God's little corner in Cantabaco

CEBU, Philippines - In the beautiful rolling hills of Barangay Cantabaco in Toledo City is a little corner of God that time seems to have almost forgotten.

That little corner of God consists of a parcel of land, just under one hectare, where sits an unfinished structure struggling to become a full church. That struggle is now almost a decade old, but more than just prayers, it needs a little push to gain the momentum in needs to break free and become a cherished dream realized.

The dream began eight years ago, or more precisely on November 11, 2003 when the couple Servillano and Josephine Mapeso donated a piece of land in Cantabaco to the Archdiocese of Cebu.

Conscious of their civic and religious duties, Nonnie and Jo carved out a 9,826 square meter parcel of land from the Springpark Mountain Resort they own and gave it to the Church.

Then Cebu archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal received the donation for the archdiocese, on the understanding that a church to Blessed Pedro Calungsod will rise on the site.

Not content with just donating the land, and eager to see the church rise as soon as possible, Nonnie, an architect, also donated his services by drawing up the building plan.

But like a seed deprived of sunlight on the forest floor, nothing rose from the plain earth at the site, and the plan stayed the way it was — a piece of paper.

So Nonnie and Jo decided to shake things up a bit by donating the initial materials themselves. They provided cement, steel bars, wood, as well as paid for the manpower.

But the kind-hearted couple can only do so much, especially for a plan as big as building a church. So work on the church was touch and go, depending on what the couple can spare. Of course there were donations here and there, mostly from well-meaning residents both from within the community, as well as outside.

The Mapeso couple’s own children, most of whom are in Canada, pitched in to help their parents almost single-handedly build the church. Fund-raisers were also a big help, especially from the Quota Club International of Metro Cebu, which Jo used to head and continues to be an active member of.

Yet, all of these private efforts are just no match for the voracious needs of an edifice as big as a church. More need to be done. But the resources are simply not coming fast enough.

Yet the parish of Blessed Pedro Calungsod grew with their church, from a handful to what is now several hundred, held together, like their church, on the sheer strength of faith. 

In the rolling hills of Cantabaco sits a little corner of God that, while still far from the beauty with which it was envisioned, is nevertheless already made beautiful by sacrifice.

Time may have forgotten God’s little corner in Cantabaco, but not Nonnie and Jo who built it with mind, heart and sinew, and well-meaning friends and relations who kept the faith too.  (FREEMAN)