During the summer of 1970, we have visits from Mindanao. First we hear from dad's buddy Cip Malonzo, president of the Mindanao Federation of Labor. He's up from Zamboanga.
Bob and Kari Malcolm and their two daughters, O-i and Kika, come by on their way to Minnesota for four months. Kika and O-i are my favorite maarte mkistas, so we get in some tismis. They live in Davao, too far away for our liking. We usually converge at Westminster Hill Cottages in Baguio at Christmas. Lanky, bearded Bob is cajoled to recite his Swedish version of "The Night Before Christmas."
Today, Bob and Kari report on the Federation of Free Farmers, the FFF, a union of peasants and hacienda workers. organized by progressive Catholic clergy to be expressly non-Communist. The eye of the First Quarter Storm may be over Manila, but its winds are gusting everywhere. The FFF as is becoming more militant. We stop our tismis to listen. Uncle Bob is now talking about a logging company whose CEO has locked out the workers and refuses them their wages. This is particularly delicate. The CEO is a member of the United Church of Christ of the Philippines, our Protestant denomination. Since the governor of the province and the head of the union are also Protestants, a Christian crony network should settle this. But the wheels of justice are slow and the workers' families are now left with nothing to eat. Kari, the effervescent wife of Bob, has been working with the union leader’s daughter to organize relief supplies until the case is settled.
Then, since we're a captive audience, Bob Malcolm teaches us the FFF song, "Whatever you did to the least of my brethren, you did it to the king of all men." Mom senses an opening. "Kerry, get your guitar." I find the chords, and we sing along for a "fraternal" solidarity session, which of course leads to other songs, and then we want Bob to give us one stanza of "The Night Before Christmas" even though we just finished Easter.
In 1971 mom publishes two pop hymnals, and "Whatever you did..." appears in Everybody I Love You. You can download the pdfs of Everybody...here and here.
Later in the summer, David Baradas appears from Mindanao where he is working on a mysterious project.
Bob and Kari Malcolm and their two daughters, O-i and Kika, come by on their way to Minnesota for four months. Kika and O-i are my favorite maarte mkistas, so we get in some tismis. They live in Davao, too far away for our liking. We usually converge at Westminster Hill Cottages in Baguio at Christmas. Lanky, bearded Bob is cajoled to recite his Swedish version of "The Night Before Christmas."
Today, Bob and Kari report on the Federation of Free Farmers, the FFF, a union of peasants and hacienda workers. organized by progressive Catholic clergy to be expressly non-Communist. The eye of the First Quarter Storm may be over Manila, but its winds are gusting everywhere. The FFF as is becoming more militant. We stop our tismis to listen. Uncle Bob is now talking about a logging company whose CEO has locked out the workers and refuses them their wages. This is particularly delicate. The CEO is a member of the United Church of Christ of the Philippines, our Protestant denomination. Since the governor of the province and the head of the union are also Protestants, a Christian crony network should settle this. But the wheels of justice are slow and the workers' families are now left with nothing to eat. Kari, the effervescent wife of Bob, has been working with the union leader’s daughter to organize relief supplies until the case is settled.
Then, since we're a captive audience, Bob Malcolm teaches us the FFF song, "Whatever you did to the least of my brethren, you did it to the king of all men." Mom senses an opening. "Kerry, get your guitar." I find the chords, and we sing along for a "fraternal" solidarity session, which of course leads to other songs, and then we want Bob to give us one stanza of "The Night Before Christmas" even though we just finished Easter.
In 1971 mom publishes two pop hymnals, and "Whatever you did..." appears in Everybody I Love You. You can download the pdfs of Everybody...here and here.
Later in the summer, David Baradas appears from Mindanao where he is working on a mysterious project.
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