An urgent call to activate parish networksc

I wrote a column last Thursday which said “Activate Parishes for Elections.” The main thesis is that the only effective way the Church can fully use its resources and its contact with the average Filipino is through the Catholic parish structure.

I did not intend to discuss further into the reasons Catholics should get involved in politics. This should already be an accepted tenet. Many bishops, priests and nuns have led the way and are urging church members to follow. Even Pope Francis reminded us: “A good Catholic meddles in politics, offering the best of himself [or herself] so that those who govern can govern well.”

While many priests and members of the clergy have given advice on how to choose the best candidates, this is not sufficient. For the majority of Filipinos, this messaging is too subtle and will not have any impact on their decision making.

The best model is Brother Armin Luistro, FSC, the head of the La Salle Brothers in East Asia. He has taken the role of being the national spokesman of 1Sambayan, the national movement.

My point was that the electoral battle will be won or lost in the neighborhoods where the majority, including the urban poor, live.

I think it has become fairly evident in the villages and subdivisions Leni is overwhelmingly ahead. I know of one village in Parañaque where the only visible posters are Leni-Kiko posters and pink parols are all over. So far, there is not a single poster for any other candidate.

The people organizing the opposition live in the village and are embedded in the population.

It is not enough to have occasional forays into urban poor areas even if they are by priests and nuns. There must also be embedded groups to campaign among the people. I mentioned that for traditional politicians, their usual access to these areas is through the barangays, which are led by persons living in these areas.

The only structure that can in some way match these barangays are the Catholic parishes. The parish structure may not even match the barangay in terms of number, but they offer geographic coverage that covers practically the whole nation.

I am surprised that Catholic schools and religious  orders are very active in the Leni campaign, but the parish priests are not as deeply involved. I wonder if this represents the dichotomy between the middle class voters of Leni and the masses who have yet to be convinced?

Perhaps, the educated religious orders whose students are mainly also from the middle class are like most of the middle class voters of the opposition.

On the other hand, parish priests work in a different milieu. They must deal daily with their parishioners. If these people come from the lower classes, then this is the environment they must live with.

There are a few parishes that cater to the rich, but most parishes are embedded in lower class or lower middle class communities. The parish priests of these areas have the best access to their parishioners and will have more credibility than other people living outside their areas.

In my previous column I proposed to Brother Armin of 1Sambayan to form a special task force to activate the parish network. This includes all the parish organizations, including their respective councils. This will not only be effective campaign networks, but they will also be effective feedback mechanisms.

This plan would be more effective if it was done together with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. I am reminded again of a parish priest of a relatively lower middle class area. I asked him why he was not being involved in the campaign. He said that unlike in the subdivisions, his parishioners were very divided. I asked him what would get him involved. After a long pause, he said a directive from his bishop.

There is much at stake in this coming election. It will be won or lost in the areas where the urban poor and lower middle class live. Right now the only political networks in those places are the barangays. Campaign resources are heavily focused on local officials who are usually in control of these barangays.

There is not enough time to create a parallel structure to the barangays and it will take massive resources even if there is enough time.

The only existing network that can be mobilized are the parishes. Their locations are convenient for most people in the area. The other thing is that their existing parish organizations are thoroughly embedded in the community and can communicate to the people in the area on an almost daily basis. Since the locations, organizations and familiarity with the people already exist, there will also be no need to match the massive resources being utilized by other candidates.

Again, this is a crucial battle. There is no time to waste.

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