CBS-Asia helps Aetas in the mountains of Zambales have their own Bible School: The Zambales Mission Academy. 

 
The awesome scenery
that the Regional Training
Center overlooks

From the elevated region of Brgy. Aglao in San Marcelino, Zambales, one can witness a telling panorama of a huge aquamarine lake surrounded by a sierra. I heard that the sierra extends up to the coastline of Zambales. The lake meanwhile ripples to at least a 10-kilometer area. In the morning this lake glares because of the sun, while at dawn it looks like a poster of a vista hanging on a wall. Here in Brgy. Aglao this view is obstructed mainly by ipil-ipil trees and 50-year-old acacias – actually these green trees serve as picture frames for the aquamarine display at the background. It is telling or revealing because generally for a Manilenyo like me, the forest-terrain of Brgy. Aglao is diyahe because of no cell phone signal and 0% wi-fi connection.
 

Overlooking this lake is a CBS-Asia Regional Training Center (RTC). Before one reaches the RTC one has to travel almost an hour through treacherous road. Administered by the able CBAP pastor, Ronald Dela Cruz, we started the first class here on September 12 when 35 students attended the Transforming Bible Studies conducted by ISOT/FCL professor Lito Sampan. It is CBS-Asia’s 13th RTC.

The representatives of these
four groups that form the
Zambales Mission Academy
Team. Prof. John Pesebre
(far right), CBS-Asia Academic
Officer spearheads this project

This RTC is made possible by the initiative of the CBAP Botolan, Zambales pastors and by the partnership with Great Blessings Presbyterian Mission headed by Rev. Paul Cho. The Zambales project is a ministerial training program made possible by the partnership of four institutions: 1) International School of Theology-Asia’s Foundations for Christian Leadership, 2) CBAP, 3) Great Blessings Presbyterian Missions and 4) CBS-Asia.

Last August, Rev. Cho and CBAP Botolan Pastor Cris Dejacto visited the CBAP office with information and a proposition. Pastor Dejacto gladly informed CBAP General Director Noel Pantoja that Rev. Cho had been partnering with them for the past couple of years. One of the major accomplishments of the partnership was on chapel structures. He had helped two CBAP churches put up their own buildings, and is currently on the way to help more. Dejacto also informed the General Director that Rev. Cho constructed structures for training. He had started doing so but had difficulty maintaining it because of the scarcity of professors that would help him. The structures are three separate raw houses with complete amenities for training: classrooms, restrooms, dorm, kitchen, chapel, park, etc. Pastor Dejacto further explained that Rev. Cho was very eager to partner with CBAP.

Prof. Lito Sampan, Coordinator
of ISOT-FCL, teaching a class 

Their proposition is CBAP can help Rev. Cho by starting an RTC there. The General Director immediately accompanied both to the CBS-Asia Executive Director, Rev. Joya who also immediately supported the idea. He then instructed me to start the process of starting an RTC in Zambales.

The aquamarine lake reminds of a work to train pastors who are probably submerged in a lake of inadequacy to minister to their people. The number of untrained pastors in the Philippines is spread like a lake. Four out of six pastors according to Dawn 2000, are without training. That makes this ministerial/theological training an indispensable ministry. That is why CBS-Asia puts up RTCs in far-off places and in minority groups.

 
Pastor Warlito Cruzado
looks happy with the
training he’s receiving

If you want to saddle up and gallop towards information and see pictures related to the Zambales Project, check out my blog site for this project:

http://www.zambalesproject.blogspot.com