mga patak ng mga ulan
Pagsamba sa iyo, Aming Manlilikha.
Sa bawat pagaspas ng mga pakpak ng mga ibon,
At lahat ng hayop at mga insektong lumilipad
Pasasalamat sa Iyo, Aming Manlilikha.
Sa bawat pagsikat ng araw at paglubog nito.
Sa aming buhay, pagdakila ka naming, Aming Manlilikha.
Sa bawat pagkislap ng mga bituin at karilagan ng buwan,
Pagsamo sa iyo, Aming Manlilikha.
Sa iyong walang maliw na pagpapasibol, pag-aaruga at pagbawi ng buhay.
Ikaw ay aming isinasamo na gabayan, bigyan ng lakas, katatagan ang lahat ng iyong Sanilikha.
Lalo na ang mga nagtatanggol sa mga lupaing ninuno – Ang aming mga kapatid na Katutubo.
-Merian Aldea, Office of Women and Gender Commission-AMRSP
Guided by your Law
May we be guided by your law as the Psalmist wrote,
The Law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. (Psalm 19:7)
Help us to convince those who structure government to craft laws, that favor the welfare of the people.
Laws should be premised in LOVE, respect, and the promotion of human dignity.
Save our people and nation from cruel laws that are weaponized against us,
weaponized against your law of LOVE.
Save our people from abusive agents of the State.
Save the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines from fear, terror, and harassment. –
Promotion of Church People’s Response
lOl A prayer the Light of Love (LoL)
Then God said, “let there be light;” (Gen. 1:3)
And there was love.
And God’s beautiful creation was tagged with love.
And “God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased.” (Gen. 1: 31)
May the light of love dispel the darkness that surrounds anabuse of power in the halls of justice.
May the light of truth guide the hearts and minds of those entrusted with the law,so that they protect and promote the welfare of the people.
May the light of nature and the beauty of God’s creation open the eyes of the government to the plight of missionaries working for the welfare of rural communities.
May the light of love multiply in the heart and mind of each of us, so that God will be pleased with what He sees in us all. Amen.
-Brother Jonel Dalimag, CICM
#StandWithRMP #NoToRedTagging #YesToLovingYourNeighbor
