Understanding

YIFI in the
Past
(YIFI History)
FIDEL C. VELASCO
Area Vice President for North Central Luzon
(NYEC)
2014 - 2017
Historical Journey
 The history of our country has revealed to us how
the young generation became the forerunners of the
revolution for Philippine Independence. The Iglesia
Filipina Independiente (IFI), being a part of this
revolution, may have produced some young leaders
who have taken important roles in the continuous
struggle to achieve the one true “kalayaan at
pagsasarili.”
 Though no documents up to date have proven
the youth’s direct participation in the formation and
development of Iglesia Filipina Independiente, it is
still possible to assume that these young people of
yesterday have contributed a part of himself/herself
(idealism, passion, and abilities) for the realization
of the Filipino church.
Rise of the Youth: the Struggle to
establish it’s own Identity
Late 1950s
Filipino Catholic Youth Organization (FCYO)

-First impression of the youth’s desire to become more

involved in the church and to her ministry.
- The Chaplain on the UP-Diliman Campus called
young people to discuss the possible creation of the
“United Movement”
- Few were responded, those who attended proved that
really such a need to identify one, united, youth
movement within the church
- Pioneers of the FCYO continued to discuss the idea of
the United Movement which well-received by the OM

- A call made again to local Presidents of existing youth

organization in Metro Manila

- Those who responded were from the Parishes of Maria

Clara, Metrica, malabon, Paco and Pandacan.
Philippine Independent Church District
Youth Movement (PICDYM)

- This new group is directly under the Obispo Maximo’s

authority
- Promotional Youth Workers, Fr. Porfirio dela Cruz act as
their adviser
- PICDYM began to educate themselves with the faith
and ministry of the IFI
- Several seminars and symposium were conducted to
discuss church’s history, IFI faith & mission and the
youth of IFI

- Through this, other Dioceses were inspired to established

similar organization

- Rev. Soliman Gano was the first priest has expressed his
wanting to have similar organization in his Diocese.
 1960’s
-Members of the youth in Southern Luzon met in Maria
Clara Church in Manila, together with the young leaders
from Bataan, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and the
PICDYM (Manila and the suburbs)
- Philippine Independent Church Regional
Youth Movement (PICRYM)
- Constitution was first drafted and was approved by the
General Assembly
- March 27 same year, Atty. Reynaldo Beltran elected as
President

- Rev. Eustaquio Conorado, the Chaplain assigned to the

UP Diliman Campus worked hard to establish a Student
Work program in side the University

- In his best effort eventually gave birth to the UPPICSA in

1961 (University of the Philippines-Philippine
Independent Church Student Association)
- The UPPICSA led the call to for the church more
importantly the youth, to rekindle the nationalist heritage
and tradition of the IFI

- They facilitated the venue to stir our youth in

rediscovering the “beauty and value” of our church
history and teachings in the context of the socio-political
and economic conditions of the Philippine Society.

- In 1968, Ms. Carmencita Karagdag and Mr. Fructouso

Sabug, Jr. of the UPPICSA represented the IFI youth in
the World Council of Chuches Youth Assembly in
Uppsala, Sweden
National Youth Movement: Embracing the
Nationalist Heritage and Tradition of the IFI
- 1969 when Obispo Isabelo delos Reyes Jr. called for a
National Youth Assembly at Roosevelt Memorial College
in Sto. Niño, Marikina, Rizal
- It was attended by youth delegates from all over the
country, this assembly convened to from Kilusang
Pambansa ng Kabataan ng Iglesia Filipina
Independiente (KPK-IFI) or the National Youth
Movement of Iglesia Filipina Independiente
(NYM-IFI). Ms. Carmencita Karagdag was elected as
its first Chairman.
- The KPK-IFI became more active in church-based
activities that will develop their faith and recapture the
true ministry of IFI – to serve God through his people

- The KPK-IFI was instrumental in challenging the

well-entrenched conservatism and reactionary
tendencies of our church leaders. The youth
organization demanded reforms within the Church
and appealed for the restoration of the genuine
teachings of the IFI history
 1970’s

- When the Rt. Revd. Macario v. Ga was elected as the new

Obispo Maximo in 1973, he promised to attend to the
concerns of the youth in the church affairs. The following
year, the Supreme Council of Bishops passed a resolution
urging all diocesan bishops and parish priests to develop
youth programs in their respective jurisdictions. The SCB
also created the Office of the National Youth
Coordinator and appointed Revd. Fr. Eustaquio D.
Coronado as its Youth Coordinator.
 On April 21-24, 1976, a National Youth
Consultation took place at the St. Andrew’s Seminary in
Quezon City. In this gathering, the youth have expressed
the need to restructure the National Youth Organization
and adopt a National Constitution and By-Laws. This
consultation also became a venue for the youth to; again,
articulate their wish to be recognized by the church as a
new sector to allow them to have direct participation in
the life, work, and struggle of the IFI.
 A year after, the National Youth Assembly was
held at the IFI Parish of Our Lady of peace and Good
Voyage in La Paz, Iloilo City. On April 15, the
Constitution and By-Laws of the National Youth
Movement was ratified. The youth had also convened
to elect Mr. Fructuoso Sabug Jr. of Antique as the
NYM’s President.
 In 1977, during the IFI’s General Assembly, the
youth successfully campaigned for the church’s
recognition of the youth sector that will enable them to
be more involved in the life of the church. This is
through enfranchising the youth sector in the church’s
organizational structure from all levels. This victory
was realized in the ratification of the IFI Constitution
and Canons of 1977.
 The National Youth Movement changed its name to
National Youth Organization (NYO) at Kaliraya,
Quezon during the National Youth Assembly in 1981.
From then on, the NYO have conducted youth camps,
leadership trainings and formations, exposure and
exchange programs; and had ecumenical involvements. Its
members also participated in issue-based campaigns and
mobilizations in and out of the church.
 Youth of Iglesia Filipina Independiente:
Revolutionizing the Church through Renewed
Spirituality and Service
 1990’s

- Mid-1990, youth started to renew its involvement in the

church
- 1996, National Youth General Assembly was held at the
IFI Parish of Our Lady of Maulawin in Sta. Cruz, Laguna

- 1999, the 11th National Youth Cenvention was held in

Gasan, Marinduque
- Comprehensive ammendments in the C&BL, change of
name from NYO to Youth of the Iglesia Filipina
Independiente
- New Logo and identity, new organizational structure,
and new sets of leaders

- That gathering was remembered as the gathering of

young people burning with great enthusiasm to revive
the legacy of the forebearers of the youth organization
in recapturing the faith and tradition of the church.
- The organization immediately responded to the call of
the mother church to assist in the preparation of the
100th year celebration of the IFI

- The youth actively

participated in the
celebration of the IFI’s
Centennial Year of
proclamation through
performed songs, dances,
and theatrical plays.
2000’s
- National Youth Assembly happened in the same year of
the Centennial celebration at ACTS, Urdaneta City,
Pangasinan in 2002, several youth leaders re-affirmed the
covenant to God by serving the people
through the IFI.
- In 2005, National Youth Assembly was held at IFI,
Balaoang, Paniqui, Tarlac. Thorugh this gathering, the
youth have vowed to follow the path that Christ have
taken – “to serve and not to be serve”
- The youth were also engaged in peace-building activities,
encouraging every Christian to become a “peacemaker.”

- In 2006, the National Lay Congress was taken place at

Batac, Ilocos Norte.
- Day after the NLC, another
youth activities were held at
Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte dubbed
as National Youth
Leaders Assembly
 - The YIFI also
participated actively in
the ecumenical
youth movement in
the country.

- In 2007, the YIFI taking a lead role in holding a National

Peace Camp, participated in by different ecumenical
churches in the country.
The Youth at 40: Challenging Themselves to
Continuously Serve God through his People
Now at its ruby year, the youth are geared towards
strengthening their commitment for the realization of
the IFI mission—to be of service “Pro Deo et Patria!”
The youth have been through 40 years of struggle to
face every challenge in upholding our prophetic
mission. We may have our fair share of ups and
downs, of victories and disappointments, or of
success and failures.
But it is clear that these young people of Iglesia
Filipina Independiente will always be in the forefront
to challenge the church and themselves in rekindling
our nationalistic heritage and tradition.

The YIFI will always be hand-in-hand with the

ordained, the laymen, and the women of the one true
“kalayaan, kasarinlan, at kaginhawaan,”—the main
reason why the Iglesia Filipina Independiente was
founded.
And where we are now???
 Hosea 4: 1-3
• 1Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites,
• because the LORD has a charge to bring
• against you who live in the land:
• "There is no faithfulness, no love,
• no acknowledgment of God in the land.
• There is only cursing,A lying and murder,
• stealing and adultery;
• they break all bounds,
• and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
• Because of this the land mourns,
• and all who live in it waste away;
• the beasts of the field and the birds of the air
• and the fish of the sea are dying.
– Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995,
1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
• Christian youth must join hands
together to be more involved in
the present struggle of the
people for fullness of life – of
peace and justice, of freedom
and democracy.
IPAGPATULOY
PADAYON

AGBIAG

ONWARD
THANK YOU