God’s Word builds the foundations
of a strong community

Photo: New residents of the Home Along the Riles in Valenzuela relocation site in Barangay Bignay, Valenzuela City, Philippines, with the Philippine Bible Society’s Ilaw sa Tahanan (‘Light to the Home’) Bible, distributed there on July 30, 2005. Photo: PBS/Edna Mae Rabago (PHI05DJ-140.JPG)
New residents of the Home Along the Riles in Valenzuela relocation site in Barangay Bignay, Valenzuela City, Philippines, with the Philippine Bible Society’s Ilaw sa Tahanan (‘Light to the Home’) Bible, distributed there on July 30, 2005. Photo: PBS/Edna Mae Rabago (PHI05DJ-140.JPG)

PHILIPPINES — Many of the residents of the two most recently opened relocation sites in Barangay Bignay do not yet have electricity to light up their homes. But thanks to the Philippine Bible Society their lives are being lit up by God’s Word, in the form of the Ilaw sa Tahanan (‘Light to the Home’) family Bible.

The latest distribution under the Bible Society’s Light to the Home program among people whom the government is moving to new housing communities took place on July 30, when the Society collaborated with the National Housing Authority and local churches to distribute 2,400 copies of this special Bible edition which contains both the Tagalog Popular Version text and articles discussing everyday family issues.
Photo: A mother and son with a copy of the Philippine Bible Society’s Ilaw sa Tahanan (‘Light to the Home’) Bible distributed at the Home Along the Riles in Valenzuela relocation site in Barangay Bignay, Valenzuela City, Philippines, on July 30, 2005. Photo: PBS/Nestor Reyes (PHI05DJ-150.JPG)
A mother and son with a copy of the Philippine Bible Society’s Ilaw sa Tahanan (‘Light to the Home’) Bible distributed at the Home Along the Riles in Valenzuela relocation site in Barangay Bignay, Valenzuela City, Philippines, on July 30, 2005. Photo: PBS/Nestor Reyes (PHI05DJ-150.JPG)

Significant role

These Bibles will play a significant role in building a strong community, according to architect Teresita Oblipias, who also welcomed the fact that local churches are to continue working within the community and that a worship centre is to be built.

Local people, too, responded positively to the efforts of the Bible Society and its partners, as these photos show.

Since the Light to the Home program began in 2002, the Bible Society has distributed almost 31,500 copies of the Light to the Home family Bible to residents of 84 relocation sites.

Previous articles about this program can be found in World Report 379/4, 381/8, 384/4, 388/21, 389/30 and 393/6.



Photo: A man reading a copy of the Philippine Bible Society’s Ilaw sa Tahanan (‘Light to the Home’) Bible distributed at the Home Along the Riles in Valenzuela relocation site in Barangay Bignay, Valenzuela City, Philippines, on July 30, 2005. Photo: PBS/Nestor Reyes (PHI05DJ-153.JPG)
Photo: A mother and child at the Home Along the Riles in Valenzuela relocation site in Barangay Bignay, Valenzuela City, Philippines, where the Philippine Bible Society distributed its Ilaw sa Tahanan (‘Light to the Home’) Bible on July 30, 2005. Photo: PBS/Nestor Reyes (PHI05DJ-155.JPG)
A man reading a copy of the Philippine Bible Society’s Ilaw sa Tahanan (‘Light to the Home’) Bible distributed at the Home Along the Riles in Valenzuela relocation site in Barangay Bignay, Valenzuela City, Philippines, on July 30, 2005. Photo: PBS/Nestor Reyes (PHI05DJ-153.JPG) A mother and child at the Home Along the Riles in Valenzuela relocation site in Barangay Bignay, Valenzuela City, Philippines, where the Philippine Bible Society distributed its Ilaw sa Tahanan (‘Light to the Home’) Bible on July 30, 2005. Photo: PBS/Nestor Reyes (PHI05DJ-155.JPG)


(WR 397/27 - 11.05) [5 photos]