Short story of brother’s mission in the Philippines
In 1995, following the WYD in the Philippines, Fr. Emmanuel met Kuya Nick, a young Filipino who wanted to create a prayer group in the Philippines and lift people from his village out of poverty. Brother Emmanuel went there to realize the situation, he discovered there a great spiritual and material poverty. Following this meeting, the Fraternity founded with Nick and some volunteers, the foundation of social and spiritual action in the village of Sapang. They therefore set up the first Saint Damien prayer group in 2001.
In 2003, two young Belgian doctors left as volunteers to found the first clinic in the village. Volunteer doctors will then follow one another to train Filipino doctors who practice today in a new clinic built in Sapang in 2013 by the foundation of Tiberias.
The brothers and sisters regularly visit the missionary and social project of Sapang and give spiritual support to the small community of lay people who live there.
The main lines of the NGO's mission in the Philippines
San Damiano life community
The life of the lay community is punctuated by prayer, as well as times of retreats and missions. The brothers and sisters of the Fraternity regularly visit the Saint-Damien community.
Health care
To make quality care accessible to all, a small medical center was founded in the village of Sapang. European volunteers help local healthcare staff to cope with all of the population's health concerns.
Education
The education program includes the monitoring of young people in their training, a homework school, the granting of scholarships, but also the spiritual and human training of young students.
Professional training
Giving decent work to around twenty young people with little or no education by promoting manual work and bamboo work is the challenge of the Saint-Joseph workshop.
Do you want to support Saint-Joseph workshop ?
Saint-Joseph workshop provides work for fathers and supports disadvantaged families in the village of Sapang. You can get the bamboo items in the Workshop and thus help support the local population. Visit the site http://webamboo.org and discover the Workshop’s products.
Where is the mission of Tiberiade in the Philippines ?
The village of Sapang (4000 inhabitants) is on Talim Island, not far from Manila. The inhabitants live mainly from fishing and bamboo work. Far from the big city, the village is still very well preserved and can only be reached by boat. No car on the horizon!
Tiberiade Community Foundation’s address and contact
Tiberiade Community Foundation (San Damiano Library )
Sapang, 1940, Talim Island
Binangonan - Rizal Province
Philippines
Contact and support
In Belgium (for financial support and medical program):
Bruno Verstraete, Rue d ’Aye 3a at 6900 Human - email: verstraetebruno@hotmail.com
In the Phillippines : Miss Gilda Era: 0063/91 94 85 60 25; Email: dangsera0109@yahoo.com
Donate for the missionary project in the Philippines
With tax certificate (for Belgian residents):
Any donation above 40.00 € made in Belgium can benefit from the tax deduction, if it is paid into the account BE71 0000 1733 1169 (BIC: BPOTBEB1) of PROMA-ASBL, Bvd du Souverain, 199 at 1160 Brussels , with the MANDATORY communication: "Proma-Sapang 2011-01". So you are helping the work of the NGO Tiberias - Philippines. The PROMA association funds the educational component of our scholarship project for disadvantaged children and youth in the Philippines.
Without tax certificate:
1. Or on the Belgian account of Brother Emmanuel: IBAN: BE95 6302 6019 2758 BIC: BBRUBEBB mention: “Sapang sponsorship”
2. Or for French friends, on the account of the Fraternity of Tiberias: by mentioning “Sapang sponsorship”: IBAN: FR76 3000 3005 8100 0372 7010 109 BIC: SOGEFRPP
Volunteering at the NGO Tiberiade Community Foundation ?
The Fraternity of Tiberias sends young families or young professionals as lay missionaries to the Philippines. These families and young professionals are there above all to share the life of our Filipino brothers, to witness the risen Christ and to serve the community. They can bring expertise in a particular field like doctor, engineer or other.
The work is an essential element for the cooperant, taking care to leave the initiative to the local officials. They live a simple life in the heart of a small fishing village. Meeting Christ through the faces and witnessing his love remains the heart of the mission.