My Santa. Cruz with The 21st Century Association
~Message from a Christian~ 
Rupert T. Torreliza
Christmas in Sta. Cruz;
In December, here in Sta. Cruz of course our awaited Christmas day will come again. Preparatory to the Christmas celebration, the nine days novena masses starting December 16 will again be done and this is what we call the "simbang gabi" usually done at 4:00 in the morning. However, in remote Pamayanan (community) where lay minister could hardly catch up on time, the "simbang gabi" is celebrated about 8:00 in the evening or 10:00pm as the case may be depending on the agreement of the people. The usual way of celebrating Christmas in the community is gift giving between and among friends.
Christmas party is being performed here in Sta. Cruz. There is a short program and sometimes to make the affair lively, dancing among the group is usually achieved. However, if the group agreed on fund raising activity, they have to go from house to house singing Christmas songs in exchange for the gift, cash in particular, from the house owner. As they were able to raise sufficient amount, they go to picnic and should there have excess money they will think of one good project for the community as a souvenir.
The21st Century Association and Sta. Cruz
The 21st Century Association was known to me way back 1993 when a Japanese name Hiro Kawashima was introduced to me by one of the MIC sisters who is assigned in the municipality much ahead of the association. I knew that they are partners in giving education to the minorities in Sitio Calamintao because I was then the president of the Parish Pastoral Council of the Holy Cross Parish. Since then I got closer to the association. Also Hiro approached me asking to sign a financial report and from then I was considered a member of the 21st Century Association as auditor.
The operations of the 21st Century Association continue to exist locally thru the managerial capability of Hiro. The association is concentrated more on the educational aspect of the indigenous group. There are now who had already graduated in college. The association has scholars not only in Occidental Mindoro but also in Metro Manila and Baguio City. It is projected that time will come and before we know it many of our poor minority brothers and sisters will be able to acquire higher education thru the assistance given by Japanese missionaries, the 21st Century Association.
Minorities are like any other common people in the community, have their own religious belief. While others are with the catholic groups, others belong to other religious sect like the Pentecostal and more others. There are now group of minorities who are expose in attending masses, and these are the groups who had formed themselves into a Pamayanan, organized and headed by officials duly elected from among themselves. As of now, there are already two minorities who are with the group of the lay ministers, one is from sitio Calamintao the other from sitio Siapo. Both had undergone the required seminars and before assuming the duties of a lay minister, they were given a ceremonial blessing by the local parish priest as mandated. These two minorities are functional and are giving Sunday Devotions in their organized Pamayana during Sundays and they are as active as the Tagalog lay ministers.
Well, I would say as a whole that the existence of the 21st century association blesses those minorities who have the interest in acquiring higher education. That our expectations that Japanese are our perennial enemy due to what we had experienced during the second world war, has now proven that they are friends instead especially the coordinator who has always been showing his excellence and perfect behavior as a friend among the residents of the community. Hopefully, there are more people/associations like the 21st Century who has a big heart and ready to help the needy, at least our unfortunate brothers in the mountainside who do not have any hope except from the blessings our LORD ALMIGHTY.
May all these disadvantage people thru the help of the 21st Century Association find the way for a better job after they have finished their courses in order to alleviate the present condition not only for themselves but also the whole group of minorities!
Merry Christmas!!
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