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Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez’s BAHAY PARI



7 August 2008 114 views 13 Comments

It was during the great Holy year of the Jubilee in 2000 when I first heard about the Bahay Pari Project of Diocese of Marbel Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez, DD.

I was then Managing Editor of the short-lived bi-monthly tabloid of the Parish of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in downtown Dadiangas, called The Voyager and was always present to cover various conferences, meetings and gatherings of the clergy.

At that time, Bahay Pari was mentioned as one of the priority projects of the Bishop to enable his aging and retiring priests to have their own communal retirement home, much like the late Cardinal Sin’s Bahay Pari in Makati which he established in 1990.

A lot has happened to me since then and I eventually forgot about it until in one of my recent travels to Koronadal, this signage along the National Highway at the Crossing Rubber in Tupi, caught my eye.

I then made a mental note to visit this place and see what has become of it, 8 years after it was first envisioned by Bishop Guiterrez.

I finally had my chance last Saturday when after a late lunch at Nadie’s Chicken House in Tupi, my best friend Francis agreed to take me there because he too was curious about the place.

We then drove to where the Bahay Pari signage was, about 3-5 kilometers away in Barangay Crossing Rubber to the direction of Koronadal.  Finding it, we then turned left into a dirt road where we passed the Barangay Hall.  In a few more minutes,  we reached a fork at the end of the road and turned right, this time into what appears to be the Papaya Capital of Soccsksargen.  There were hundreds of papaya trees all around us, neatly arranged in rows, looking much like a mini-forest.

Crossing Rubber’s Papaya Plantations found on both sides of the road

We drove and drove, passing by an abandoned chicken coop and drove and drove again, finally realizing that we were lost. No Bahay Pari! Where the hell in heaven’s name is the Bahay Pari?

Luckily we chanced upon some kids who told us to go back some 20 meters up from where we came from and look for the small signage at the left side of the road where the gate to Bahay Pari was.  We finally found the sign which was so nondescript that it was really hard to catch.

The steel gate was half-open so Francis drove the car inside what looks like a farm with an empty field on our left all ready for planting.

Finally, we came at the end of the road and came down the car. Farther ahead, about 10 meters from where we parked was what we came here for, Bishop’s Gutierrez’s Bahay Pari.

Situated on top a hill which inclines down into a field of corn below, the Bahay Pari was still half-finished.

Made mostly of native materials like bamboo and coco lumber, the retirement home has two levels, the lower one still under construction.

The upper level has two rooms, one which is occupied by caretaker Fr. Freddie Paulo (who was on sabbatical at that time) and its own kitchen.

The left side opens into a wide veranda offering a breathtaking view of a winding brook about 30 meters down below and the majestic mountains of South Cotabato farther up west on the horizon.


According to the Bishop when I talked to him during the inauguration of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, they are still looking for more donations from kind-hearted souls for the Bahay Pari in Tupi to be finished.


In addition, he said, “Diocesan priests usually have nowhere to go when they retire. Compared to Religious Priests who have their own congregation to turn to, diocesans have to fend off for themselves. My Bahay Pari will solve that particular concern.”


The good bishop also revealed that a 2nd Bahay ng Pari will also rise in General Santos City as soon as the Tupi house is finished.

So if you want to donate for Bishop Gutierrez’s Bahay ng Pari, you may visit the Bishop’s Palace at Koronadal or talk to any diocesan priest in any of the parishes of the Diocese of Marbel.



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13 Comments »

  • gensanite said:

    kudos to the bishop for this project…

    God bless… :)

    Reply - Quote
    - 7 August 2008 at 8:09 am
  • Jinky said:

    so touching naman this article sir vel!

    wala pa rin tatalo sa atin if caring for the old and pag-uusapan.

    calling all good samaritans, let us support bishop dinualdo’s very noble undertaking.

    ‘might as well visit this place if we have free time to see for ourselves how we can be of help.

    have a pleasant day ahead si vel! continue touching people’s lives. . .

    Reply - Quote
    - 7 August 2008 at 10:23 am
  • orman said:

    ito ang dapat nating suportahan… sana we can come up with weekend events para sa kanila… this is our way of thanking the “retirees” for sticking to their vows…

    ormans last blog post..Snow (Hey Oh) by Red Hot Chili Peppers

    Reply - Quote
    - 8 August 2008 at 10:59 am
  • gensanite said:

    @orman -

    SIR ORMAN… maybe events cum fund raising for the completion of the construction of the bahay pari… :)

    baka may event na puwedeng beneficiary ang project ni bishop for the coming events that we’ll have in the city… :)

    Reply - Quote
    - 8 August 2008 at 4:06 pm
  • bariles (author) said:

    hi gensanite, jinky and orman,

    we could spearhead this project, why not?

    why don’t we discuss it soon in one cozy place serving sanmig lite?

    :)

    Reply - Quote
    - 10 August 2008 at 10:18 am
  • orman said:

    regular visits by groups will surely make the retirees very happy… then lunch picnic… bonfire sa gabi… ganda….

    ormans last blog post..Updates to playlist: India Pix

    Reply - Quote
    - 10 August 2008 at 2:36 pm
  • none_air said:

    dapat talaga may bahay na matutuluyan sila Father pag old na nila. wawa naman pag uuwi sila sa kanilang nag bahay bahay. Thanks Bishop for the very nice project.Dapat suportahan naton ini indi lang sa pag ampo but sa kwarta man..ay abaw gid!

    Reply - Quote
    - 14 August 2008 at 12:00 pm
  • orman said:

    i agree… dapat financial support should start pouring in… they should hire a good marketing person (pro-bono) para people will know about this and matulungan na matapos agad…

    Reply - Quote
    - 14 August 2008 at 6:40 pm
  • nonoy said:

    very good that this has been given due attention now.diocesan priests really needs this kind of concern from their parishioners.hope this will be fully materialized in the near future.

    Reply - Quote
    - 15 August 2008 at 11:30 pm
  • bariles (author) said:

    Originally Posted By none_air
    dapat talaga may bahay na matutuluyan sila Father pag old na nila. wawa naman pag uuwi sila sa kanilang nag bahay bahay. Thanks Bishop for the very nice project.Dapat suportahan naton ini indi lang sa pag ampo but sa kwarta man..ay abaw gid!

    none-air, that is why you should start donating or asking from your boss rey any amount for a start. :)

    Reply - Quote
    - 18 August 2008 at 4:53 pm
  • bariles (author) said:

    Originally Posted By orman
    i agree… dapat financial support should start pouring in… they should hire a good marketing person (pro-bono) para people will know about this and matulungan na matapos agad…

    orman, why don’t you apply your services as one? with your marketing skills and clout in the community, surely this will hasten the process. Go for it! :)

    Reply - Quote
    - 18 August 2008 at 4:55 pm
  • bariles (author) said:

    Originally Posted By nonoy
    very good that this has been given due attention now.diocesan priests really needs this kind of concern from their parishioners.hope this will be fully materialized in the near future.

    Hi nonoy! Thanks for your response. Hope you could help out too by telling others. :)

    Reply - Quote
    - 18 August 2008 at 4:58 pm
  • fr, fred paulo said:

    Hi!
    Nalipay gid ko pagkakita ko sa suport ninyo. Madamo na gid nga balhas kag kabudlay ang naangkon ko dira. sa inyo bulig kag kalooy labi na gid sa financial matapos gid ang bahay pari kay part sa mahimo nga palno dira naman ibutang ang sementeryo sang diocesan priests. I appeal ko sa ila kay ako man ang in charge sang bahay pari tupi kag priests’ cemetery.As of now I’m here in Las Vegas visiting my aging parents.
    salamat gid sa inyo suportar.

    God bless,
    Fr. Fred Paulo

    Reply - Quote
    - 17 October 2008 at 1:52 pm

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