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Orthodoxy in the Philippines
'''Orthodoxy in the Philippines'''
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The beginnings of Christianity in the Philippines
After fighting a bloody revolution against Spain, the Philippines then fought another war for its independence against the United States. However the Philippines was annexed by the United States in 1898 and remained a colony until 1946. Religious tolerence was then instituted and the Spanish Inquisition was abolished in 1898. The new American governor-generals then encouraged the spread of the Episcopal Church through government donations of land.
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Orthodoxy in the Philippines
Orthodoxy arrived in the Philippines due to the influx of Russian emigrees fleeing the Soviet regime during the American colonial regime. In 1935, a large Russian parish was established in Manila and the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia appointed Father Mikhail Yerokhin as vicar. The Episcopal Church then permitted Fr. Mikhail to use the north transept of their cathedral for worship. In 1937, the first Orthodox cathedral was built and was named after the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God. This also became the first Orthodox altar in the Philippines. Later, both the Episcopal and Russian Orthodox cathedrals were destoryed during the Second World War.
In 1949, 5,500 Russian Orthodox from China, including then Archbishop John Maximovitch, was relocated to Tubabao in south-central Philippines by the International Refugee Organization and with the permission of the newly independent Republic of the Philippines. Archbishop John Maximovitch then established a wooden church, orphanage, and other buildings in Tubabao for the refugees. Until the present time, older Filipinos still remember the "Holy Man"and he is still revered by non-Orthodox in south-central Philippines.
Tubabao, however, was (and still is) an underdeveloped island which is humid, prone to typhoons, and at times inaccessible due to the ocean conditions. Through the persistent lobbying of When a Russian commented on their fear that a typhoon would destory their camp to local Filipinos, they replied that there was nothing to worry about because “your holy man blesses your camp from four directions every night.” There were no typhoons or floods while Archbishop John Maximovitch to the US Congress, the refugees were allowed to settle in the United States and Australiawas there.
In 20061997, preliminary steps were discussed to establish an Antiochian presence Greek expatriate businessmen in the Philippinesopened a Greek parish under the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Manila. Plans have not yet been announced.
In 2007, very preliminary discussions were also are being held to re-establish the a Russian Orthodox Church presence in the Philippines. Plans are still being formulatedwith several planned parishes for Filipinos and for other Orthodox Christians needing pastoral care.
