THE VIEW FROM RIZAL
Dr. Jun Ynares
We join the brethren of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) and the many admirers of its executive minister, Brother Eduardo “Ka Eduardo” V. Manalo in greeting him and wishing him well on the occasion of his 67th birthday this coming Oct. 31st.
Ka Eduardo occupies a special place in the hearts of Rizaleños. This is because we feel that his grandfather – the illustrious founder of the INC, Felix Y. Manalo – is one way or the other, a true “Rizaleño.” Ka Felix was born in Tipas, Taguig which, until the mid-1970s, was part of the province of Rizal.
In previous columns, we said we imagined the INC’s first executive minister as a child, walking along the shoreline of Taguig that is kissed by the waters of Laguna de Bay – the same waters that have inspired the thoughts and dreams of great Filipinos born in the lakeshore towns of Rizal and Laguna, the national hero Dr. Jose Rizal included.
There are many other reasons why Rizaleños have a special affection for the flock that Ka Eduardo leads. Long before the words “corporate citizenship” and “social responsibility” became buzzwords, the brethren of the INC had already been extending help to the underprivileged and to victims of disasters and natural calamities. Many communities of Rizal province have been beneficiaries of this expression of compassion by the INC.
The outreach program used to be called “Lingap sa Mamamayan” or “Aid to Humanity.”
We were told that Ka Eduardo had the program’s name changed to “Care for Humanity” or “Lingap sa Sangkatauhan.” To Ka Eduardo, the program is part of the obedience to God’s command as it is written in the bible – love and compassion for one’s fellowmen.
Under this program, members of the INC distribute bags containing food, medicine, clothing and other essentials to very poor communities. They help people in these communities set up means of livelihood, such as eco-farming. The recipients include non-members which make the program truly universal in its application of the biblical teachings of love and care for others.
Today, under Ka Eduardo’s leadership, the Care for Humanity program has gone beyond the shores of the Philippines. Underprivileged families in Africa, the United States of America, India, among others, are now enjoying the benefits of the INC outreach program.
It is not surprising that the program should now benefit people in other countries. After all, under Ka Eduardo’s watch, the INC has expanded its presence significantly.
According to our friends in the INC, the Church is now present in about 160 countries.
We used to wonder how Ka Eduardo could bring his presence to the members of the INC in all of those countries.
Then, we remembered that Ka Eduardo is a person people today would call a “techie” – someone who is savvy with the use of modern technology.
Unknown to many non-members, the current INC executive minister is known as a leading figure in the information and technology community. In the early years of the internet’s growth, he was already recognized by the magazine Computerworld Philippines as being part of a “group of pioneers that brought the Philippines into the internet age.”
That and other recognition received by Ka Eduardo in this field must have been the fruit of his initiatives at tapping the power of the cyberworld to propagate the message and the work began by his grandfather.
According to internet sources, Ka Eduardo “founded the Society of Communicators and Networkers (SCAN) for INC members with a common interest in radio communication to help and assist the community during emergencies.”
“He also began and maintained a popular Bulletin Board System (BBS) and further developed his programming skills. He organized the Data and Network Management (DNM) office, which oversaw the computerization of the entire INC Central Office. He sponsored Internet seminars for ministers in various ecclesiastical districts of the church,” the internet sources say.
“He contributed to the founding of an organization within the INC called The Association of Christians in Information Technology, an organization consisting of INC members who perform computer-related assistance to the church. This organization was renamed and became the Association of Computer Technologists and Information Volunteers (ACTIV) in 2012,” internet sources add.
It is through the INC’s well-designed internet and social media presence that the rest of the country becomes aware of its rapid global expansion.
While his grandfather and father were powerful preachers at the physical platform, Ka Eduardo expanded the impact of that charism to include the preaching of God’s word using modern digital tools. He is said to conduct his meetings using online applications and teleconferencing where his presence is just as powerful as if it were at a face-to-face meeting in a conference room at the INC’s central office in Quezon City.
We take this opportunity to thank Ka Eduardo and the members of the INC for their continuing expression of compassion to underprivileged communities through the Church’s outreach programs.
We wish Ka Eduardo all the best on his birthday and always.
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