by Elpidio Estioko
In a casual yet memorable conversation a few weeks ago, my friend Augusto “Don” Orozco, Information Officer of the Church of Christ, told me that Guam officials recognized their church’s role in community development in the island communities, leading to a proclamation recognizing the Church’s commitment and its positive contributions to the residents.
Declared as a COVID Hero in 2020 at the height of the epidemic that struck the island of Hawaii, the proclamation coincided with the Church’s 111th anniversary, Orozco explained.
So, in celebration of the 111th anniversary of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ), government officials of Guam formally declared July 27, 2025, as Iglesia Ni Cristo Day.
The Ufisinan I Maga’haga (Office of the Governor) proclaimed it on July 18, 2025, Orozco mentioned.
Guam Governor Lourdes Leon Guerrero signed the official proclamation (Proclamation No. 2025-71) recognizing the Iglesia Ni Cristo’s ongoing outreach programs and positive contribution to the island communities.
Cognizant of the Church’s role, Governor Guerrero said:
“We are very appreciative of the commitment of your Church. We certainly welcome the friendship and the relationship of the church in our community. Because these missions improve our families’ lives and make Guam a better place to live.”
In behalf of the Church, Brother Joven Sepillo, Jr., Supervising Minister of the Church’s Ecclesiastical District of Micronesia, and fellow ministers of the Church witnessed the signing. Lieutenant Governor Joshua Franquez “Francis” Tenorio was also present during the occasion.
Brother Joven, speaking for the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC), expressed his sincere gratitude for the proclamation.
“The Church of Christ remains committed being a positive influence to our community, and not only by teaching our fellow members in the Christ to be good, but most importantly to teach them to be God-fearing and to be responsible contributors to the growth and the progress of our communities here in the island of Hawaii,” he said.
With the proclamation, INC renewed its continued role of reaching out to islanders and serving them the best they can.
Orozco, who sent me the release, said:
“The Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ) is a Christian religion in more than 165 countries and territories. It is composed of members from more than 150 different ethnicities and nationalities.”
The INC in Guam is under the jurisdiction of the Ecclesiastical District of Micronesia under the supervision of Brother Joven Sepillo, Jr.
In 2020, during the height of COVID-19, Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero, during her daily COVID-19 press briefing on April 17, announced that INC was a COVID Hero. She said:
“For today’s COVID Hero, I want to acknowledge the Iglesia Ni Cristo Church. Earlier this month, after contact tracing, Public Health officials identified and named Iglesia Ni Cristo church for a cluster among its faithful. Despite being identified as a cluster site for the virus, Iglesia Ni Cristo Church stepped up and worked in tandem with Public Health to identify close contacts, get them tested, and contain the spread. The Iglesia Ni Cristo continues to adhere to social distancing guidelines by migrating services online and distributing educational materials to keep them home for now until we can return to places of worship.”
Since news of the pandemic first broke out and regulations were set by the government, Governor Guerrero said:
“…the Church of Christ has complied immediately and cooperated with all government actions… immediately, INC mobilized its officers in the Church to inform the brethren that they need to follow.”
This response has been consistent across the nations of the Pacific islands. After the recent discovery of Covid-19 positive cases among Church members, Northern Mariana Islands’ Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation CEO Esther L. Muna in Saipan stated in a report with KUAM:
INC remains cooperative with the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services as well as the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation regarding any information they require to ensure the health of its members and all citizens.
I concur with Orozco saying that the said proclamation solidifies INC’s continuing role in serving the communities in the island and will serve as a reminder for INC to continue helping the communities in the island of Guam and neighboring communities.
Concerned with the welfare not only of its members but also of society in general, the INC undertakes programs and projects in its various fields of endeavor, which are guided by and at the same time promote Christian values.
The Care for Humanity (Lingap sa Mamamayan) outreach program has provided immediate assistance to multitudes of people, from calamity victims to indigents and indigenous peoples, and all others who are in need.
More importantly, Orozco interjected, the New Era Hospital in the Philippines not only caters to the health concerns, mostly of its ministers and members, but also helps in mobilizing volunteers for the Church’s medical missions.
Together with the Social Services Office, it conducts free medical-dental missions, blood donations drive, health seminars, and other related campaigns.
Also, the New Era University offers basic to post-graduate programs in its various campuses throughout the Philippines. It also promotes the Alternative Learning Systems program for out-of-school youths, and offers a free Summer Pre-Kindergarten Program.
Another interesting aspect of INC is that resettlement communities commonly consist of housing units, livelihood sites, and a house of worship.
The first one, Barrio Maligaya in Laur, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, was developed to provide refuge for victims of religious persecution. Barangay Bagong Buhay, in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, was established for displaced survivors of the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991. Sitio New Era in Barangay Langit, Alangalang, Leyte was established for the benefit of the victims of Typhoon Haiyan (local name: Yolanda).
Proper and safe shelters are provided for the Church’s volunteer workers, and even to their widows and children. Some of these are the housing projects in the vicinity of the Church’s Central Office in Quezon City; in Rodriguez, Rizal; Dasmariñas, Cavite; and Tagaytay City, Cavite.
INC is definitely at the helm of the community where they serve. They can’t ignore helping because they belong to the community, a continuing commitment they have been giving to their constituents and their neighbors.
Maraming salamat INC! Mabuhay!
ELPIDIO ESTIOKO was a veteran journalist in the Philippines and an award-winning journalist here in the US. He just published his book Unlocking the Chain of Poverty: In Pursuit of the American Dream, which is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Xlibris Publishing. For feedback, comments… please email the author at estiokoelpidio@gmail.com.
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