Capital:
Manila
Population:
92,681,453
Languages:
Filipino (official; based on Tagalog) and English (official); eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan
Religion:
Roman Catholic 80.9%, Muslim 5%, Evangelical 2.8%, Iglesia ni Kristo 2.3%, Aglipayan 2%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1%
Life Expectancy:
70.8 years
GDP per-capita:
$3,400
Of Interest:
The Philippine archipelago comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of the world's most highly mineralized countries, with untapped mineral wealth estimated at more than $840 billion. The Philippines is the 12th most populated country and has one of the highest literacy rates in the developing world, yet nearly 10% of Filipinos live elsewhere in the world.
Location:
Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam
Voice Of God Recordings - Philippines
Office Manager:
Brother Jeremiah E. Villagracia
Special Information:
This facility is located in a very nice, secure part of Manila/Quezon City Metropolitan area. It is near the main highway which connects north and south Luzon, making it practical for believers to visit. Our representative says it is very neat and spacious, and there is nothing else like it in terms of the area and access for the people.
Short History of Office Manager:
It was sometime in September, 2005 when our pastor informed me that Voice of God Recordings was looking for an office manager in the Philippines, and that if I be interested to apply. So I was excited about the possibility of working for and serving the Lord through the Voice of God Recordings, but I had serious reservations if I be worthy for the job and the difficult prospect of going back to work in Manila. I had once worked in Manila but had come to work and afterwards gone into small business in Mindanao, where I had come to like the place so much already. It was also not that long since I came back to the Lord that time. But there rings deep in my heart and mind about a serious thought of what if the Lord calls me for the job, then I will be in deep trouble if I will not make myself available. I was not sure if the Lord was calling me for it, coupled by a little reluctance of going back to work in Manila. After much prayer, it gave me a serious resolve to tell our pastor that if the Lord indeed calls me, then I will go wherever He sends me or whatever holds after that, for He will be with us all along the way. I just had to make myself available if I am indeed being called for the Lord's service.
I did make myself available when that time came. I suppose along with all the other precious brothers who had also been interviewed by the VGR brothers from the US, I was invited to a Ministers' Meeting the following day. We were four brothers in a room together with our pastor, and I was so happy to get to know a lot more brothers in the Lord who were also billeted in that pension house that we were staying. That very night, after about 3:30am, I woke up and just felt a very deep desperation in my heart to be with the Lord. I felt His awesome Presence and I wanted to be alone with Him, and how much I wanted to express my love to Him. As I went down to the ground floor with my Bible, I couldn't hold my tears, and my heart was exploding for the Lord. The lobby clerk was kind to allow me to open the light in the restaurant so I could use one table there. After prayer, something in my heart and mind told me while I was reading the Bible that I will be asked to pray during that Ministers' Meeting. I didn't mind It at first because I thought that It's just in my mind, but It spoke three times. That morning, I had totally ignored and forgot all about it. After all, who am I that I should be asked to pray there, totally unknown in the Message circles. That is something unthinkable and which I would avoid as much as possible, especially in such kind of an event. I am not even a minister and even avoid being called in to pray in our church. I also came to find out that all the known and respected ministers were all there, even including several missionary brothers from the U.S.
We came in and seated along with two other brothers at the back. I had already forgot everything that happened that morning. We enjoyed and were blessed by the U.S. missionary brothers' talk and presentation that morning. At about noontime, the brother said something like this, "I'd like to call a brother to come to the front to pray for the lunch and for our continuing activities until the afternoon. I'm calling Brother…Brother Jeremiah." I turned around looking for my namesake who may be a minister, but no one stood. He called my name again for about two more times my pastor from Mindanao, who was seated a few tables in front of us, made signs telling me that it was me who was actually being called. So I came to the front and just prayed a simple and sincere prayer. I came back to my chair trembling and seemed to have lost all my strength that I could not seem to stand again. There and then I remembered that something had told me already about it that early morning.
In the fall of 2005, of that same year, I started working for Voice Of God Recordings. As Brother Joseph had said, that “Working for Voice of God Recordings is a calling, and not a job.”
All Praises be to the Lord Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
God bless you
Brother Jeremiah