Unitarian Universalist Congegation of Castine

UUCC is a partner church with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Aquino, in the province of Negros Oriental, Island of Negros, Philippines. The UU Church of Aquino is a lively but poor congregation in a rural rice-growing area, near the foot of Mt. Canlaon, a volcano. Per capita incomes in the Philippines average less than 4% of U.S. per capita incomes, and Unitarian Universalists in the Philippines tend to be poorer than average Filipinos.

The local language in Negros Oriental is Cebuano. Many people learn Hiligaynon, spoken on the other side of the island, and Tagalog, the national language. English is a fourth language spoken by very few people in this rural area.

The Aquino UU congregation operates two chapels in adjacent villages, Aquino and Cansay-an, and also has an affiliated pre-school and kindergarten. The simple UU chapel in Aquino is built of concrete with a metal roof. The schoolhouse has a concrete floor, woven bamboo walls, and a metal roof. A playground and playground equipment for the school and church were made possible by funds donated by the UU Congregation of Castine.

The Aquino church also has a vitamin and feeding program, and recently added a Sunday School with several different age groups. They are outgrowing their small chapel. In the Philippines public school students have to pay for uniforms, books, and tuition fees. To help with these costs, which can be prohibitive for poor families, the UU Congregation of Castine has a “Dollars for Scholars” program to help support the cost of attending school. UUCC is raising money to support 34 UU students in the Aquino church. Elaine Gerard-Climo is chair of the UUCC Partner Church Committee.