Is the Diocese of Marbel one of the multiracial Catholic Dioceses in the
Philippines?
Kublai Millan. Bangkapayapaan. Facebook. October 16, 2020
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
