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PEACE Project Medical Mission
(April 21, 2007)
A medical mission was organized by Christ, the Living Stone Fellowship-Davao in Seaside , Barangay Bago
Aplaya April 21. Dr. Samuel Evans, an American missionary doctor with his team joined us for this endeavor.
The outreach was part of the PEACE project (Peoples Emergency Action Concerning the Environment), a church
based effort to address environmental issues affecting coastal and mountain environments. Tribal Mission
Foundation International and the 804th Chaplain Division of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary are main
proponents for the project. CLSF took this opportunity to reach out to the fisher folks who are living
close by. The open door came last year when tidal waves hit the coastal villages of Davao in October.
More than 70 houses were destroyed in Bago Aplaya and another neighboring village. CLSF, Sagip-Bansa and
other Christian organizations sent food relief immediately distributed to those affected by the disaster.
Some 150 patients were treated during the one day clinic.
The work is giving the church a rapport to the people by its sincerity to provide aid. Nong Boy, the
leader in the village was grateful. He has opened up and told me their problems. “We no longer trust people
in government agencies,” he revealed criticizing particularly corrupt officials from the Department of
Fisheries and the Philippine Coast Guard. Nong Boy and other fishermen complain the lost of their fishing
ground to commercial fishing boats in the Davao Gulf . The law restricts commercial fishing inside the 15
kilometer distance from coastal towns. This aims to safeguard breeding grounds of fish and as well as protect
the livelihood of small fisherman. By bribing officials, the trawlers gain access to restricted areas in
the gulf. “We are disgruntled,” admits Lucio who relied on fishing to provide food and schooling for
his kids. “We wish we have guns to shoot these commercial boats. It was better when we had the NPA rebels
around. They will listen to our complaining and do something about it immediately.”
Hearing Nong Boy’s resentment, I was concerned and challenge. We are engrossed in teaching the children
to keep their environment safe and clean at the same time teach them the Bible. I then realized that people
who are hungry care less for their environment. The coral reefs along the coasts have been destroyed by the
people in constant hunt for food. A mangrove area where fish breeds has been swath to give way to houses
destroyed by the recent flooding. We seemed to be fighting a losing battle. But maybe we could win- should
the church could do more. By helping provide justice to this poor community and maybe give them other
alternatives. Maybe then - real PEACE can be finally brokered.
Thank you very much for all your help and support.
Kuya Pio and Ate Soni (Arce)
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