Unknown soldiers

The foreign delegates to the Fourth World Meeting of Families – which took place in Manila from January 22 through January 26, 2003 – went home happy, grateful, and breathless with wonder.

For almost a year the whole world expected John Paul II to come here. In October it was announced that his doctors believed that the long trip from winter in Rome to the tropical Philippines would be too much for him. And then nation after nation branded the Philippines as terrorist territory. Both of these events were devastating. They decimated our foreign attendance. They drained the enthusiasm of many hearts in the Philippines. The Filipinos love John Paul. And he was the main attraction.

But the preparations went on, day after day. A whole army of people working carefully, with painstaking attention to detail. During the last reception on January 26, 2003 – the last day of the World Meeting – His Eminence Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, the Papal Legate, thanked all of these people, who were unknown soldiers, working in the shadows, working with love, working for God.

I could not possibly name them all but I do know those who were working in media. Some people were complaining: "But there is no publicity for this Fourth World Meeting of Families!" This was the finest tribute they could pay to us, because our publicity was all over the country, all over the world. People were absorbing it, without knowing that it was publicity!

• Father Lito Jopson, of the Media Ministry in the Archdiocese of Manila, was working on press.

• Father Francis Lucas was working with the Catholic Media Network – the 48 Catholic radio stations of the Philippine Federation of Catholic Broadcasters, and our five small television channels.

• Henry Reveche, Rose Coni, Lori de los Reyes, Charry Mantala and Roger Dacanay were accrediting 500 media men and women, at the International Press Center, in Malacañang.

• Gennie Jota and Beda Orquejo were getting ten hours a week on television, through the programs of the Family Rosary Crusade – carefully planned, beautifully produced. Beda Orquejo, sleeping in the studio, night after night.

• Sister Carmela Braganza, of the Daughters of Saint Paul, recording on audio cassettes every promotional event that took place from January 7, 2002 until January 26, 2003. Including every word that was spoken during the Fourth World Meeting.

• Norma Jean Viehland carrying us all over Asia and the United States, through the Union of Catholic Asian News.

• Edwin Lopez and Raffy Ortega carrying us to all the world on the cable TV of the Eternal World Television Network.

• Remy Dillena of Radio Veritas covering every event – even the all-night Festival of Youth in August – and broadcasting it nationwide, and in seventeen languages to the whole of Asia.

• Cynthia Ballat, the editor of Saranggola and Smart Mom, featuring the family in countless magazines.

• Jesselyn de la Cruz giving us headlines in every issue of the Monitor, the bulletin of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

• The Apostolate for Family Consecration, carrying the World Meeting of Families every hour on the hour, over their own channel on Cable television.

• Virgie Galdo Diaz and Cherry Castro Aquino calling meeting after meeting, of the whole Media Committee, in the National Office of Mass Media.

And when we came to the actual World Meeting, the venue was changed from the World Trade to the Philippine International Convention Center. The Congress of Sons and Daughters took the official press office, which is geared for media. We were given a beautiful location – the large office that Mike Domingo was using for Management of the PICC. He cleared out of it, for us. It was close to the back door, close to the side door. It was big, and spacious. But it was an empty room, with no media equipment in it!

Chona Velasco, of PLDT, was on the phone night and day, begging. Al Onglao, of PC Tech, loaned us six computers, with two excellent printers, and a technician to watch over the operation for the duration of the Conference. PLDT gave us eleven telephone lines, through the kindness of Nerissa Ramos. She also granted us a DSL — an Internet connection. Ramon Arteficio, of Canon Marketing Philippines, loaned us two heavy duty copiers, with a collator, complete with an expert technician to operate the copiers and the collator.

AMA Group of Companies, headed by Felizardo Colombo, loaned us eight more computers, through the intercession of Rudy Gutierrez and Rolando Cadhit. Father Lito Jopson stripped his office of a computer with a scanner, and his telefax machine. The National Office of Mass Media contributed another telefax. And Kari Ycasiano, of Nextel Communications, loaned us hand held radios. Ramon Isberto of Smart Communications gave us five cellular phones.

In the middle of the World Meeting we saw that we would run out of paper. The demand for copies of the talks was very great – especially the address of Carl Anderson, Hilario Davide, Rosa Linda Valenzona, Kathryn Hoomkwap, Bishop Chito Tagle and Cardinal Arinze. Chona Velasco phoned Teresa Cancio Suplico, of Goodwill Bookstore, and they gave us – at once – 35 reams of bond paper.

We needed food for our 500 media men and women. Our media committee members and Gail Santos of Sunrise Holiday Hotel helped to find the sponsors: Jun Valles of REV Industries loaned us a hot and cold water dispenser. Angie Castillo and Jo Peña of Del Monte Philippines gave us Del Monte Mango Juice and loaned us a Juice Dispenser. Paul Huang of Comfoods gave us sachets of Café Puro and Jolly and Hiro biscuits. Antonina Serapio of Mila’s Lechon gave us pack lunches. More came from Jessica Agulto and Emerson Evangelista of Kenny Rodgers. And more from Janet Olero of Little Ceasars. Joy Medina of DSS food gave us their Shark Energy Drink. And Maui Maralit of Catalytx Advetising gave us Yakult. Coca Cola gave us Coke softdrinks and loaned us a refrigerator. And more came from Shakeys Pizza, Goldilocks, Jollibee, McDonalds, Dunkin’ Donuts and from French Baker.

And they did all this with a smile! They were trying to give whatever they could to God. They were not only giving things. They were giving themselves. Not even God can ask more than that.