21/07/2025
Reflection | ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐
๐ฃ๐บ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฐ
PADAYON: โAs the Father has sent me, so I send youโ (Jn 20:21)
When I first saw the theme of the 11th Philippine Conference on New Evangelization, I knew I had to sign up.
The word padayon, familiar and beloved by many Cebuanos, holds layers of meaning: to move forward, to hope with others, to remain rooted even when the ground feels uncertain. As someone who has considered Cebu home for a decade, the word stirred something in me. It felt personal.
In RAMM, most of my work happens behind the screen. Itโs a quiet role I treasure. But at PCNE XI, held at the University of Santo Tomas from July 18-20, I stepped out from behind the lens and entered the crowd. This time, not one to document but one to receive.
I registered for the Concurrent Sessions on Digital Technology and Accompaniment. Theyโre right up my alley but to my surprise (and quiet amusement), my second session slot had been reassigned to Youth. The one thing Iโve been (not-so-subtly) trying to avoid for years now. Life has a funny way of circling back.
What struck me most throughout the three-day conference was not just the depth of the talks, but the openness of the people. The speakers and facilitators were generous. They didnโt speak from pedestals but from lived experience. Topics like the meaning of Jubilee today, the core of Pope Francisโ Communicanda, and the synodal vision of the Church werenโt abstract concepts. They were urgent, real, and deeply pastoral.
I was deeply moved by the Indigenous Peoples (IP) Analysis and the sharing about the situation in Marihangin Island, Balabac, Palawan. Listening to the story of the Molbog community and their ongoing struggle to defend their ancestral land stirred something in me. It reminded me, yet and again, that evangelization must include standing with those at the margins. Their fight is a call for justice, dignity, and care for creation. I have made the decision to support their movement by sharing their story, raising awareness, and signing the petition. This is one small step, but it matters. Solidarity must move beyond emotion into action. (If you feel called to support them too, Iโm sharing a link for the petition in the comment section below.)
At some point in the conference, I witnessed that the โmagicโ of PCNE isnโt in the size of the crowd or the caliber of speakers. It was the openness of people to grace. There was no need to impress and prove anything. I could feel it in the way participants listened.
As I return to my media ministry work, I carry more than just notes and recordings. There is a renewed sense of mission in my hidden backpack. Iโm still introverted, still book-loving and quietly serving behind the screen, but is now more filled and more ready to translate inspiration into real, grounded action.
The dream of a synodal Church is alive in the people I met, in the conversations shared, and in the silent stirrings I will bring home.
As for me, maybe the deeper challenge now is this: Can I stay open to the Spirit even when the next step feels uncomfortable, unclear, or small? Can I keep saying yes not just online, but in the slow, sacred work of presence?
Keep walking and choosing grace.
Padayon ta.
