Is the Diocese of Marbel one of the multiracial Catholic Dioceses in the
Philippines?
The Archdiocese of Singapore also has a comparison with the Diocese of Marbel, with a mix of Chinese Ethnic, Malay Ethnic, and also Hindu people. In the Histories of South Africa, we are highlighting the events of several facing discrimination in South Africa, South Africa also a multiracial country they are facing discrimination also, especially racial discrimination, and the implementation of the white people called ‘apartheid’ as citing this information, “The white minority (less than 20%) controlled the vastly larger black majority. The legally institutionalized segregation became known as apartheid. While whites enjoyed the highest standard of living in all of Africa, comparable to First World Western nations, the black majority remained disadvantaged by almost every standard, including income, education, housing, and life expectancy. The Freedom Charter, adopted in 1955 by the Congress Alliance, demanded a non-racial society and an end to discrimination.” (South Africa, 2022) In speaking of apartheid, “Apartheid (“apartness” in the language of Afrikaans) was a system of legislation that upheld segregationist policies against non-white citizens of South Africa. After the National Party gained power in South Africa in 1948, its all-white government immediately began enforcing existing policies of racial segregation.” (Apartheid, 2010) The bad effects of apartheid are the probable cause of discrimination also as we cited in this statement on this that how apartheid also started, in this citation, “ Racial segregation and white supremacy had become central aspects of South African policy long before apartheid began. The controversial 1913 Land Act, passed three years after South Africa gained its independence, marked the beginning of territorial segregation by forcing black Africans to live in reserves and making it illegal for them to work as sharecroppers.” (Apartheid, 2010).
Because of apartheid, South Africa has been facing several violence and discrimination for their calling to end discrimination, many activists like Nelson Mandela have also been imprisoned due to his campaigning for ending discrimination and also for his goal that people have equal rights and equality with each other regardless of their race or color of their skin and their culture. Aftermath, the apartheid system in South Africa was ended through a series of bilateral and multi-party negotiations between 1990 and 1993. (Negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa. (2022, August 9). , 2022).
As late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew visioning Singapore for the common good of everyone, “There is nothing to be worried about it. Many things will go on just as usual. But be firm, be calm. We are going to have a multi-racial nation in Singapore... Everybody will have his place: equal; language, culture, religion.” (In quotes: Lee Kuan Yew, 2015) As we remembered citing, Singapore is not a Malay Nation, not a Chinese nation, and not an Indian nation but are a Singaporean Nation.
I am confused about our Diocese, even in the Diocese of Marbel, people are thinking, “what is the Diocese of Marbel?” they informed me that the Diocese of Marbel is for South Cotabato but not including GenSan and Sarangani, are also literally they are said that the Diocese of Marbel is for GenSan, and others said that the Diocese of Marbel is speaking Hiligaynon, etcetera as I commonly heard to my fellow communities. All of these are telling misinformation about our Diocese. Remember, the Diocese of Marbel have a race and language a culture besides to their predominantly Catholic also. In some parts of the History of our Diocese; Prior to 1939, the population of southern Cotabato consisted mostly of Maguindanao Muslims and pagan tribal groups. Organized migrations to the coastal areas along Sarangani Bay started during the American time. The first recorded batch of Christian colonists landed in Glan in 1914, followed by another batch in 1915. A small group of Christian settlers also settled in Makar in 1916. In the Kiamba area some groups of homeseekers from the Ilocos region had settled from 1920 to 1926. A group of families from Nueva Ecija also established themselves in Baluan, Polomolok and Tupi in 1930. These were the original pioneers who had ventured into the new land. Soon, they would be joined by thousand others, who like them, were urged on by the same dreams.
On February 11, 1939 President Quezon issued Proclamations No. 383 and 384 reserving the Koronadal Valley area for new settlement projects. Koronadal Valley, was described at that time, as a narrow plain about 80 kilometers long, extending from Lake Buluan all the way to Sarangani Bay. The valley was divided into 3 parts: Northern Koronadal (Lutayan-Marbel area), Middle Koronadal (Tupi-Polomolok area), and Southern Koronadal (Lagao-Dadiangas area). Marbel area was covered by a sea of cogon and talahib; Tupi by thick forests; and Dadiangas by silibon and dadiangas trees. This vast expanse of land was just waiting to be developed. Plans were being readied for this very purpose. A big government project was underway. This project called for the bringing of new settlers into the Koronadal Valley with government support and supervision. General Paulino Santos was appointed General Manager of this government undertaking.
The first group of Christian settlers led by General Santos landed on the shores of Dadiangas in the morning of February 27, 1939. Upon arrival the newcomers saw what lay before them: "lonely stretch of shoreline ... one vast emptiness marching out to the very foot of brooding hills and mist-shrouded mountains". Some were filled with dismay at what they saw. But after the initial shock wore off, and realizing that somehow there was no turning back, the immigrants disembarked and were met by local residents and later by officials from the municipal district of Glan. Soon after, the serious tasks of laying the foundation for a new life began. Temporary shelters were built, the land surveyed and distributed, new crops planted - administrative structures had been set up. In early March the first settlement was established in Lagao.
On June, 1939 President Quezon approved Commonwealth Act No. 441 creating the National Land Settlement Administration (NLSA). This was the signal many were waiting for. Soon influx of would-be settlers poured in from Luzon and the Visayas. The Catholic population, too, was swelling rapidly. Fortunately, in October of the same year, and a few months after the first settlers arrived in Lagao, the Oblate Fathers also came and started work in the south. For 19 years, (from 1939 to 1958), as the government were building settlements, the OMI missionaries were also there building the Church. However, we will say that even the Diocese of Marbel is no single dominant language spoken in the area but several. These are the regional languages of the different settlers who, during the first five decades of this century migrated here from Luzon and the Visayas. Some of these languages are Ilonggo, Cebuano, Tagalog, and Ilocano, and other languages are inhabited in the Diocese. (History of the Diocese of Marbel, 2004)
We would say to ourselves that the Diocese of Marbel should be proud of us even for the proof of evidence that is commonly known of us as one of the multiracial Dioceses in the Philippines in the Philippine Catholic Church. I hope whether regardless of inside or outside of the world of Catholicism and regardless of race and culture and language of every people. I want to inform you that the Diocese of Marbel is not from South Cotabato only but Diocese of Marbel is the compromise of the co-province of South Cotabato and Sarangani and also in GenSan and Barangay Milbuk, Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat. And also, the Diocese of Marbel is not the Diocese of South Cotabato, it is not the Diocese of General Santos, nor the Diocese of Sarangani and Milbuk, but the Diocese of the compromise places as mentioned on those territories. The Diocese of Marbel is not the Diocese of the Ilonggo, it is not the Diocese of the Cebuano, it is not the Diocese of the Tagalog, it is not also the Diocese of Ilokano, nor each ethnic group. I telling you the Diocese of Marbel is one of the considered known as multiracial Dioceses in the Philippine Catholic Church that you’ve compared to the Archdiocese of Singapore and to the Dioceses in South Africa as we based on our History of the Diocese. I hope you may inspire this for my principle of establishing the Catholic Faith Defenders in the Diocese of Marbel.
People would aware of this, in our Diocese even in the Diocese of Marbel and this is the lesson of every people. In sincere respect and sensitivity to their neighborhood.
References:
Apartheid.
(2010, October 7). Retrieved from History:
https://www.history.com/topics/africa/apartheid#:~:text=Apartheid%20(%E2%80%9Capartness%E2%80%9D%20in%20the,existing%20policies%20of%20racial%20segregation.
History of the Diocese of Marbel. (2004, April 14). Retrieved from Diocese of
Marbel: http://marbeldiocese.freeservers.com/history.htm
In quotes: Lee Kuan Yew. (2015, March 22). Retrieved from BBC :
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-31582842
Negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa.
(2022, August 9). . (2022, August
9). Retrieved from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negotiations_to_end_apartheid_in_South_Africa
South Africa. (2022, October 6). Retrieved from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa
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