Fr. Donald Dimaandal, Vicar Forane of Vicariate VIII receives the PPCRV / COMELEC / BCBP election-advocacy materials from PSD Rolly Alibuyog of the BCBP – Batangas City Chapter.

The BCBP – Batangas City Chapter in fulfillment of the BCBP’s pro-active role in the promotion of Clean, Honest, Accurate, Meaningful and Peaceful (CHAMP) election and in coordination with the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and the COMELEC distributed information materials and flyers for the joint advocacy for Halalan 2010 on March 7. The materials, in the form of a CD which contains the Sambayanang Panalangin at Gabay sa Tamang Pagboto Para sa Halalan 2010 and tarpaulins bearing the message BUMOTO NG TAPAT BUMOTO NG NARARAPAT together with an instruction letter from the PPRCV to the supervising priests were passed on to the Vicar Foraynes of the areas assigned to the BCBP- Batangas City Chapter. The prayer is supposed to be raised until the elections at the end of each mass. The voters’ educational materials and the tarpaulins are to be posted within the church grounds for parishioners’ guidance.

On hand to receive the materials, which were personally delivered by local BCBP leaders, were the Vicar Foraynes of the different vicariates:
Msgr. Rafael Oriondo of Vicariate I (Parishes at Balayan, Nasugbu, Lian, Calaca, Tuy and Calatagan), Fr. Gamelin Balita of Vicariate II (Parishes of Alitagtag, Subic-Agoncillo, Cuenca, San Luis, San Nicolas, Lemery, Labac-Taal, Taal and Sta. Teresita), Fr. Mateo Orario of Vicariate VII (Parishes of Bauan, Aplaya-Bauan, Tingloy, San Pascual, Mabini, Bayanan – San Pascual and Bolo – Bauan), and Fr. Donald Dimaandal of Vicariate VIII (Parishes of Batangas City, San Isidro, Kumintang, Lobo, Ilijan, Isla Verde, Sta. Rita and Pallocan West).

In the case of the Parish of the Immaculate Conception at Batangas City, the materials were handed to Fr. Arce in a meeting at the Basilica on March 3 where Fr. Mendoza under the guidance of Fr. Arce presided over a meeting among the BCBP – Batangas City Chapter, the Parish Pastoral Council, the Parish of the Immaculate Conception, the Daughters of the Immaculate Conception, the CCD, the Parish Youth and the Knights of Columbus for the purpose of ensuring a peaceful election that goes with the will of the people.

BCBP Batangas City Chapter representatives headed by Chapter Head Manny Rosales, Fr. Arce and Fr. Mendoza of the Parish of the Immaculate Conception in Batangas City, representatives of the Parish Pastoral Council, Knights of Columbus, Daughters of the Immaculate Conception, the CCD, Parish of the Immaculate Conception and the Parish Youth pose for a picture at the meeting where the responsibilities for the mandate for CHAMP in Halalan 2010 were laid out. It was also at this meeting that the materials for the PPCRV, COMELEC and BCBP advocacy for clean and honest elections were passed on to Fr. Arce for use at the the Basilica.

This article “A Ray of Hope for a Better Future” was submitted by Rolly Alibuyog, BCBP Batangas