Cancino, Rafael S.

2014-28337
Mount Banahaw: On Nature and Religion

Nature and religion, or the lack thereof, have always seemed to come together one way or
another. Be it animism or a more complex religious sect, more often than not, nature or a part of
it at least is considered sacred. It may be in the form of entities that are worshipped or in the
form of fellow creations that are worthy of care and respect. In this particular case, Mount
Banahaw, the believed site of the New Jerusalem by members of Suprema de la Iglesia del
Ciudad Mistica de Dios, is considered sacred ground. But what led these people to consider this
as a sacred place? Moreover, what are the foundations of their beliefs, especially that of their
veneration of Filipino heroes?
It had been raining when we arrived. Sat on chairs, we were, as the Living Hero of
Quezon as he called himself went on and delivered an introduction to his religion to us, students
of Philippine Institution 100. We have expected that it would be raining, just like we expected
Manong Bayani to not only talk about his religion but also openly criticize (although he decided
not to name any religion, which he actually didnt need to) other faiths under the guise of
acceptance and coexistence. Just like the rain which seemed to ward us away Bangkong Kahoy,
he spoke to us in a passive-aggressive modebut what use is a religion which enforces
divisiveness rather than unity and cooperation?
He began talking about how their religion came to be, and how it was started by a 20 th
century female Jesus Christ-like persona. He said that, in their religion, they are taught to respect
the beliefs of people of other religions. Upon this premise, I have immediately created an image
that their religion was wholly accepting. It made me consider that even if their beliefs presented

themselves to me as absurd, that they were somehow the missing keys to my salvation. He went
on speaking about how they were considered colorum by people of other faiths, and how they
differed and not differed from other Christian sects. In fact, he did not call their religion a
religion, but rather a religious congregation who believed a common belief. He went on and told
us that they were more of an organization than a formal religion. He also expounded on their
veneration of Filipino heroes, drawing the similarities they have with Catholic saints. He
justified that these people helped fight for our freedom and deserve to be honored this way, but
not excessively to the point of regarding them as gods already. He clarified that they werent
Rizalists but only honored the heroes as they should be. He moved on with his speech and we
silently nodded along, although it was hard to accept that it was only this way for them.
Up to this point, I was never surprised nor exhilarated just yet, but expressed a somehow
equal and mutual acceptance just like they have been showing us for the past duration of his
speech. But it, unfortunately, did not linger to stay that way until the end of our small impromptu
plenary. He began then initiated an open forum to which the members of the Intarmed Class of
2021 responded by probing him with numerous questions, in immediate succession. One of the
first questions that was brought up was on the roles men and women have within their sect. His
reply was unclear, but it all came down to the fact that men held the role of providing for their
families, while the women were more active in religious activities as evidenced by the existence
of a Girls Camp wherein the women dedicate themselves to a lifetime of prayer. My only two
cents for this is that this rigid societal structure, while uncommon, is already outdated in its
rigidity. For me, Id rather have a society wherein people are not subject to rigid roles, like an
Indian caste system. Id rather have a socially mobile community than be locked within a

particular role. What couldnt be denied, however, is the fact that this was borne of the
Revitalization Movement in the Philippines.
For more than three hundred years, the male-dominated frailocracy held the Philippines
by its neck. The shift to a female-led belief is not surprising, but rather expected of a people who
were subject to this kind of rule for an extensively long period of time. But like any other
ideology that is to be replaced, it is a prerequisite to whoever wishes to change the norm that
there should be an ideology to be put in place of the ideology to be replaced and that this should
be widely accepted, among other prerequisites. The major problem of this movement was that
the new system they proposed wasnt widely accepted and understood at all. He admitted that
they were considered colorum by others. Also, they do not actually enforce their beliefs upon
others, under the reasoning that belonging to their sect is a challenge per se. It is a part of their
belief that ones salvation is based on good acts and not on belonging to a particular religion.
Also, he said that if God really wanted a person to belong to their sect, God will pave the way for
this to happen.
Another question raised was on why the Mount Banahaw was considered a sacred place
to their sect. He explained that there are mystical places all over the mountain that could not be
explained and were therefore attributed to a higher Being. The thing is, this sort of behavior is a
general tendency of any believer of any faith. If there is an inexplicable phenomena, most people
would attribute it to an unseen Creator, a Supreme Beinga behavior which could eventually be
traced to animistic roots. There were a couple of questions concerning their celebration of their
Holy Week and their Sabbath day. What particularly irked me was how he passively but
aggressively accused the Roman Catholic Church and the Iglesia Ni Cristo of modifying the
Bible for their own reasons, and possibly, benefits. He always said that he didnt want to point

out any religious group or sect but it was particularly obvious that he was referring to the Roman
Catholic Church and the Iglesia Ni Cristo. Beneath the mask of acceptance lay the face of
exclusivity; in fact, he even emphasizes that the basis of their sect is the Bible just as well, but it
only leads people to wonder whether his accusations that other religious congregations modify
the Bible are merely hypocritical.
One of the last questions which sparked my interest was the one on their stand on samesex relationships. It is particularly relevant to take note of the recent passing of same-sex
marriage in the United States, and so it was logical to ask their stance with regards to the issue.
He mentioned that the Bible condemns same-sex relationships and uses the tragedy which is
Sodom and Gomorrah as an illustration. Albeit the case may be this, I, like many others, am led
to question the literal meaning of every passage within the same context. As wearing clothing of
more than one type of textile was considered a sin, I wonder whether they take this rule, among
others, into consideration and strict observationor whether they only follow what is considered
the norm for them or whichever is convenient. However, he also admitted that their organization
has its own share of homosexual members. He mentioned that they do not judge these people
since, like they said earlier, ones salvation depends on himself or herself only. If that particular
person desired to be saved, he or she will follow the rules set by the Bible (or the rules as they
interpret them).
The plenary had to end one way or another, and so it did. We, the students, walked down
the road towards their church. The inside walls were decorated with photographs of their
principles, like paintings of Christs Passion in Catholic churches. Faces of Filipino heroes like
Rizal and Bonifacio also adorned some portions of the walls. Just like any place of worship, a
sweeping feeling of serenity occupied the interior. I was already inside but it still felt like I was

peeking from the outside. To fully understand their beliefs would also mean full commitment to a
lifetime of practicing their rituals, which we were unfortunate to miss.
Just as doors were closed on the things we didnt understand about their religious
organization at first glance, only more doors flung open. The short time we had would never
suffice to educate us about their entire religion. Complete immersion may be the only way to
satiate such desire for knowledge. One thing is for sure: their sect is an offspring of the
revitalization movement here in the Philippines. But just because one doesnt fully understand
anothers beliefs does it mean that theres enough reason to discriminate or ridicule anyone. As
acceptance may never be wholly achieved, as shown by their somewhat passive-aggressive
stance, tolerance, at the very least, must be practiced by each and every one.