04 October 2009

Ondoy fails to dampen spirits of CLC media enthusiasts

Metro Manila still under water caused by typhoon Ondoy was enough reason to cancel the flights of 22 delegates to Cagayan de Oro City for the five-day TV production workshop held October 4-9.

Consisting of administrators, department directors, pastors and media volunteers, these delegates came from the Adventist Church in Central Luzon (CLC) to fulfill their commitment to learn skills that would make them better communicators of the gospel through the media ministry.

Held at the Hope Channel Philippines studio located at the headquarters of the Church in Southern Philippines (SPUC), the workshop was first to be conducted after the HC studio was established, and this was organized mainly for the CLC participants.
Pastor Benjamin Casimiro, executive secretary; and Pastor Ron Genebago, communication director, heading the group, took the one hour and 15 minutes flight out of Metro Manila to the City of Golden Friendship in southern Philippines with the aim of fulfilling their resolve to become media specialists for the Lord.

Pastor Carmelito U Galang, Jr, CLC president, who was to leave with the group, decided to stay behind to lead out in the church’s continuing relief operations for the typhoon victims in his constituency. But he gave a send-off message to the group: “We have a goal and this goal is to share the gospel through the media ministry. Your attendance to this seminar is a clear sign that we are achieving this goal.”

As soon as the group was settled for the event, Pastor Nelson Paulo, SPUC communication director and Hope Philippines Project director, told the participants: “While your place is still the focus of the world’s attention due to the damages brought about by Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana by its international name), you bravely curtailed your emotions to come here and learn about the importance of the TV ministry.”

Seminar organizer, Dr Jonathan Catolico, communication director and Hope Channel coordinator for the Adventist Church in the southern Asia Pacific region (SSD), welcomed the group at the opening ceremony. “Our church has acquired the means to proclaim the everlasting gospel through television in the Philippines and to the rest of the world. And we thank you for taking to yourself the role as evangels of the media ministry.”

Pastor Albert Regoso, a retired administrator and pastor who serves as consultant to the CLC administration, voiced his delight for the excellent training the group got from the presenters—the television studio personnel of Hope Channel Philippines—consisted of Johnster Joe Calibod, multi-talented production specialist; Jade Yero-Soreño, HC International scriptwriter and producer; Emmanuel Sanes, HC Studio manager; and the production crew. “This is worth the cost in coming here because the training was superb and much more—we were overwhelmed by the lavish hospitality given to us by SPUC. The food consisting of abundant fruits and palatable dishes is beyond our words to appreciate,” said Pastor Regoso.

During the training participants also discussed the role of media in relation to the church’s mission, do hands-on production work: scriptwriting, hosting, story boarding, camera and audio technicalities, light and fixtures, set designs, field work, editing and post-editing details. It has also updated the participants about copyright laws and the strict adherence to these laws, more importantly as Christian communicators.

“We came here to fulfil three objectives: Bonding, Equipping, and Nurturing; and we believe we have achieved all three, in fact, even much more,” said Pastor Casimiro and were confirmed by the participants. [CLC participants/AND]