Light of Peace in San Enrique: The Beginning

It may be fate or destiny. Hon. Ramona Go, the Mayor of San Enrique, calls it providential. I am referring to the first meeting of Mayor Go and the Director of Middle Way Meditation Institute - Iloilo (MMI), Ven. Burin Thitakusalu. I have heard the story told several times but I also would like to share it with those who do not have an inkling about it.

I first heard about it from Ven. Burin himself. It was when we were choosing the schools to be included in the list of model schools for the Inner Peace Leader Philippines Project. He wanted to include San Enrique Central School which is a small one unlike the other schools which are quite big in terms of area and population. He said he knew personally the Mayor in this tiny municipality in the Province of Iloilo. He then proceeded to narrate how he was approached by Mayor Go in the airport
thinking that he was a Tibetan monk. Mayor Go told him that she was going to run for the position that she currently holds and would like to ask for his blessing. He did and that was it.

The next time they saw each other was when he attended a meeting in the Iloilo Provincial Capitol to invite the Mayors in the Province to attend the Light of Peace in the Philippines 2014 in Savannah. The lady mayor again approached him and she reintroduced herself as the Mayor of San Enrique. She won and this is an opportunity for her to thank him for the blessing bestowed upon her by Ven. Burin.

She attended the event in Savannah and wanted the same thing for her town. They didn't meet again for some time. They went their separate ways until one time, Mayor Go chanced upon a group of pupils under Ms. Angela Collado of San Enrique Central School who were cleaning the town plaza. She talked with them and found out that these kids were doing it as part of the 21-day Inner Peace Leader Training. That was why she was more than willing to address the same group of students and their parents as well as representatives from MMI during a meeting. She also shared the same story.

After that another meeting was set and then knowing her interest in the Light of Peace event she was invited by MMI to attend the original event in Thailand. She was so moved by the experience that she vowed to have a similar event in San Enrique and as they say, the rest is history.

Now, on the 29th of August 2015 the Light of Peace in San Enrique will finally happen. Fate? Destiny? Providential? the Light of Peace in San Enrique