A land of ‘second chances’

Something good, heart-warming, and uplifting is happening in the midst of a 30-hectare set of rice fields in Nueva Ecija.

 The vast real estate space is dotted by rows and rows of houses, patches of farms, educational centers, and a beautiful chapel where hope is kindled and re-kindled among folks brought together by one philosophy: “Every one deserves a  second chance.”

The land I am talking about is aptly named “Lupang Pangako” by social transformation leader and advocate Ruth Callanta, president of Center for Community Transformation (CCT).

The place is actually in Kalikid Norte, about 45 kilometers from Fort Magsaysay, and two hours away from the La Paz exit of the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway.

The 30-hectare area was erstwhile parcels of land owned by individuals, and were subsequently donated by well-meaning landowners who shared Ruth’s vision to give a second chance to former detainees and street dwellers to rebuild their lives and reunite their families.

Today, close to 20 reunited families live in Lupang Pangako, and 80 family members have been trained and are now being trained in technical-vocational courses. After finishing their courses, they are employed in CCT ministries and commercial enterprises supportive of CCT.

Lupang Pangako is managed by the CCT Kaibigan Ministry, born of the vision of Ruth and her ministry associates who wanted to give substance to the belief inspired by the Scriptures that every person is “fearfully and wonderfully made,” created in the image of God, and worthy of a bright future like the rest of humankind.

“We could not see this truth in the way street dwellers live,” Ruth says. “We can see their situation where they eat what is left of the food they find in the garbage in the streets. Would this not make one’s heart bleed?”

The Kaibigan Ministry began as a feeding program for street dwellers in 1998. CCT then bought slippers and food for children at the wet market in Las Pinas City. That’s when the vision to integrate programs for street dwellers.

In 2005, the Kaibigan Ministry was organized, and the ground floor of the Joshua Center was used for continuing feeding programs for street dwellers. But it was  some time later in 2012 when the Ministry was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In the next couple of years, the first halfway house for the street dwellers  now called kaibigans, was provided by Onesimo Foundation at Kaingin, Quezon City.

Soon enough, residential schools were built for children of street-dwelling families in Puypuy and Magadalena in Laguna.

The street dweller, living in the margins of society, has been affirmed by CCT as a kaibigan, inspired by a Scriptural verse in John 15:15 where Jesus Christ said: “No longer do I call you servants … but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from my Father I have made known to you.” In the contemporary lingo, those who have been “excluded” are now “included.”

One unexpected blessing came. Then Congressman Harry Roque donated his family’s ancestral home on Cabrera Street in Pasay City as a drop-in center and halfway house for kaibigans. This is now known as the Cabrera Center and hub of operations of the Ministry.

Only recently, the CCT leadership led by Ruth and her co-ministers in “God’s Vineyard” motored to Lupang Pangako for a “Day of Remembrance”. Everyone congregated at the solemn and beautiful chapel -- community workers and former street dwellers, executives and employees – to do just one thing: remember those who have been included in the heart-warming narrative of giving a second chance to those who would otherwise remain marginalized.

The field was vast, the cumulous clouds were up, and the blazing summer sun unleashed its heat – and in the middle of it all is a chapel filled with people singing the same songs, remembering the same lives of little heroic acts, and lifting up everything to the “God of second chances.”

Many of our people have been receiving promises, mostly empty, from leaders and pseudo leaders. Only last elections, the country was flooded with such promises. Promises undelivered are the general rule.

This one account is different. Promises delivered is the phrase for this multi- hectare, and multi-ministry project of Ruth Callanta and her kindred spirits. Families who had given up hope of ever reuniting have become one. Society’s rejects are now accepted as friends and co-workers.

Useless folks have become partners for development in every ministry. One heart-warming truth shines forth in this story. If and when well-meaning people and organizations take up a project, sustain every ministry, and think non-stop of how else to help our people – God will bless such endeavors.

The Lupang Pangako is a promise delivered and being delivered. All it takes is a vision, an unflaggging will, a life of prayer. And then a miracle happens.

* * *

Teresita  Tumangan, a noted pharmaceutical authority, writes this columnist about the problems besetting the Food and Drug Administration.

“The problem why there are so many backlogs and the delay in technical analysis is that the FDA director is NOT  qualified, she is not equipped or have knowledge of drug testing, she does not know who the manufacturers  are. 

She hid and refused to see technical people following up their registration. 

“ In short  as a follow up to your article, to manage the agency well, the head must have a thorough knowledge of who the manufacturers are,  the international standards  to be followed by the manufacturers (CGMPS). 

“ The FDA   inspectors  must undergo training  following international standards, they should have more teeth  in closing down plants that are substandard. These inspectors should know what to look for – the analysts must be well trained  in analyzing products, checking  if the commercial sample is meeting international standards. Regarding imported products, some countries are following international standards, some countries are not. One country does not follow standards, they can put anything, like slivers of cats or rats, and FDA inspectors not in the know allow its products to enter the Philippine market. 

“As a former quality director  for Sterling Drug International, my job was to inspect facilities, and  train plant managers and production people to do things right the first time, no shortcuts allowed. 

“When  I came back to the Philippines, I was shocked to learn how local companies  manufacture  products  ‘under the stairs’. They sterilized water for injection using the  putuhan  autoclave used for  puto production. They filled  the liquid products  ‘tabo tabo’ or mixed  liquids in pails. They did  not have quality control testing; tablet hardness was tested like throwing  it in the air.  That was the situation of the local manufacturing  companies  in 1986 . 

“ So I joined the Filipino drug association, organized a seminar for the manufacturers funded by USAID with the support of Health Secretary Alfredo R.A. Bengzon. Local manufacturers were sent to the United States to look at the facilities of manufacturing companies. When  they came back, they were encouraged to upgrade their facilities and test their products accurately. Analysts were trained to test products accurately and release them on time. 

“However, with the change of heads of FDA, products from India were allowed to come in, with no testing of the quality of the drugs contained in big drums. 

That was the advent of lowering the quality of products , the entrance  of drugs, etc. Now there are many companies  who come in with questionable products   etc .  

“The government  must appoint  an FDA head who is technically qualified and know how to manage the agency. “

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