The spiritual challenges to governors and mayors - A POINT OF AWARENESS by Preciosa S. Soliven

It takes three hours from Manila to Subic and 30 minutes from Subic to Sitio Palan, San Marcelino (the town after Castillejos, Ramon Magsaysay’s birthplace), where the Mt. Pinatubo Hidden Temple Shrine is. Sometimes my husband Max and I would take the 30-minute helicopter ride to Subic. From the chopper, I once took pictures of the huge crater of Mt. Pinatubo. The photographs revealed two major messages.

One photograph showed a huge, handsome lion’s head floating over the jagged volcano rocks which Punay Kabayao-Fernandez, our mystic adviser says is the spiritual guardian of the volcano. The other photo manifested several anguished faces floating on the blue waters of the crater, representing the lahar victims who are still waiting for the united prayers of the Filipinos. Punay explained that after sudden death, souls have difficulty accepting that they are "dead." They remain in limbo and refuse to go into the next world. Thus they need our prayers.

Alfredo Lim — a trustworthy and morally upright man

It has been eight years since then. Finally the country is responding by going to the shrine in a united official group. Led by a trustworthy and moral leader – DILG Secretary Alfredo Lim — six governors and 117 mayors of Region III will join the Pilgrimage of the Spiritual Renewal Center at the mystical Mt. Pinatubo Hidden Temple Shrine on Saturday, December 9, 2000. It shall be highlighted by a concelebrated High Mass.

It is the wish of the Holy Ones that this shrine they personally chose and even titled The Mt. Pinatubo Hidden Shrine, should be used as the "altar of the nation." Its holy monuments of the smiling Lord of Love and Redemption and Our Praying Blessed Mother of Mt. Pinatubo, complete with sacred detailed symbols, inspire the faithful to transcend earthly material concerns. Meant to be the ecumenical venue, it uplifts and unites all the hearts and minds of all Filipinos closer to God.

‘That all may be one’ Prayer Pavilion

The program will promptly start at 9:30 a.m. with a welcome address from both the Shrine Honorary Chairperson Maximo V. Soliven and the Shrine President Feliciano G. Salonga followed by remarks from Zambales Governor Vicente Magsaysay. A short message is expected from First Lady Loi Ejercito Estrada, followed by a 20-minute Literacy and Livelihood practical demonstration by the trainors of Dr. Preciosa Soliven.

Before the closing remarks by DILG Secretary Lim, the six governors of Region III — Governors Vicente P. Magsaysay of Zambales, Leonardo B. Roman of Bataan, Tomas N. Joson of Nueva Ecija, Manuel M. Lapid of Pampanga, Jose V. Yap of Tarlac and Josie dela Cruz of Bulacan shall pledge the building of prayer pavilions for their respective provinces on the graded slope of the 60-foot high hill. This is a historical event since it shall initiate a series of Pilgrimages to be done by each region of the Philippines.

The miraculous spring water at Palan shrine

When my oldest grandson Cyrus was only two years old in 1992, he was frequently sick with fever. Even his well-known pediatrician was puzzled why his fever went on for weeks. So, observing the healing of the group of elderly women, the wives of the Palan farmers who used to suffer from either severe arthritis, asthma or tuberculosis, as well as the malnourished Palan children who were prone to infant mortality but suddenly became very healthy, I decided to let Cyrus drink the very same spring water these Palan residents drank. After drinking a glass of the shrine water, Cyrus’ fever stopped. He also finished two large bowls of noodles. I knew he had fully recovered for he was soon running everywhere. From then on he always asked to drink the "sweet-water." This had been tested by the US Naval Base to be safe and potable.

Punay prayed over the spring water source deep in the woods, on the lower level of the hillside. The natural spring continues to quench one’s thirst with its refreshing and sweet tasting water. Since 1992, I have found myself taking gallons of the water down to Manila whenever I could. We would fill up small portable bottles with it. They came handy every time parents of my school personnel got seriously ill or when they suffered from cardio-vascular ailments, kidney or lung diseases and even cancer. Whatever the ailment, I would recommend it as medicine — and it has always worked, by either drinking it like liquid medicine or by wiping it on the troubled part of the body.

Our personnel officer’s father, 72-year old Miguel Andal, had malfunctioning lungs. He was attached to a respirator. His condition never seemed to improve until daily, a few drops of "miracle water" were placed into his dextrose. The hospital nurse also used the same water to wash him. A few weeks after, he recovered. According to his doctor, such a case would have taken six months to a year to heal.

The husband of one of my Pagsasarili teachers, Mrs. Mercedita Esgana used to waste so much time and money drinking with friends, until he was diagnosed to have cirrhosis of the liver. Like I would normally do, I gave Mrs. Esgana a bottle of "miracle water" which she religiously gave her husband. He lived a year longer to sufficiently change his erratic character.

These are only two of the very many testimonies of those who have been healed. Today the miracle spring water still surges from the mountain side. It continues to heal as the pilgrims pour out their child-like faith to God, as inspired by the smiling faces of Our Lord and His Mother in Palan.

The shrine book-magazine that heals

By this time, the Holy Ones requested me to write and print a magazine to record the history and events of the Trinity of Shrines. I did this right away. It was first published in black and white. Through interlocution of Punay, the Blessed Mother specified that the book-magazine must be printed in full color. For two weeks it was to remain in the Prayer Room of the OB Montessori Greenhills so they could have "healing-power." I heeded all the requests. Now the glossy shrine book-magazine doubles as a prayer book when the "miracle-water" of Palan is used by any sick or ailing person. However, to be able to reprint more copies in full color, I would request voluntary donations from the family of the sick.

The father of my kumare, Marinella Katigbak-Fabella was very sickly. In fact he was already in the hospital for quite some time. Learning about this, I told Marinella to let her father drink the "miracle-water" regularly and to use the "healing" shrine book-magazine for prayers. I was told that it may have not completely made patients recover, but it would surely revive their spiritual energy, to get them closer to God and have a peaceful passage to the life-after. Marinella’s father received this inner peace and his body pains readily disappeared before he passed away.

As far as Saarbrucken, Germany, the healing power of the Mt. Pinatubo Shrine helped Paul Shaeffer’s father who was suffering from cancer. After I left him the healing shrine book-magazine, he suddenly lost his discomforts and restlessness. Eventually, spiritually at peace, he passed away in the company of the family.

How one shrine crystal powered Subic

In 1992, some 90 hectares, as drawn by a DENR reforestation technician, were spiritually seeded with seven magic crystals delineating the intended boundaries of the shrine’s sacred lands. Only one of seven mystical giant crystals, which are imbedded around the nine-hectare shrine has been energized — that of Subic Bay. It powered the surrounding area of Subic Bay including the Phil. Shipyard Co. managed by Capt. Feliciano Salonga. It went bankrupt and was about to close until the Mr. Pinatubo Hidden Temple Shrine began. Fil was among the first to believe strongly in the messages of Our Lord and His Blessed Mother. He encouraged his office personnel and shipyard workers to develop their habits of praying to Our Lord with the intercession of His Mother. To his amazement, Fil began receiving contracts one after the other from Japan. These contracts even enabled most of his workers to travel to Japan for training. Childless couples of his officials began having babies.

But the biggest bonanza went to the former US Naval Base of Subic. Former mayor of Olongapo City, Dick Gordon was having difficulty assuming the chairmanship of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. Kate Gordon then asked me to accompany her to the special congressional session held at the Manila Hotel. About 2000 Filipino workers lined up in front of the hotel. As they surged towards Kate and myself, I reminded them that only prayers directed to the Mt. Pinatubo Hidden Temple Shrine can help. After midnight, around 1 a.m., the session concluded, awarding the chairmanship of SBMA to Richard Gordon.

When we left the hotel, the same workers met me joyously. All chorused, "Ma’m, we did not know how to pray, but we prayed. You are right. Our Lord never turns us down. We thank Him very much."

Tong Payumo’s report on the continuing economic program of SBMA

Today SBMA Chairman Tong Payumo says, "It’s business as usual in Subic and business is definitely doing well here." It is reported that SBMA export contributions increased by 13.25 percent and have already breached the US$1 billion mark as of October. The Department of Trade and Industry places Subic Freeport as the third largest export revenue earner in the country.

By far the biggest investor that has come to the Freeport, Sankyo Seiki Manufacturing Limited, has committed a total investment of US$100 million and it will create 3,500 jobs for the Filipinos.

Payumo adds, "Subic has two faces — the Industrial Subic, and the Natural Subic which this endeavor is a part of." Thus a Bio Theme Park is in construction at the Kamayan wharf.

The Lord’s requisition: A 90-hectare shrine

After the 1992 autumn UNESCO conference in Paris, I was determined to visit the two miraculous shrines of Beauring and Vaneau in Belgium, which could serve as our model for the Mt. Pinatubo Hidden Temple Shrine. Both apparition sites and shrines covered 90 to 100 hectares, exactly what Our Lord mystically specified to Punay for the Mt. Pinatubo Shrine.

The Holy Ones have asked for these lands to be consecrated territory devoted only to a commercial uninhabited forest and farm from which nearby residents can obtain livelihood, while visiting pilgrims can find peaceful contemplation. There are two aspects of the shrine mission as often explained by the Mt. Pinatubo Hidden Temple Shrine and Community Foundation president Feliciano Salonga. The spiritual aspect is primarily developing a place for spiritual enrichment for people who wish to energize their spirituality. The temporal aspect comprises of practical projects to upgrade the economic status of people, mainly uphill and hillside farmers, in the area where the shrine is located.

The frustration of organizing the Thai self-sufficient farm

DENR Secretary Alcala and the DENR Regional Director Ric Serrano were requested to have our Mt. Pinatubo Hidden Temple Shrine Foundation develop the 90 hectares where the sacred shrine sits, into a Self-Sufficiency Farm modeled after the project of His majesty King Bumiphol Aduljadeh of Thailand. But without President Fidel V. Ramos declaring the site as a national shrine, the farmers, confused by local politics, tend to block our management.

Thailand’s Royal Project Director, Professor "Noi" Charupant shared this documented course of forestry, vegetable, ornamental fish and poultry program with us. Our OB Montessori school in Las Piñas was to use it simultaneously. Professor Noi is also a popular Environmental newspaper columnist and a lecturer in agri-consciousness. He enthusiastically began to lecture with his huge collection of colored slides. Then I realized that the target audience was missing. Only Director Serrano sat with us and our Shrine president, an agri-enthusiast himself Capt. Fil Salonga. I kept asking Mr. Serrano where his eight DENR officials of the region went. He simply said, "They prefer to have coffee."

If government officials do not undergo this spiritual "inner transformation" we should not be surprised if we lag behind in the economic racetrack of Southeast Asia.

Inner transformation: The Literacy School of Unats and Kulots

There are two groups of residents on the mountain range where Mt. Pinatubo lies. They are the unats (straight hair) and the kulots (curly hair) referring to the regular Filipino rice farmers and the Aeta tribesmen. NGOs and missionaries who provided them lahar recovery programs usually found them wanting in literacy.

Weekly visits I made with Punay and my school staff between 1992 and 1994 included giving them the Pagsasarili Mothercraft Literacy Course. Most of the families were young, with infants and pre-schoolers, headed by elderly brothers Mang Amin and Piding. Today the children are teenagers.

Both unat and kulot mothers and their children welcome the practical lessons of Personal Grooming and Hygiene, systematic Child Care, and Housekeeping, Cooking and Nutrition made use of the leafy vegetables, upo, patola, climbers and squashes which grow easily. Again due to lack of cooperation and constant bickering of the unats with the kulots, our Pagsasarili Literacy school never developed.

Six crystals can be activated by DILG

If Our Lord’s challenge for inner transformation is spearheaded by governors down to the mayors, our unity will be reinforced. Therefore, the prayers in the powerful Mt. Pinatubo Hidden Temple Shrine can ignite spirituality of the DILG. This will then lead to the powering and energizing of the six mystical crystals which are the gifts to our country from the Almighty God.

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