[Episcopal Church Office of Global Partnerships, Manila By Winfred Vergara] The Asia-America Theological Exchange Forum was held Feb. 3-6 at Trinity University of Asia in Quezon City, Philippines, with some 80 delegates from seminaries and churches discussing the future of theological education and Asian contextualization of theology in the 21st century.
[Ecumenical News International by Maurice Malanes] Faith groups are responding as survivors of massive flooding in Manila and surrounding regions in the Philippines seek to rebuild their lives.
Dr Rommel F. Linatoc reflected on the issues of water and sanitation from an ecumenical perspective in the Philippines at the Global Forum of the Ecumenical Water Network (EWN) of the World Council of Churches titled "Like a tree planted by the water", which took place from 25-27 November in Nairobi, Kenya.
From Ms. Francisca C. Bawayan, the Episcopal Diocese of Central Philippines
In Manila, the 100th year celebration of International Women's Day was marked by protest actions by some 1,500 women activists. Their demand was for our Philippine Congress to pass a comprehensive reproductive health bill and to urge the government to address the rising prices of basic commodities and public transportation.
Church leaders are coming under attack in the Philippines.A lay minister of the Philippine Independent Church (PIC) was shot dead by motorbike-riding assassins while walking home from church.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has spoken of his shock at the murder of the former Prime Bishop (Primate) of the Philippine Independent Church, a church in Full Communion with churches in the Anglican Communion. The Most Revd Alberto Ramento of Tarlac was found stabbed to death in his rectory on 3 October.
'I learned with great shock and sadness of the murder of Bishop Alberto Ramento. His family and friends and the church that he served with great faithfulness and courage are very much in my thoughts and prayers.'
Dr Williams has sent his condolences.
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The Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion (CUAC) and the Association of Episcopal Colleges have announced the change in status of Trinity College of Quezon City, Philippines, to Trinity University of Asia (TUA).
Trinity's five-year mission to become a university was officially accomplished on July 18 when the Commission on Higher Education granted the change. The September 18 investiture of Dr. Josephina Suerte Sumaya, as the university's first president, at the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. John inaugurated the occasion.
The Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP) has announced that one of its churches - St. Peter's in Sabangan, Mountain Province - has been demolished in order to enable a government-coordinated project of constructing an open-air gymnasium, despite a civil court case declaring the Diocese of Northern Philippines as the rightful owner of the property.
They had literally groped in the dark for ages. But for the past three years, more than a thousand upland folk in a remote village in northern Philippines have felt blessed because they are finally seeing the light of fluorescent bulbs.
