“What will ‘development’ be when people are blinded by the glare of
the arrogant lights of profit and the mantra of globalization and
millions are pushed into further misery?”
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — As the church calendar enters the season of Advent, church
workers vow to push for better and just living conditions for poor
dwellers not only in Metro Manila but the entire country. They likened
poor dwellers to Mary and Joseph, who, when Mary was pregnant with
Jesus, knocked from one door to another only to be offered a stable to
give birth.
“In the spirit of Advent and Christmas season, God has inserted
himself to experience the life and struggle of the urban poor people.
And we could not do anything better than what he did,” Fr. Joe Dizon of
the National Clergy Discernment Group said during the two-day Church
people – Urban poor Solidarity Conference held at Adamson University.
The two-day conference paved the way for Church people and urban poor
groups and its local leaders to discuss important topics that affect
the lives of poor dwellers such as joblessness and wages, inaccessible
social services, violent demolitions, relocations of urban poor dwellers
to far-flung areas and militarization of communities resisting
demolition.
Bishop Pabillo says helping the poor is deeply rooted in the scriptures and Church doctrines(Photo by Janess Ann J. Ellao / bulatlat.com)
In his welcome remarks, Fr. Gregorio Banaga Jr. CM, president of
Adamson University, said the plight of the urban poor is hardly felt by
others even if they are very much part of the daily urban life. He added
that due to busy schedules, there is almost no opportunity to get to
know the urban poor unless there is demolition or fire.
“Special preference is given to to the poor because they are the most
who are in need,” Most Rev. Broderick Pabillo DD, Auxiliary Bishop of
Manila, said, “It is the way of Jesus Christ. He, too, was poor and he
chose to serve the poor and his followers were also from the ranks of
the poor.”
Yet, Pabillo said, the attitude of most people toward the poor is
either disdain, indifference, patronizing or using the poor for their
own benefit. He added that what the church people must have is “genuine
love and concern for the poor.”
No homes, no livelihood
In a dialogue, urban poor groups were given an opportunity to share
what they have been going through under the government’s slogan of
“development.”
“Many workers hardly earn the minimum wage.” Allan Garcia, a member
of Anakpawis, said in the conference. He said that in the name of
development and resolving the heavy flow of traffic, the Metro Manila
Development Authority has put the blame on street vendors who are merely
trying to earn a living.
Authorities, Garcia said, would pour gasoline on the wares of the
vendors — who, when they get home, would be confronted with threats of
demolition.....
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Source: Bulatlat.com
URL:
http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/12/04/church-urban-poor-call-on-government-to-prioritize-concerns-of-the-poor/
