“I notice you speak well,” said a former combatant as he shied away after our interview with him. He smiled sheepishly, showing his stained teeth that screamed of how he had lived his life from childhood to today.
“Maybe I was,” he smiled again; his eyes became unfocused, perhaps summoning memories from the past.
“I used to speak before a thousand —no, two thousand. But it wasn’t about God, but about fighting and resistance.”
A source confided that he was the finest among his band of insurgents. He was groomed to be an asset, even rising as the group’s best medic, tending to his wounded comrades with little more than grit and makeshift remedies.
Above all, he was molded into a fierce leader, a lion among his people, destined to roar for their cause and one day force the government to reckon with their demands.
Though only in his early forties, his life is already seasoned by years of toil, resistance, and violence. He learned to survive in the wild, not out of poverty, but to endure the chaos of military-civilian unrest, dodging bullets and braving weapons.
Amid dense foliage and tangled undergrowth, his people multiplied, eventually creating a thriving community from the jungle.
“One day, I found myself returning to the government. I didn’t know how to live again at first, but Engr. Vir Cabacang gave me a job on his farm. Not only me, but many of us,” said Jake (not his real name), his eyes gleaming with gratitude.
Engr. Virgilio Cabacang owned the hectares of farmland they are tending, the very land that provided them the means to live. When the kind landowner provided a means of livelihood to this former insurgent, he did so not only for himself and his family, but also for many more families who have returned to the government.
“But back then, our lives still felt wasted. Most of what we earned vanished into drinking and gambling.” They labored beneath the punishing sun, only to watch their wages slip away. With every round of drinks, they lost sight of the families waiting for them at home.
While we talk, a beautiful, solemn Cebuano worship song floated in the background. Pastor Antonio Gobi, president of the Samar Mission, who had known the place so well, said, “Before they had accepted Jesus, these hills vibrated with their wild and rock’n’ roll music. But it has long changed,” he added. “The songs you hear in every home these days are praises and worship.”
The transformation swept through not just a handful of returnees, but the entire community and their families. Who could have imagined that this once-feared place would become a haven of worship? Each morning and evening, before heading to the fields or resting for the night, they gather—sometimes weary, but always together—at Engr. Cabacang’s farmhouse to lift their voices in praise.
No ordinary person could have pictured such a change. Yet those who serve and worship God know that nothing is beyond His reach. He can cleanse even the darkest sins, turning them pure as snow.
All this began with one man who saw these people not as workers, but as his mission. He rarely preached, but his actions and acceptance speak volumes—far louder than any sermon.
After leaving his job as an agricultural engineer, Cabacang kept his promise to God and reached out to these people. At first, he hesitated, fearing rejection. Yet he did not realize they had already seen God through his life. He stood apart, welcoming all, never believing anyone was beyond hope or redemption.
“I was not sincere at first; I just sat there out of respect for Engr. Cabacang. However, as the days go by, I felt God talking to me, inviting me to accept Him.”
Gobi then shared how Cabacang strategically approached the people. Instead of sending them to the farm, he let them sit down for a “Health, Happy Family , and Moral Recovery Seminar.” Their daily wage continued, but the requirement was that they come as a family.
“It’s pointless if only the husbands or only the wives attend. They would still clash over each other’s newfound faith,” Cabacang explained.
“The seminar was held during the day. While the adults listened to the lectures, their children also attended a Bible class. What the adults got, their children also learned,” a church leader added.
After the seminar, families embraced Jesus as their Friend and Savior. From that moment, their lives shifted dramatically. Old habits faded, replaced by new ways of living.
Gobi then shared how the couples were assisted and nurtured by the women’s ministries department, as most were unwed.
“The women helped them process their papers for the mass wedding offered by the government. They bought them sets of wedding attire.”
“It felt strange to put on that wedding gown, but it felt right and wonderful,” one of Jake’s neighbors said.
Everyone listening to the interview laughed. It just felt wonderful to see the miracle of how they have transformed from their old ways.
“The peace and order that once had been an elusive dream has now come true,” said Jake. All because of one man who believes Jesus can change and make them whole.
By Lyn Lucero | East Central Philippines Union Conference Communications