(Eagle News) — Foreign Affairs secretary Alan Peter Cayetano welcomed the appointment of Iglesia Ni Cristo Executive Minister Brother Eduardo V. Manalo as he noted how the INC has a “very organized system” of coordination that can greatly help concerns of overseas Filipinos abroad.
He also observed how the INC leader had been conducting pastoral visitations of many of the INC’s local congregations abroad.
“One reason is they have churches in several countries around the world and Ka Eduardo is actually visiting many of them,” Cayetano noted.
“Anyone of you (who have) dealt with the INC Church in the localities, kung makikita nyo very organized,” he said.
-Coordination with government-
The secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also observed how this INC system — where their administrators coordinate complaints received from the church’s various local congregations to the government — can actually help the government.
“Whether member or non-member, (kung may mag-complain), they have a system where the tagapamahala in each kapilya has a liaison with the government,” he said.
Cayetano said the DFA saw how the INC’s very organized system would benefit more Filipinos, which is the reason the DFA recommended the INC Executive Minister’s appointment to President Rodrigo Duterte.
“So that system will benefit Filipinos. So that’s one reason that the DFA also recommended and the President approved that,” he said.
-Special envoys help gov’t –
He said that it is also embedded in the DFA’s operations how to include the concerns raised by various special envoys who seek help for the interest of overseas Filipinos and economic diplomacy abroad.
“So basically it’s a support (system),” he said explaining the role of special envoys. “They are able to multiply our efforts in the countries,” he explained.
Cayetano emphasized that that the Duterte administration is really serious in its campaign to protect the interests of all Filipinos abroad, and not just OFWs, which is why, he said, the President appointed the INC Executive Minister.
President Duterte issued the appointment of Ka Eduardo as his Special Envoy for Overseas Filipinos’ Concerns on February 13, 2018. He said this will be in effect until January 29, 2019.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque earlier said that the Philippine government wanted to tap the extensive network of the INC or Church of Christ which has around 6,000 congregations worldwide in addressing the concerns of Filipinos across the globe.
He also clarified that the INC leader would not be receiving any honorarium or budget for his work and that the appointment did not violate the doctrine of separation of Church and State.
(Eagle News Service)
