Motivated by Master’s constant concern towards all sentient beings on this planet, a team of thirty- one fellow initiates from Formosa, departing from Taoyuan and Kaohsiung, went to the Philippines. There they assisted the local fellow practitioners to share the message of Alternative Living to the Filipino people thus evoking the compassion in them.

Hoping to spread the message to all parts of the Philippines as soon as possible, fellow practitioners divided themselves into four groups. One group stayed in Manila while the other three went to Baguio, Cebu City, and Tacloban.

Mr. Manuel Morato (center) with fellow initiates.

This February when the rescue team from The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association went to the Philippines to help the landslide victims, they had received tremendous help from Mr. Manuel Morato, Director of the Philippines Charity Sweepstakes Office (for details please refer to report in News No.164). Therefore, upon arriving in Manila on March 22, Golden Year 3 (2006), fellow initiates immediately paid a visit to Mr. Morato and presented to him a letter of gratitude from The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, in which Master’s words of praise for him were mentioned: “He is not just a good officer, also a real gentleman polite and sincere.”

 

Baguio

On March 23, our cars reached Monumento where we saw a department store and some small commercial areas. We decided to make a quick distribution of leaflets, and very soon all people there were holding one. Many of them studied the content of the leaflet seriously. Some revealed that they were also vegetarians and strongly supported our message. They asked for more leaflets so that they could distribute them to other people. Fellow initiates were both surprised and touched. Next, we went to San Fernando to distribute the leaflets quickly.

Early in the morning of March 24, we targeted the most crowded spots such as the entrances to the Subic Bay Industrial Park and the markets in the vicinity, and finished distributing a large quantity of leaflets in just an hour. Many people curiously asked about the contents of the leaflet and some even asked us where they could find vegetarian restaurants. We reached Baguio near sunset and the local Aulacese fellow initiates riding motorcycles led us to the destination. It was the time when people went home after work and school so there was an incessant stream of people. All of us quickly alighted and started distributing, mainly on the pedestrian bridges and walkways. The result was as amazing as in the Subic Bay Industrial Park and most of the leaflets went into the hands of the local people in a very short time. We also received earnest help from some local children.

After reading the leaflets, a group of pure-hearted motorcyclists
requested us to photograph their happy looks.

On March 25, the team divided into two groups, one went to the Baguio University and the other went to the marketplace to distribute leaflets. At the marketplace, a lovely vegetarian friend gave us a big thumbs-up as encouragement. Another person pointed at the picture of the cow on the leaflet and told us that he did not eat beef because he was a Buddhist. An Indian student studying in the Manila University happened to be sightseeing in Baguio and approached us to find out more about our activity. He understood and greatly supported our ideal and joined our distribution work. All these affirmative responses really made us feel encouraged. Thanks to God’s arrangement, a constant flow of people took all our leaflets in just two hours.

Cebu

On March 23, a team of six fellow initiates was waiting for their airplane to Cebu, and they used the waiting time to distribute leaflets at the airport. An old lady over eighty years old, after understanding the message of the leaflet, asked for several more to give to her neighbors. Upon reaching Cebu, the team split into two groups to distribute them in the shopping areas and the schools. There were many people in the shopping areas, so the leaflets were all distributed within 2 hours. The students were leaving after school when they received the leaflets. Some were surprised and some were very excited and quickly called their schoolmates to get some or took extra copies for their family members. Even the owner of a grocery store nearby came to ask about our message and earnestly helped us to distribute some. On the next day, we again split into two groups, and thanks to God’s blessing, we finished distributing all the leaflets in two days, which we thought would take three days.

Tacloban

Tacloban City is situated at the Northeastern point of the Leyte Island with a population of about 180,000. On March 24, our team decided to first distribute the leaflets in the village of Naval Biliram. When we brought this message of God to the blessed small village, most villagers were delighted and surprised; some even came forward to ask for the leaflets. Early next morning, we split into two groups to distribute at the marketplaces and along the streets. Inhabitants were going to work and school so there was an incessant stream of people. Everyone who received the leaflet read it attentively. In just two hours, all the copies were gone.

Manila

The fellow initiates staying in Manila split into many teams and went to China Town, Makita Station and market, Sunset Boulevard, Quezon City, and also targeted the crowded places such as bus stations to distribute the leaflets. The people here responded very friendly and with great curiosity. They would accept the leaflet immediately and read it attentively. Some people were greatly interested and asked us for relevant information, while some helped us with the distribution, especially the children. Even when some security officers and police asked us not to distribute at certain places due to their responsibility, they were very friendly and acknowledged the message of the leaflet. A police officer told us that he was also a vegetarian so he agreed with our ideal. In the evening of March 25, an old friend, Mr. Joe Lad Santos visited us, and with his help we put the message of the leaflet in the Manila Bulletin, the largest newspaper in Manila, to reach out to more Filipino people.

From March 22 to 25, with God’s blessing, fellow initiates successfully distributed the 140,000 leaflets they prepared. All of us feel very honored to be able to participate in this task, and through interacting with the Filipino people in this period, we are impressed by their pure and benign nature. We wish that they are forever graced with God’s blessings.