Project SOW (Solidarity with Orphans and Widows)


General Objective

To assist the families of the victims of extrajudicial killings (EJK) in their recovery by providing psychosocial interventions and treatments that will respond to their economic needs, their quest for justice, and their desire to be healed from the trauma brought about by the tragic death of their loved ones so that they may learn better ways of coping with the challenges of new life situations.

Specific Objectives

  • To help families in their healing and recovery from grief and deep emotional trauma.
  • To economically capacitate the family.
  • To ensure the educational access of left-behind children.
  • To support the families in their quest for justice.
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Healing and Recovery

Various psycho-social interventions and treatments will be in place to improve resiliency and to hasten recovery from trauma. Interventions and treatments that will be implemented will respect and promote the culture of the families.

  • Group sharing/dynamics
  • Evidence-based treatment for children
  • Community outing/socials
  • Psycho-educational parenting skills training
  • Mass for healing/dead
  • Faith-based sharing
  • Community mobilization for support
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Capacity Building

Capacity Building

Financial assistance for basic survival needs and the education of the children will be made available to the families. Moreover, families will be trained and assisted in finding viable sources of livelihood to regain their economic independence.

  • Financial assistance for burial
  • Food provision
  • Employment and livelihood training
  • Financial support for school needs
Justice and Accountability

Justice and Accountability

Networking and coordination with other similar supportive agencies and organizations will be encouraged to maximize the utilization of available resources for the families’ empowerment. With the incidents and details of the killings documented, we network with legal bodies to prepare victims’ families to pursue legal accountability of the perpetrators.

  • Coordination with legal personalities, lawyers groups and concerned NGOs
  • Affidavits/Narratives of the murder
  • Filing of cases
  • Network with other media bodies


Setting of Database

A documentation of the cases of extrajudicial killings in Payatas and a record of families left behind shall be set up and continually maintained. The documentation shall also be done in view of future filing of cases whenever the families are ready and witnesses can be found.

The complete data of the members of the families of victims (e.g., widows, orphans, families), their pressing concerns and issues, an assessment of their needs shall be compiled in view of helping them cope with the situation.

  • Documentation of cases
  • Profiling of families and needs assessment
  • Saturation of victims list from Barangay, Police Station, and key informants
Activities

SOW Session - September 2017

Taken during the SOW (Support for Orphans and Widows) session on September 2, 2017. Today, our partners Diding Taer Libao introduced the widows and mothers to bible sharing for the first time. While another partner Elizabeth Hilado Barquilla guided the orphans to express themselves in color. What comes out are beautiful and hopeful visions from both mothers and children. "To resolve to live and survive is in itself an act of resistance and defiance."

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Widows Seeking for Justice

Widows Seeking for Justice

At a time when human rights are intently neglected and brutally silenced, the victims (members of the SOW - EJK orphans and widows), silently but courageously pray and learn about their rights as persons and as victims despite the culture of impunity that surrounds us. Thanks to the FLAG lawyers who helped explain what are the necessary processes for seeking justice, and what it entails to do it. Thanks to TFDP (Task Force Detainees of the Philippines) who helped us empower these brave mothers and widows. May God help us.

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New Development on the Ground: House to House Drug Test

I just came from Payatas today for our regular meeting and Mass with EJK widows and orphans. Thanks to Noel and Tet Medina and kids for visiting us. This week, we welcome three new widows whose husbands were killed recently. We also welcome their children, the new orphans.

Another new development on the ground: barangay officials and purok leaders accompanied by policemen go the rounds of the houses and shanties, pressure people to undergo drug test, and include them in the list. If a house does not have drug users in them, they are cleared. Those who test positive are asked to report to the barangay hall. They now fear for their lives. For you know what happens to those who find themselves in the list.

One remembers the command of the Pharaoh to the midwives of Egypt: go house to house, seek for Israelite boys and report them to him. In our times, this is a grave violation of basic human rights against coercion. But of course, this administration does not believe in human rights! What else is new? May God help us.

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Payatas Children's Camp

Taken during the culmination of the Payatas Chidlren's Camp 2017 facilitated by the Profesionales en Mision - our partner in the rehabilitation of EJK families. Children who had only blank stares months ago due the death of their fathers now begin to smile as they are excited to prepare for the new school year. Once stigmatized by neighbors, they now begin to mingle with other kids, dance, sing, laugh and play with them. Thanks to Carol Daria Ferly Delos Santos Mangilit Milarose Bechaida and Nelson and their collaborators Allan T. Tura Jocelyn Tena-Francia and many others for helping us in this work. Thanks also to our benefactors here and abroad for making this work possible and giving hope to the victims.

The Killings Continue in Payatas

As the orphans are beginning to dance and sing and excited to go to school, as widows are starting to move on with their lives, the killings continue in Payatas. They are no longer in the limelight since these events are drowned by other events like Resorts World and Marawi, but we are still counting the victims almost everyday. Emery Brian, is a 37-year old father, went to buy food in the nearby market. He did not come back and the family waited for days. They looked for him in police stations. After searching everywhere, they found his name in one of the stations in Manila more than 10 days after (this was last week of May). The police record says, he fought back and engaged 25 policemen ("nanlaban"). Wow! 25 policemen against one poor unarmed person! His autopsy says that he was shot point blank in the head and chest. And before we left after our meeting with the widows, we heard that two others were killed last night in a street near the chapel where we celebrate Mass. I still have to visit them tomorrow. God help us!

The Victims also Need Some Respite

EJK families had their summer excursion today - a time to play, laugh, eat and enjoy. A short break from pain helps people imagine that a different world is possible. One encouraging development: we gave one mother a little amount in micro-credit and she decided to take care of piglets three months ago. Today, we bought one of her pigs for our lechon. And she has two other pigs left to sell. She is earning! The rest too with their little businesses: sari-sari store, meat and vegetables sale; one mother was accepted in a job just today. A different world is possible! Thanks to those who are helping us. We are deeply grateful.

Santo Niño and the Children of Tokhang

As we started to process the experiences of grieving mothers and wives of tokhang victims, we also try our best to help the children make sense of this painful reality of their lives. Some of these innocent faces have seen with their own eyes how their fathers were murdered. Looking at them, they seem to smile and enjoy for some few moments during the sessions. But no one can really fathom the anxiety and pain this has brought to their lives.

The Gospel reading on the feast of Santo Niño, the Christ-child, comes alive: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Jesus warns sternly: "Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:1-5,10).

While we fight for justice for the victims, we also seek out the most vulnerable --- the mothers and their children. Two main issues came up in these sessions with the mothers: how to seek justice for the unjust death of their beloved and how to feed their children when their breadwinners, mostly dumpsite scavengers, were taken away from them.

What future is in store for this children? I have heard many of my friends would like to help but do not know how. Please let us know so that we can coordinate with you.

This might be the best way to say: "Viva, Sr. Santo Niño! Viva Pit Senyor!"

Stories of Pain, Resistance and Hope

As we started to process the experiences of grieving mothers and wives of tokhang victims, we also try our best to help the children make sense of this painful reality of their lives. Some of these innocent faces have seen with their own eyes how their fathers were murdered. Looking at Taken during the SOW Meeting in Payatas B, Quezon City on April 22, 2017. This is our 8th meeting. In these sessions, the widows share their stories of deep pain and joy, of everyday struggles and hope after the death of their beloved. Each one tries to help the other in finding a job, taking care of the children, in managing a small business to make both ends meet. We only see "the linen in the tomb" but their stories tell us that Jesus is risen. We thank those who are helping us. You have helped them rebuild their lives.

Videos
Gallery
Media Coverage

A Quezon City-based priest on Friday called on those in power to put an end to deaths due to the government’s aggressive war on drugs as he reflected on one of Jesus Christ’s final words.

Fr. Daniel Franklin Pilario, dean of studies at the St. Vincent School of Theology in Quezon City, expounded on Jesus Christ’s first word, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Read more: https://cebudailynews.inquirer...

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For Whom the Bell Tolls: 40 Days of
Prayer and Solidarity

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in humankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee. (John Donne)
The quotation comes from John Donne’s Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, “Meditation XVII” (1624). “For whom the bell tolls” became famous in the 20th century; Ernest Hemingway borrowed it as a title of one of his great novels on death.
 
Anyone’s death is also our own. “Any man’s death diminishes me… For whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”

In the next forty days – as suggested by the CBCP – we honor the victims of Duterte’s war on drugs by asking their widows and orphans their deepest prayers and longings. It is they who are most affected by their husband’s or son’s death.
 
As we toll the bells, as we light the candles, we express our solidarity with them and join them in prayer daily, until November 1 when all the Filipinos go to the cemeteries and remember their dead.
 
We pray for justice for the victims as we shout to the whole world, “in the name of God, stop the killings!”
Philippine Vincentian's Stand in the War on Drugs

Philippine Vincentians: Where we Stand on the War on Drugs

Vincentian Priests and Brothers
CONGREGATION OF THE MISSION
Philippine Province


April 9, 2017

CONFRERES OF THE PHILIPPINE PROVINCE

SUBJECT:  WHERE WE STAND IN THE WAR ON DRUGS

Dear Confreres,

May the grace of God be with us always!

We are now at the peak of the Lenten Season.

With yesterday/s Palm Sunday celebrations, our people devoutly thronged closer into the events of Christ passion and death that take more of their time, talent and energy than the glorious celebration of Christ’s resurrection.  The cenaculo, the reenactments of Christ’s passion and crucifixion, the penitentes, the droves of people doing the via crucis or making the visita iglesia. the barkadas joining in to do the Pasión, the siete palabras and many many more are images that make up the Holy Week of our traditions.  Those who are smart take the opportunity to bring in the issues of suffering that affect us as a nation.

During our retreat last January, we discerned on the recent events in our country and we decided as a Province to do something about it. From the many suggestions that you gave, let me outline three concrete responses that the Provincial Council has decided that we should focus on together.

1.    CONDEMN THE KILLINGS.  Following the pronouncement of our Bishops, we denounce the rampant killings in this administration’s “war on drugs”. Whether it be 4000 or 8000 persons killed is irrelevant.  Our bishops remind us, “The life of every person comes from God.  It is he who gives it, and it is he alone who can take it back.”  To be quiet in front of evil is to consent to it and to be accomplice to what is going on.
 
2.    TAKE CARE OF THE VICTIMS.  In all our pastoral areas, we take care of the victims and their families, as St. Vincent always wanted us to do. We collaborate with all ongoing efforts by government and civic organizations to help the victims of drug addiction find healing and hopeful life again. We also take care of the widows, mothers and orphans left by the “tokhang” operations in our places of ministry. We seek them out because, most often, they have been stigmatized and ostracized by their neighbors. We commend the efforts done by Project SOW [http://www.svst.edu.ph/project-sow.html] of the Ina ng Lupang Pangako Parish as they take care of this most vulnerable sector in Philippine society today.  We can replicate this in your own localities where there are victims.
 
3.    PROJECT 400. For our long-term engagement, we initiate Project 400 which is being spearheaded by the Social Ministry.  This Project includes 1) housing for the homeless especially the families of victims of the war on drugs; and 2) free education for children of the said victims.
 
In this 400th Anniversary of the Vincentian charism, we ask for the grace to seek out the most vulnerable that our oppressive society has neglected. In all that we do, we express to them our hospitality and welcome in the way that Vincent de Paul spoke four centuries ago: “J’aipeine de votrepeine” (Your pain pains me).
Your brother in Christ,
​
 
FR. VENERANDO D. AGNER, C.M.
Provincial Visitor


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Philippine Vincentian's Stand in the War on Drugs