MR. PRESIDENT, DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUES:
IT IS MY HONOR TO CO-SPONSOR PROPOSED SENATE RESOLUTION NUMBER 672, CONGRATULATING AND COMMENDING THE JESUS IS LORD CHURCH WORLDWIDE ON THE CELEBRATION OF ITS 48TH FOUNDING ANNIVERSARY.
NGAYON, SA IKA-48 TAON NG JIL, PATULOY NATING KINIKILALA HINDI LAMANG ANG LAKI NG ORGANISASYONG KANILANG NAITAYO, KUNDI ANG DAMI NG BUHAY NA KANILANG NAABOT, MGA BUHAY NA BINAGO, BINIYAYAAN NG PANANAMPALATAYA, AT BINIGYAN NG PAG-ASA.
THROUGH EDUCATION, COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE, POVERTY ALLEVIATION, DISASTER RESPONSE, AND ITS COMPASSION MINISTRIES, JIL HAS SOUGHT TO PUT FAITH INTO ACTION.
AND WHEREVER FILIPINOS HAVE GONE, JIL HAS FOLLOWED.
FOR MANY OF OUR OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS AND THEIR MIGRANT FAMILIES, A JIL CONGREGATION ABROAD HAS BECOME MORE THAN A PLACE OF WORSHIP. IT HAS BECOME A COMMUNITY, ISANG LUGAR KUNG SAAN MAY KAPWA PILIPINONG MAKIKINIG, SASALO, AT SASAMA SA ORAS NG PANGANGAILANGAN.
THAT, MR. PRESIDENT, IS PERHAPS ONE OF JIL’S MOST ENDURING CONTRIBUTIONS: THE BELIEF THAT FAITH SHOULD LEAD US OUTWARD, TOWARD SERVICE, TOWARD COMPASSION, AND TOWARD OUR FELLOW FILIPINOS.
THIS IS CAPTURED IN A PRINCIPLE THAT HAS GUIDED JIL FOR NEARLY FIVE DECADES: “DIYOS AT BAYAN.”
PANANAMPALATAYA SA DIYOS, NGUNIT KAAKIBAT NITO ANG PANANAGUTAN SA KAPWA AT SA BAYAN.
AND WE RECOGNIZE THE LEADERSHIP OF BROTHER EDDIE VILLANUEVA, WHOSE CONVICTION AND PERSEVERANCE HAVE GUIDED THIS MOVEMENT FROM ITS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO WHAT IT IS TODAY. WE LIKEWISE REMEMBER THE LATE SIS. DORY VILLANUEVA, WHO WAS THERE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS JOURNEY.
MALAPIT ANG PAMILYA KONG PANGILINAN FAMILY KAYNA BROTHER EDDIE, AND THEN THE LATE SISTER DORY, LALO NA SA AKING KAPATID NA SI ATE ANGELIE AT ANG KANYANG BUTIHING KABIYAK NA SI GARY. KASAMA RIN ANG AKING KUYA JOSEPH, ANG AKING MAS BATANG KAPATID NA SI ANTHONY, MALAPIT PO – SPANNING DECADES ANG LINKS BETWEEN MY FAMILY AND BROTHER EDDIE AND SISTER DORY, AND OF COURSE OUR COLLEAGUE AND LONG-TIME PARTNER, FELLOW MEMBER OF THE AQUINO CABINET, SENATOR JOEL VILLANUEVA, TO THE VILLANUEVA FAMILY, TO JIL’S PASTORS AND WORKERS, AND TO THE ENTIRE JIL COMMUNITY HERE AND ABROAD: CONGRATULATIONS ON 48 YEARS OF MINISTRY AND SERVICE.
THIS YEAR’S THEME, “ABBA FATHER,” BRINGS THE COMMUNITY BACK TO SOMETHING FUNDAMENTAL: OUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH A LOVING FATHER, AND, FROM THAT LOVE, OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER.
SA MUNDONG MARAMING PAGKAKAHATI, PANGAMBA, AT PAGSUBOK, KAILANGAN NATIN ANG MGA KOMUNIDAD NA NAGPAPAALALA SA ATIN NA WALANG SINUMAN ANG KAILANGANG MAG-ISA. NA MAY PANANAMPALATAYA. MAY PAG-ASA. AT MAY KAPWA NA HANDANG UMALALAY.
MAY JIL CONTINUE TO LIVE OUT THAT CALLING IN THE YEARS AHEAD.
HAPPY 48TH ANNIVERSARY TO THE JESUS IS LORD CHURCH WORLDWIDE.
MAY YOU CONTINUE TO BE BLESSED, AND CONTINUE TO BE A BLESSING TO OUR PEOPLE AND OUR NATION.
MARAMING MARAMING SALAMAT, MR. PRESIDENT. APRUBAHAN NA PO NATIN ANG SENATE RESOLUTION NUMBER 672. ###