maritime ministry in Luneta park in the Philippines
(no login) Posted Apr 21, 2005 5:17 AM
I am happy to find your web site where we can exchange experiences in our respective maritime ministry. The Philippines is the biggest exporters of seafarers mostly working on ships flying the flag of convenience. Near Manila International harbour is a big park called Luneta park. Every day thousands of unemployed seafarers flock to this park to try their luck in being hired by the agents of hundreds of many agencies who do the hiring for their shipping principals. Lineta park is turn into a giant auction block where the seafarers try to sell their services to the highest bidders, the shipping owners thru their manning agency. At the end, it is always an uneven transaction. The manning agencies always have the final say at the expense of the seafarers.
It is here where I started my ministry after several years of doing the ministry in the west coast from Seattle to San Diego under the Philippine seafarers organzing Ministry. At present we are having Bible study every Tuesday afteroon in a nearby Central United Churc which is at the western end of luneta park. I am busy speaking to the different Protestant Churces in the metro Manila area informing them about the importance of maritime ministry and challenging them to open their churches near to the ports to maritime minstry.
In addition to seafrers ministry , I am also active in the waterfront ministry in the north harbout across the Pasig river, the port where the domestics seafarers are landing with their ships from the rest of the Islands. My ministry with the north harbour includes the dockworkers and the truckers as well as the vendors and the urban poor around the north harbour. Filipino seafarers and dockworkers usually reside around the urban poor communities that surround the ports. I cooperate with the Unions of the dockworkers in the north harbour making my access to the port easier in the north harbour where the domestic ships docks.
Every Friday I visit the Malabon International fishing ports where international fishing vessels as well as local ones usually load and get their victuals. On Saturday I go to the Batangas international Port which is an alternative port to the congested port of Manila.
To date I have done four ecumenical Maritime consultaions under the Philippine Council of Churches, National Ecumenical Maritime ministry. The consultations was done with the members churches of the NCCP in Manila, Cebu, Batangas and Davao. WE are hopeful that in the very near future, the maritime program of the NCCP will have its presence in the major ports of the Philippines. Our next move is to do our own maritime training in the Philippines under NCCP with the help of maritime organizations like Namma and Icma as well as the denominational maritime groups within these martitime organizations.
Starting this year, my wife and I opened up the agape welcome house , seafarers retreat house in Tagaytay, cavite around 55 kilometers from Manila. To date , 16 seafarers fellowship, 5 labor unions and 17 non governmental groups have used the retreat house. Please pray for the Philippine seafarers organizing Ministry (PSOM) Peace and Grace, Reynaldo and Clarita Lopez