"We made Jesus Christ the center of the government" - One Filipino City's Transformation and Hope for the Nation
Jay Esteban / Aimee Herd : Jul 19, 2005
ChristianWorldNews
CWN reports about the city of Escalante back in 1985, when 20 activists were massacred while protesting the corruption that was rampant in the city government at the time. The city was the disdain of its neighbors and businessmen and thought to be cursed.
Instead of giving up, however, Christians in the city were moved by its condition to pray fervently. The answer to their prayers was a "godly and competent" missionary leader who was elected mayor: Santiago Barcelona, Jr. "We made Jesus Christ the center of the government," said the mayor, whose leadership brought the spark needed for transformation.
New schools and houses were built. And a coalition was formed, made up of police and pastors dedicated to wiping out drug use by sharing God's word with the youth of the city.
However, the transformation wasn't complete without overcoming the stigma of the massacre. In 2004, Mayor Barcelona, along with the Christian group "Jesus Revolution in the City," called for a solemn assembly where townspeople were on their knees and faces before God, asking for forgiveness for their city.
The results, through that simple act of faith, have been extraordinary. According to CWN's report, businessmen from the Netherlands, China, Canada and Japan began to invest in Escalante. More and more jobs have been created and the economy continues to grow. A spokesperson for the Filipino-Chinese Association said God and Mayor Barcelona have "transformed Escalante from a very poor municipality that had a deficit of two million when he took over, and at the end of the year, he already had a surplus of 446 million."
Barcelona refuses to take the credit saying, "My role model is Jesus Christ." Now, says the report, other communities are beginning to take the same route with the belief that if it could happen in Escalante, it can happen anywhere.