Run/Walk for Life & Peace Across the Philippines: Itinerary

I only have 5 days before I start my solo, unsupported Run/Walk Pilgrimage for Life and Peace across the Philippines. I will start immediately after the 6 am send-off Mass for Life and Peace this Friday, April 1, 2011. It will take 57 days to cover 2000+ km. I am posting the purpose of this activity and my itinerary.

This pilgrimage has the following purpose:

1. To express my support for the peace process between the Government of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front, and between the Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. I pray that a peace agreement would finally be reached. I would also like to appeal for a ceasefire between the government armed forces and the New Peoples’ Army during the period of peace negotiations. I will also make an appeal to our people to support the peace process.

2. To express my opposition to the ongoing destruction of the environment caused by logging, mining and coal-fired power plants. I appeal for a total ban on mining and coal-fired power plants and the implementation of the total log ban.

3. To denounce the continuing extra-judicial killings perpetrated by death squads in Davao and other cities in the Philippines. I appeal to the Commission of Human Rights to continue the investigation and come up with a final report and hold accountable local government officials sponsoring these killings.

4. To express my opposition to the Reproductive Health Bill (HB 4244) which is based on a false assumption that there is a crisis of overpopulation in our country that is one of the causes of the continuing poverty of our people and a hindrance to sustainable development. To address this crisis it aggressively promotes population control - contraceptives (some of which may be abortifacient) and mandatory sex education - as the solution to poverty and underdevelopment.

During this pilgrimage, I would like to preach about the Gospel of Life and Peace. To be pro-life means to oppose the above-mentioned manifestations of the culture of death.

I will be delivering a letter to Malacanang for President Noynoy Aquino on May 10, 2011 as I continue my journey from Manila to Aparri. I don't expect to to meet him, I will just leave the letter at the guard house and go on my way.

This is the itinerary:

1. 4/1 Fri: Bajada, Davao City to Carmen (36 k)


2. 4/2 Sat: Carmen to Mawab (34 k)


3. 4/3 Sun: Mawab to Monkayo (35 k)


4. 4/4 Mon: Monkayo to Bunawan (49 k)


5. 4/5 Tue: Bunawan to San Francisco (51k)


6. 4/6 Wed: San Francisco to Bayugan (39 k)


7. 4/7 Thu: Bayugan to Butuan (40 k)


8. 4/8 Fri: rest


9. 4/9 Sat: Butuan to Santiago (44 k)


10. 4/10 Sun: Santiago to Tubod (41 k)


11. 4/11 Mon: Tubod to Lipata, Surigao (40 k), ferry crossing to Liloan, Leyte


12. 4/12 Tue: Liloan to Sogod (37)


13. 4/13 Wed: Sogod to Abuyog (58 k)


14. 4/14 Thu: Abuyog to Tolosa (45 k)


15. 4/15 Fri: Tolosa to Tacloban (25 k)


16. 4/16 Sat: rest


17. 4/17 Sun: Tacloban to Calbiga (59 k)


18. 4/18 Mon: Calbiga to Catbalogan (44k)


19. 4/19 Tue: Catbalogan to Gandara (44 k)


20. 4/20 Wed: Gandara to San Joaquin (46k)


21. 4/21 Thu: San Joaquin to San Isidro (40k) Cross to Matnog


22. 4/22 Good Fri:Matnog to Juban (44 k)


23. 4/23 Sat: Juban to Cumadcad, Castilla (42 k)


24. 4/24 Easter Sun: Cumadcad to Legazpi (35 k)


25. 4/25 Mon: rest


26. 4/26 Tue: Legazpi to Libon (49 )


27. 4/27 Wed: Libon to Naga (50)


28. 4/28 Thu: Naga to Lupi (43 k)


29. 4/29 Fri: Lupi to del Gallego (46 k)


30. 4/30 Sat: Del Gallego to Daet-Tagkawayan Junction (46k)


31. 5/1 Sun: Daet-Tagkawayan Junction to Lopez (32 k)


32. 5/2 Mon: Lopez to Gumaca (20 k)


33. 5/3 Tue: Gumaca to Atimonan (28 k)


34. 5/4 Wed: Atimonan to Lucena (43 k)


35. 5/5 Thu: Lucena to San Pablo (46k)


36. 5/6 Fri: San Pablo to Cabuyao (50 k)


37. 5/7 Sat: Cabuyao– Baclaran, MetroManila (40 k)


38. 5/8 Sun: Rest


39. 5/9 Mon: Rest


40. 5/10 Tue: Baclaran-Balagtas, Bulacan (43 k)


41. 5/11 Wed: Balagtas – San Fernando, Pampanga (37 k)


42. 5/12 Thu: San Fernando – Capas, Tarlac (41 k)


43. 5/13 Fri: Capas- Paniqui, Tarlac (40 k)


44. 5/14 Sat: Paniqui– Binalonan (43 k)


45. 5/15 Sun: Binalonan- Twin Peaks (32 k)


46. 5/16 Mon: Twin Peaks –Baguio (31 k)


47. 5/17 Tue: rest


48. 5/18 Wed: Baguio to Sayangan (50 k)


49. 5/19 Thu: Sayangan to Abatan (35 k)


50. 5/20 Fri: Abatan to Sabangan (48 k)


51. 5/21 Sat: Sabangan to Sadanga (32 k)


52. 5/22 Sun: Sadanga to Lubuagan (32 )


53. 5/23 Mon: Lubuagan to Tabuk (36 )


54. 5/24 Tue: Rest


55. 5/25 Wed: Tabuk to Tuao (43 k)


56. 5/26 Thu: Tuao to Piat (10k)


57. 5/27 Fri: Piat- Gattaran (43 k)


58. 5/28 Sat: Gattaran- Aparri (40 k)

.I will celebrate the Mass for Life and Peace in Aparri on May 29, 2011 Sunday and after that take the bus for Manila. I will be staying in Baclaran, my new home for the next four years and report for work to the CBCP-BEC office on June 1.