Continuing the Nightingale Legacy: BOC Serenades Patients, Doctors and Nurses of PNP CHS

 Lo! in that house of misery

A lady with a lamp I see

Pass through the glimmering gloom,

And flit from room to room.

                        -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow   (on Florence Nightingale)

During the Crimean war, Florence Nightingale gained the nickname "The Lady with the Lamp" from a phrase in a report in The Times Magazine: She is a ‘ministering angel’ without any exaggeration in these hospitals, and as her slender form glides quietly along each corridor, every poor fellow's face softens with gratitude at the sight of her. When all the medical officers have retired for the night and silence and darkness have settled down upon those miles of prostrate sick, she may be observed alone, with a little lamp in her hand, making her solitary rounds.

Last March 21, 2013, a young band named Praise and Rhythm, learned what it means to be a ministering angel and live out the Nightingale tradition to those who are sick, wounded and plagued with infirmities.

“Their voices had soothed a lot of pains and had alleviated sickness if only for awhile…” a teary eyed PCSUPT Maria Angela Vidal who although also suffering from the discomfort of multiple slipped disks has been blessed by splendid songs the message of love from the band.

The band composed of sisters: Arielle  and  Andrea Manuel (Kuya Boi’s daughters), Vencer dela Pena, Jason Despojo and Paul Monteagudo was tapped by the BOC Movement to sing and encourage the spirit of the PNP personnel of the PNP General Hospital. Although dealing with some equipment problem and a last minute change of venue which frustratingly took them from the auditorium to the surgical ward of the PNP, the band soldiered on and became an inspiration to sick policemen and their dependents.

A hearty mix of contemporary Christian music and radio friendly love songs wooed the crowd and gave them hope and encouragement in their dire conditions. Some songs where about Christ’s love towards man, some of man sins, some of our need of salvation and some of God’s enduring love which calls us to be save.

The concert had a bonus too, as both PCSUPT Angela Vidal and Sis Lorna Sevilla of the Thursday Breakfast Club shared God’s Word and encouragement to the sick. Gen. Vidal shared her life on how God has been kind to her and has kept her spirits despite of her current injuries. Sis Lorna shared the Word of God and His message of salvation to the down-trodden. She also led the crowd to a prayer to accept the Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

At the end of concert, those who performed where equally blessed from the crowd that received the blessing of songs.

BOC Quezon: Police Ministry Has A New Champion

Newly installed Quezon Provincial Director PSSUPT Dionardo B. Carlos is a blessing not only to his home province of Quezon, an inspiration to the untiring police of the provinces but also an answered prayer to the police ministers of Quezon province who has a champion and an ally of spreading the gospel to the precincts and stations of the province.

A long-time ally and close associate of the CORPS Movement, Col. Carlos was designated as the Provincial  Director of Quezon after ill-fortunate Atimonan case wherein a score of soldiers and policemen were sacked and charged with murder. Although the incident was a dark and unfortunate one for the PNP, it proved to be a blessing in disguise as the former Metrobank Cops Awardee has now a chance to serve his beloved province.

The ministers and Christian police officers led by PCINSP Elman Sillador was delighted to learn that PSSUPT was a Christian and hurriedly rallied to the programs of the new Provincial Director.

Last March 16, 2013, the members of the BOC Movement led by PSUPT Bernie Banac, Bro Jerry Ong of the Bread of Life Ministry, Bro. Boi Manuel, Bro Jojo Dellosa and Ptr. Dan Afuang met with the new Provincial Director and the police ministry of Quezon extend the Movement’s support to his leadership as well as the group’s support to the pastors of Quezon.

This was warmly welcomed by the new PD as he also thanked the pastors of the province for their untiring love for the lost and their unwavering support to the PNP. He encouraged them to always pray for him and his men and to continue what they are doing in the precincts and stations of the whole Quezon province.

The BOC movement also took in requests and helped pastors assessed the current situation in their province. They were also given new insights on how to build more lasting relationship with the police and how to effectively minister to the police stations. Those who were encouraged by the visit includes Ptr. Willy Tan, Ptr. Roel Pia, Ptr Warlito Delmo, Ptr. Dante Narzabal, Ptr. Renato Talabong, Ptr. Lemuel Tamon, Ptr Ramel Porto, Ptr. Ramon Maralit, Ptr. Julio Santiago, Ptr. Hermie Escobido, Ptr. Randy Formento, Ptr. Romulo Mengge, Ptr. Manuel Maranca, Ptr. Jim Gloria and Sis  Hilda Atienza.

The day ended with prayers for the sustenance of the new PD and the spread of the gospel in the province.

CCF Alumni Reunites for Pizza

 

Cowabunga Dude!

It seems that former CCF cadets –and Pastor Raymond Go too- has a thing for the Teenage Mutant Turtles: Those four renaissance named amphibian who has a deep loathing for evil and a penchant for Italian cooking. This fact was quite evident when the CCF members and former CCFers devoured boxes after boxes of pizza with “kung fu” like agility and marital precision.

Kidding aside, though they really did polish off pepperoni crusted dough one after another, brothers and sisters of the CCF had a grand time meeting one after another last March 15, 2013: sharing life lessons and experiences to each other, joking around to see who among them gained more weight, making fun of the pictures hanging in the CCF hall of graduating cadets when they were still plebes; and reliving unforgettable and forgettable experiences that they had as former members of the CCF.

The event which was dubbed as the CCF Pizza Fellowship was a way to reunite and rekindle old camaraderie of members of the CCF over a box of pizza. Former cadets were asked how they are doing in the field and were refreshed by old Christian ideals they may have missed as police officers. They were honestly also assessed on how they are faring with their Christian walk and where taught how to gather and lead men to Christ in their respective area of influence.

 

The alumni were also given a chance to speak in front of graduating cadets to encourage them to still walk by faith after they have graduated and to be strong in the temptations that they will face. Leading them is former CCF Cadet in Charge of Class 2007 John Rellan who gave them some encouragement and talked of how God has been his saving grace in the Province of Batangas.   Jail Inspector April Joy Bueco of Class 2012 also shared her fresh experience from the field of how God had guided her young career at the BJMP.

As the alumni get together and chat with each other, the graduating cadets of the PNPA Tagapamagitan class of 2013 was greeted by their foster parents from the Capitol City Baptist church led by Ptr. Mike Miguel who gave the batch an open heart, great gusto and more food. The soon-to-be officers of the PNPA talked to their foster parents on how to create strong partnership between the community and the Chruch. They also invited over the future graduates to their homes to meet their families before they report to their respective offices.

The BOC Movement represented by Jojo Dellosa and Joshua Fellowship of GCF by Danao Afuang,  gathered the alumni to consolidate and gather information on “MIA” Christian officers from the different batches of the CCF to help them find journey partners among the churches of the BOC Movement.

Finally, after hours of fellowship they said their adieus and promised a return for next year’s COWANBUNGA pizza experience.

BOC Mindanao: Bringing Together and Bridging Christians in Cotabato, Maguindanao and Davao

For more than a century Mindanao has been a constant opening assignment for anyone who choose a career in the military or the police. Just ask our newly graduated cadets of 2012 who has been scattered all through-out Mindanao.

In an effort to seek out PNPA brothers and sisters in Christ as well as rallying the churches of Davao and Cotabato regions towards the police ministry, the Bless Our Cops team has once again journeyed to Mindanao last February 21 to 23 with fervor for the lost and commitment to the great commission.

The team composed of PSUPT Bernie Banac, Bro. Boi Manuel, Bro. Dan Afuang and Bro. Jeremy Dellosa touchdowned in Cotabato City wherein they were lead by a team of police ministers led by Ptr. Ralph Esteban who have warmly received the vision of blessing cops and leading them to the Lord. They have committed to be part of the nationwide network wherein they will be empowered and educated to do ministry works for the AFP and the PNP.

They then proceeded to the picturesque Camp Salipada Pendatun in Parang, Maguindanao where they were warmly received by PCSUPT Noel De Los Reyes who is the Regional Director of the ARMM region. They connected Gen. De Los Reyes to Ptr. Pejato who is a local police minister in the area who has agreed to support the Police Community Relations work of the region. The team shared to the general the vision of the BOC wherein churches could become partners in propagating peace and order to the community.

 
During their stay they have meet with 2012 MBK brothers and sisters: PINSP MK Manguiob, PINSP Christine Camacho, PINSP Dhang Manuel and PINSP Exodos Rodriguez. They spent a night of encouraging and uplifting the spirits of the young officers who have spent almost a year of isolation from families and their friends. The group counseled them on topics such as marriage, service life and personal issues about Christianity and faith.

The following day, they were on the road braving floods and occasional downpours. They visited first the hometown of PSUPT Bernie Banac in Maquilala, North Cotabato before joining PSINSP Gus Ferrer in Bansalan. The Banac family welcomed the team in their home which has expanded through the years as a church and then a school. Doc. Ferrer who was assigned in General Santos joined the team and reported God’s goodness to him and his office in General Santos city.

That night they meet with PSSUPT Resti Gatera. Ptr. Ed Santos, Ptr Noel Milloren and the rest of the MASCOM team: the BOC partner in the police ministry in Davao. They discussed plans for next year’s BOC conference as well as a possible midyear meet in Mindanao. They also gave reports to each other on what is the policy ministry direction in the region as well as in the National Capital Region. They also discussed empowerment to police ministers and support.

The next morning, the team was able to visit Davao City Police Office where they were entertained by the regional PSPG group PCI Renato Sun, the CIDG group lead by PSS Albert Ferros and Davao City Police Office PSS Ronald Dela Rosa. Together with Ptr. Noel Milloren who was the city police pastor of the group. They were able to pray for the men and women of PNP Davao.

The BOC team left that same afternoon, hopeful and glad of the strong partnership that the team has with partners in the region.

Foster Parenting Anyone?

During plebehood, cadets will traverse the most difficult of times. Military training will render them inadequate and will cleanse them of the privileges and frivolities of civilian life. Being alone and far from their families, they will often seek comfort usually through prayers and embedded ideals that will motivate them to survive the hardship of training. Even more fortunate are those who have someone to journey with them in these grueling tests of their young career as police and soldiers.

Out of these dire circumstances, both the PMA and PNPA resolved to challenge their community to be a “parent” to these younglings. Both academies knew the importance of mentoring and knew how it could nurture and foster the family values of among the cadets although far-away from their real kins. Thus the “Foster Parent” program was formed.

In retrospect, the “foster parent” program or at least the collective experience by former cadets who firsthand experienced the love and care of foster parents was the impetus for the CORPS Movement to launch its two main program “Bless Our Cops” and “My Brother’s Keeper”. 

In Bless Our Cops, the church is given an opportunity to journey and have a deep relationship with the officers and men in their locales. They will care like parents to the sometimes unruly police with a non-discriminating heart yet with strict fatherly admonition.

The My Brother’s Keeper program was also patterned in the same way as the foster parent program. Only this time an upperclassman (often graduates) will guide a young cadet. In this accountability and mentoring program the senior will guide the junior. Alike the foster parent program, the upperclassmen are challenged to nurture and take care of their younglings.

The likeness of the two programs to the foster parent program was firsthand witnessed by members of the BOC Movement in a recent trip to Baguio.

When PSUPT Dionicio “Jun” Borromeo   was a young striving cadet, he was often plagued with bouts of homesickness. Luckily for him there was Nanay Charing De Guzman who took him and cared for him as though he was his own son. They were also in prayers when Bro. Jun meet his most difficult time of his life. God blessed the De Guzman family for their kindness: two of their children married PMAers and have two of their grandchildren became cadets themselves in the PMA and the PNPA. They again meet and reunited during the recent PMA Alumni Homecoming.

Bro Jun also reunited with his foster sons and daughters (Cadet 1Cl Siawen, and Cadet 2Cl Factor and Ramas) who were also studying at the PMA. He prayed for them and advised on life, the service and how should Christian maintain a lifestyle that emulate Christ. He also treated them for lunch and gave them some few gifts for their schooling.

The team also witnessed how Ptr. Vio Muncada has adopted their local Police in the same love and care as parenting. Ptr. Muncada who is the BOC coordinator for Baguio has longtime adopted the City Tourist Police which is situated atop the Burnham Park . PINSP Vio Hidalgo, the tourist police commander, has been a recipient of the Ptr. Vio’s church blessing which include a free rice from time to time. Ptr. Vio on the otherhand is given a cup of free Kalinga coffee in return.

The PMACF too under Ptr. Erwin and Sis Amelie Luga is also encouraging former PMACFers to adopt younger cadets as part of their Brother’s Keeper program and prodded former members of the fellowship to start breakfast fellowships in their own assignments under the supervision of the MilMin of Col. Mike Morales.

All of these efforts are just by-product of a program that invoked us to be good parents to all obeying Christ’s command to love one another as He has loved us.