Nichiren Daishonin's Birthday Commemorative Gongyo Meeting was held (February 16, 2009)
Soka University Students
A total of 650 members participated
At exactly 7:00 pm, a resonant evening gongyo was started with all the
attendees led by SGI Philippines General Director Roger Cabauatan.
To celebrate the Daishonin's birthday, the commemorative meeting was colored with wonderful entertainment and performances by twenty-two (22) Soka University students who were currently in the Philippines and are taking up the intensive English Language program at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.
Lastly, General Director Roger Cabauatan made his speech in which SGI President Ikeda's guidance, “To My Friend” was quoted:
“The Gosho states,
[Winter always turns to spring. (*)
By challenging ourselves every day with rigorous fortitude, we are creating
causes for a triumphant life.
Let's each win and open the way to a springtime filled with happiness and
fortune in our respective arenas.”
World Peace Gongyo Meeting was held last May 3
Young Men's Division lead the Gakkai Song
Boys & Girls Division members
The World Peace Gongyo was held in the SGI Philippines' Youth Culture Center (simultaneously with other culture centers across the archipelago) last May 3 (Sunday) in Silang, Cavite amid a clear and glorious weather.
The meeting was held in conjunction with the celebration of May 3 (considered
as Soka Gakkai's New Year's Day) as well as Soka Mother's Day.
The meeting was promptly started at 10 AM with a morning gongyo led by Vice National Secretary Eduardo Mesa. After the gongyo, a Gosho passage was shared by a local leader of the YWD.
Thereafter, an intermission number by the Boys and Girls Division of GMA
Chapter was performed. The angelic yet energetic performers in full Filipiniana
costumes rendered a medley of folk dances that included Tinikling, Maglalatik
among others. Their sterling performance made the members and guests alike
awe-struck as they performed the dances with gusto as if they were seasoned
veterans. Indeed, it was a splendid performance befitting the magnificent
day of celebration.
After the May 3 message from SGI President Ikeda was read, a video-showing
of the Headquarters Leaders Meeting held in Japan just this February was
made. Through both Ikeda-Sensei's heartwarming message and video, the local
members were yet again inspired in their endeavors for the movement of
kosen-rufu.
World Peace Gongyo Meeting was held last June 7
A new member joyfully receives her Gohonzon
Young Men's Division leader shares a Gosho
The World Peace Gongyo Meeting for June was radiantly held under blue skies
in the Youth Culture Center (YCC) in Silang, Cavite on June 7 (Sunday)
- simultaneous to the ones being held in the SGI Philippines Culture Center
in Timog, Quezon City and Manila Culture Center in Escolta, Manila. Aside
from this, the observance of the said meeting is also being held in Culture
Centers in Cagayan de Oro City, Davao City and Cebu City as well.
After experiencing almost a weeklong relentless rain and floods, the cheerful
members were very much thankful for a very fine weather as they gathered
early at YCC. The meeting was promptly started at 10 AM with a refreshing
and resonant morning Gongyo led by Vice National Secretary Eduardo Mesa.
Then a solemn Gohonzon Conferral Ceremony was conducted wherein three (3)
new members and their families received their respective Gohonzon and were
subsequently warmly welcomed as fellow SGI members. Thereafter, a powerful
rendition of Gakkai song led by YMD members was conducted.
A Gosho passage from "The Bodies and Minds of Ordinary Beings"
from the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume 1 was then delivered by
a YMD leader in which the spirit of making offerings to the Mystic Law
was emphasized. After this, the much-anticipated video showing of the Headquarters
Leaders Meeting where SGI President Ikeda gives a speech was watched by
eager members. By watching the video, members learn many things such as
the history of the organization, fundamentals in the practice of faith
and more importantly get in sync with their beloved mentor, Ikeda-Sensei.
Thus each member was able to renew their conviction in faith and advance
along the noble path of realizing kosen-rufu.
After the meeting, some of the members continued to encourage and update
one another while they took their picnic under the glorious weather filled
with hope.
Relief Activity Effort by SGI Philippines (updated on October 23)
Last September 26, 2009, tropical storm "Ondoy (Parma in Asian name)"
raged across Metro Manila dumping a reported 34 cm of rain ? equivalent
to a month's worth of rainfall ? in just 6 hours, and another tropical
storm "Pepeng (Melor in Asian name)" likewise hit the northern
island of Luzon.
Figures from the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) showed that the combined death toll from these two storms has already reached 858 as of October 19, 2009. And as of the present, NDCC reported that nearly four million people or about 900,000 families have already been affected.
As of today, more than 112 barangays (villages) in 21 municipalities of Laguna and Rizal in the Calabarzon region remained flooded with water ranging from knee to waist deep since “Ondoy" struck the country last September 26.
In response to these developments, SGI Philippines Headquarters staffs and some of its volunteers who heard of the massive relief activity efforts being promoted by various institutions including the mass media, promptly organized its own relief effort and traveled to deliver relief goods to our SGI member’s places in the affected areas both hoping that our members there are safe, and assure that those relief goods would reach them.
Upon receiving reports about this unfortunate turn of events, SGI President
Daisaku Ikeda quickly expressed his sympathy in his message to SGI Philippines
members as follows: "I am sending my heartfelt sympathy to everyone.
I am sending Daimoku to everyone."
SGI Philippines would like to express its gratitude to our beloved SGI President Daisaku Ikeda as well as to those who have extended their sympathy and prayers.
