Welcome to 2021!! A few activities are already coming up.

1. Annual Board Meeting of the Trustees. This will be done online with the exact date in January to be determined.
2. Diplomate Board, led by Pres. Sim Dang-Awan Jr. This will be held at the end of January.
3. Several CPE programs are starting up in January. Of the ones we know about include in Baguio (online), Angeles City, and Bocaue.

Apologies that the announcements are a bit vague. But during the pandemic, we are adapting on a daily basis. If you have specific questions, please go to the Contact Us page and drop us a line.

Item #1. December 6, 2020. Congratulations to “Center for Low Vision Care, Pastoral Clinical Training, and Member Care” led by Chaplain Renato Eustaquio, for completion of their CPE unit. Those who have completed are:

• Agnes Barnedo (1st unit)
• Mary Joy Pergis (1st unit)
• Marilyn Martin (1st unit)
• Gina Ventura (CPO)

This program is certified with CPSP-Philippines, and works in partnership with Dr. Yanga Hospital in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Item #2. January 2021. Bukal Life Care and Counseling Center is expecting to start a CPE unit. This will be their first online-only unit. Contact bukallife@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Item #3. January 2021. “Center for Low Vision Care, Pastoral Clinical Training, and Member Care” led by Chaplain Renato Eustaquio, will be holding its next CPE batch at Dr. Yanga Hospital in Bocaue, Bulacan. It is an extended course… spread over 10 months.

The AIDS Working Group of the World Council of Churches (WCC) has come out with a new document, “Guide to HIV/AIDS Pastoral Counselling.”

One of the contributors to this document is a member of CPSP-Philippines. Dr. Erlinda Senturias. She and her husband Ptr. Alvaro Senturias Jr., are members of CPSP-Philippines and involved with Jethro Guidance Center. They are also both CPE trainees under Diplomate Dr. Sim Dang-Awan Jr..

Jethro Guidance Center organized webinar on the topic: Undas Ministry in the Time of Pandemic. It is presented on October 30. It is available for viewing on the CPSP-PHILIPPINES FB group

Due to the times we are in, we must learn to adapt.
Some of our training centers are experimenting with online CPE.

The first is Jethro Guidance Center. It presently is holding online CPE with 13 trainees, and two supervisors from all over the Philippines. They plan to finish the unit in October.

Our first real Online CPE (Jethro Guidance Center)

Bukal Life Care is in the process of developing two possible CPE online programs— one for seminary students, and one for ministers. The exact start is to be determined, but could start as soon as mid-August.

The attached file gives updated information on the requirements for a Supervisor-in-Training to be considered for Diplomate Board.

Diplomate Review Board Requirements and Checklist (pdf, 2020)

Not much news right now at CPSP-Philippines. Here are a few items.

1.  Membership and Center fees are delayed until the second half of 2017. We have moved away from the calendar year, so when one pays one’s annual fee, it will be good for 12 months starting from time of payment.

2. Most training programs are on hold due to enhanced quarantine conditions. However Bukal Life Care is experimenting with online CPE. Hoping to learn from this.

3.  Speaking of online services, CPSP (US) is holding online support groups for member chaplains. It can be a valuable place on Zoom for helping the helpers.

4.  Bob and Celia Munson are working on a new book… Pastoral Counseling Case Workbook. Completion date? Unknown, but people are welcome to look at the books already done with CPSP Philippines (Check menu above).

As I expect everyone knows much of the Philippines is under quarantine. As such, most non-essential activities are shutdown.

Bukal Life Care is planning to have CPE start on March 26, but that will b handled creatively, with some aspects online. As far as other training centers, please contact the individual centers as far as training and other pastoral care services.

We are glad that we were able to have our March 2nd Certification Board in Ipil, Zamboanga, as well as the CPE graduation of the Shalom CPE Training Center. Victor Navarro and Phanuel Buac were reviewed. We look forward to announcing the results soon.

For those stuck at home and seeking to learn, consider our bookstore on this page. All of them are available in Kindle right into your home.

An interesting article, “Pandemic Love” by Charles E. Moore, was written in response to one of the Avian Flu epidemics a few years ago. It is pretty relevant today.  Consider clicking below:

https://munsonmissions.org/2020/03/17/the-church-and-pandemic-love/

The book, “Doing Christ’s Mission: My Ecumenical Journey” was recently published by Dr. Erlinda Nable Senturies, through CPSP-Philippines Press.

This book is a social biography integrating my personal and ecumenical life in line with doing Christ’s mission. It traces my faith journey from various influences of my childhood and growing up in a church that had conservative ideas of faith practice to my exposure to a liberal theological orientation from the university community and then progressive engagement based on the context of the times in the various decades of life. As a medical graduate and discerning how I can serve the people, my exposure to the ecumenical community enabled me to see a new way of doing medical practice. It brought me closer to the communities and congregations that informed me of the inadequacy of our health care system. This book explores my theological journey and my medical journey. And now, as I enter my senior years, and enrolled in Clinical Pastoral Education, this book explores my growth in deep listening and learning ideas in the accompaniment of the people in their various challenges in life, including facing death and dying. This is part of pursuing the fullness of life for all, for which our Saviour Jesus Christ came.

It is available online by CLICK HERE.