Tom & Nancy Cook — Missionaries to the Philippines

Tag: philippines

  • REJOICING IN THE HARVEST 

    “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” — 3 John 1:4

    Remember Billy, the boy whose answer to every question was simply “God”? This season, we’ve watched that same truth play out in the lives of the young people we love.

    We baptized Caleb, Kaella, and Samantha — three more young lives stepping into the Way of Jesus. For each of them, this marks the third generation of their families we’ve had the privilege of baptizing during our 26 years in Olongapo. God is faithful across generations.

    We also dedicated a one-year-old from our church family to the LORD. Her journey with Him is just beginning, and we’re grateful to walk alongside her family as it does.

    And we’ve had the joy of celebrating milestones further down the road. One of our original Children’s Gathering kids just marked seven years as a certified public accountant — she now works for an international company and teaches part-time at the local city college. One of our original School Scholars has completed his medical internship at the internationally recognized St. Luke’s Hospital, and on August 9th, he’ll graduate from medical school and become a Medical Doctor — a tremendous accomplishment for a young man from a lower-class family.

    These young people and their families have climbed a steep, rough road. But ask them how they made it, and — like Billy — the answer comes back the same: God.

    The three who were baptized are well on their way in the Way of Jesus. The one-year-old is taking her first steps. Thank you all for making this possible.

    Rejoicing in the Harvest
  •  The Answer to Every Question

     The Answer to Every Question

    — The Answer to Every Question

    “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” — Colossians 2:2-3 NIV

    Vacation Bible School at the Olongapo City Christian School (OCCS) was one of the main highlights of summer vacation for our three OCCS scholarship students, Caleb, Kaella, and Kelsey. Kelsey is a new addition to our Scholarship Outreach and a newcomer to the first-grade class at Olongapo City Christian School.


    During VBS season each year, I’m reminded of a boy named Billy from a VBS class that I assisted many years ago.
    Every time the teacher asked the class a question, Billy was the first to raise his hand. His classmates chuckled among themselves, knowing that Billy’s answer would be the same each time. To every question, Billy’s answer was “God”.
    Eight-year-old Billy may have been a bit slow in his understanding of some things, but at the same time, he also knew a lot more than many others do.


    God IS the ANSWER to any and every Question in life.

    Olongapo City Christian School (OCCS) 2026 Vacation Bible School (VBS)

    Kaella, Caleb, and Kelsey at Olongapo City Christian School Vacation Bible School 2026

  • Pressing On Amidst Economic Storms

    Pressing On Amidst Economic Storms

    As we prepare the latest updates for the Newsletter Bits & Pieces file, we want to share the reality of the economic situation currently impacting the communities we serve. Our ministry is built on the belief that “slow, steady faithfulness wins the race,” and running that race requires us to navigate some very real, difficult hurdles.

    Here is a brief look at the current economic landscape in the Philippines right now:

    • A Historic Growth Slump: The Philippines’ GDP growth dropped to 2.3 percent in the second quarter of this year. Excluding the COVID-19 pandemic, this marks the slowest the country has grown since 2009—falling well below the 5.3 percent growth that the World Bank predicted for 2026.
    • Ongoing Economic Weakening: The government has tried to brush off the slowdown as “temporary.” However, after a period of strong growth, the fact is that the Philippine economy has seen sharp and continuous weakening since the third quarter of 2025.
    • Infrastructure & Corruption Fallout: One major factor at play is the flood control corruption scandal that broke last year. Increased scrutiny around infrastructure spending has unfortunately slowed investment by both the government and the private sector alike. (The government notes this is being dealt with and expects infrastructure spending to increase in the third quarter).
    • Global Energy Disruptions: The second major factor is the massive disruption to global energy markets following U.S. attacks on Iran and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Because the Philippines relies heavily on oil imported from the Middle East, the country is facing a nasty spike in inflation and a sharp slowdown in consumer spending.
    • Regional Comparisons: These figures make the Philippines one of the worst—possibly the worst—performing economies in the region right now. For contrast, neighbors like Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam have all released figures showing second-quarter growth above 5 percent.

    The Call to “Stoop-Work”

    What do these numbers mean for the people of Olongapo? It means that the daily hardships for our neighbors, our scholars, and the families we serve are actively intensifying. High inflation and economic slumps always hit those at the bottom the hardest.

    Yet, this is exactly where the hard, heavy, and slow work of the Christian in this world takes place. Our response is not found in politics or loud noise, nor is it about reaching for the “heights”—it is about bending the back to do the “stoop-work” of service. As the economic burdens on our community grow heavier, we simply lower ourselves to serve them with quiet generosity and faithfulness.

    Thank you for standing with our Filipino neighbors and us as we continue to press on.

  • The Alchemy of Scrap: Navigating the E-Waste Trade in Subic Bay

    The Alchemy of Scrap: Navigating the E-Waste Trade in Subic Bay

    Subic Bay has always been defined by what moves through its deepwater port. It is an economic engine for Olongapo, Zambales, and the broader Central Luzon region, bringing in jobs, infrastructure, and international trade. But over the last year, a different kind of cargo has been quietly stacking up at the container terminals: the discarded remnants of American digital life.

    Between March 2025 and June 2026, environmental watchdogs tracked 234 containers of suspected electronic waste—old servers, circuit boards, and wiring—originating from the United States and arriving at the Subic Bay Freeport.

    The situation highlights a complicated global reality. What one nation classifies as a toxic liability, another sees as a lucrative commodity. At the center of this exchange are the people living and working around the bay, caught between the immediate need for a paycheck and the long-term stewardship of their home.

    The Economics of Shifting the Burden

    To understand why a broken computer travels thousands of miles across the Pacific, you have to look at the math.

    In the United States, safely recycling hazardous e-waste under strict environmental regulations is expensive, costing anywhere from $300 to over $1,000 per ton. For a waste generator, that is a heavy liability on the balance sheet.

    However, if that same waste is boxed up and exported to a scrap broker overseas, the liability suddenly becomes a profit. Exporters can sell unsorted e-waste for $50 to $200 a ton. They clear their warehouses, make a modest return, and pass the environmental burden downstream.

    The United States is one of the few industrialized nations that has not ratified the Basel Convention, an international treaty designed to stop developed countries from dumping hazardous waste into developing ones. Because the U.S. is not bound by the treaty, the export of these materials exists in a regulatory gray area, exploiting legal loopholes to reach shores like ours.

    “Urban Mining” vs. Toxic Dumping

    Inside the Subic Bay Freeport, local recycling locators have defended the imports as a vital part of the circular economy. They call it “urban mining.”

    And in a strictly economic sense, they aren’t wrong. A single ton of high-grade electronic circuit boards yields significantly more gold and copper than a ton of raw mined ore. Operating with tax exemptions inside the Freeport, and utilizing a local labor force that is far less expensive than automated American plants, these facilities manually dismantle the scrap. The valuable metals are extracted and sold to global smelters, generating revenue and creating formal employment for residents of Olongapo and nearby towns.

    For the man on the street—a father trying to put rice on the table or pay for his children’s schooling—a job at a sorting facility is a lifeline. It provides a steady income in a region where formal employment can sometimes be scarce.

    But this economic opportunity comes with a quiet, lingering cost. Electronic waste is laced with lead, mercury, cadmium, and flame retardants. While the valuable gold and copper are exported back out, the toxic, non-recyclable residuals—chemical sludges and contaminated plastics—remain behind. If a facility cuts corners on safety protocols or ventilation, the workers bear the physical cost through respiratory issues and heavy metal exposure. Furthermore, the risk of chemical runoff poses a direct threat to the marine ecology of Subic Bay, which local communities rely on for both fishing and tourism.

    Jam Lorenzo, deputy executive director of BAN Toxics, summarized the fundamental tension during recent protests: “The unimpeded entry of e-waste into Subic infringes upon our country’s regulatory authority over our territory. Such activities run contrary to the state policy of safeguarding the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and environmental protection embodied in our Constitution.”

    A Line in the Sand

    The tension between these two realities recently came to a head.

    On July 22, 2026, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) at the Port of Subic took decisive action. Acting on intelligence regarding the MV Tokyo Express, authorities flagged three incoming containers declared as “scrap copper” from the U.S. Instead of allowing them to be offloaded, the BOC issued a “Retain on Board” order, citing the Philippines’ obligations under the Basel Convention. The ship departed a day later, taking the cargo with it.

    Following this incident, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) clarified its stance. Armie Llamas, head of the SBMA Communications Department, stated, “The SBMA, in collaboration with the Bureau of Customs Port of Subic Bay, has denied the entry of suspected e-waste shipments originating from the US, a country that is not a party to the Basel Convention.” She added that as a signatory, the Philippines, through the SBMA, is committed to upholding the treaty’s provisions.

    It was a significant victory for local environmental groups, including the EcoWaste Coalition and BAN Toxics, who have been sounding the alarm for months. Yet, the watchdogs have already flagged an additional 184 containers of suspected e-waste currently in transit, expected to arrive between August and September.

    The inter-agency meetings now taking place between the BOC, the SBMA, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will determine the future of this trade in our region.

    Weighing the True Cost

    The business of imported e-waste asks a fundamental question about how we value our resources and our people. There is undeniable ingenuity in recovering precious metals from discarded technology, and the jobs provided by these facilities matter deeply to the families who rely on them.

    However, a truly fair economy does not require a community to trade its long-term health and the safety of its environment for short-term wages. Real prosperity involves honest accounting. As long as it remains cheaper for developed nations to ship their hazardous liabilities overseas rather than process them responsibly at home, the pressure on ports like Subic Bay will continue.

    Finding a balanced path forward means ensuring that the pursuit of profit does not leave the heaviest burdens on the shoulders of those least equipped to carry them.

    Editor’s Note: This article was prepared and structured with the assistance of artificial intelligence. All facts, quotes, and regional details have been directed, reviewed, and verified by the author to ensure accuracy, fairness, and alignment with verifiable events.

  • The Real Cost of Calories

    The Real Cost of Calories

    Ministry News & Updates:

    Greetings from Olongapo City! As we continue our daily outreach, we want to share a glimpse into the economic realities our neighbors face every day. When we talk about hunger in our communities, the crisis isn’t always an absolute lack of food; it is the prohibitive cost of nutritious food.

    To understand the daily reality for millions of families here, we have to look at the math.

    The Mathematics of a Daily Diet

    Here in Central Luzon, the minimum wage hovers around ₱500 per day. For a family of five relying on a single minimum-wage earner, the daily budget is stretched incredibly thin after paying for rent, utilities, and transportation.

    To maintain basic energy levels, a family of five needs roughly 10,000 calories a day combined. Here is a look at how the cost of basic local food items translates into that daily energy:

    • White Rice: ₱50 – ₱55 per kg (High carbohydrate energy, but extremely low in micronutrients).
    • Instant Noodles: ₱15 – ₱20 per pack (High sodium and empty calories).
    • Eggs: ₱8 – ₱10 per piece (Excellent source of accessible protein).
    • Whole Chicken: ₱200 – ₱220 per kg (High-quality protein).
    • Leafy Greens: ₱40 – ₱60 per bundle (Vital for iron and vitamins).

    The “Empty Calorie” Trap

    Looking at those prices, the survival strategy for many families becomes clear. A family can physically fill their stomachs and meet their basic caloric needs for around ₱150 to ₱200 a day by relying almost entirely on bulk white rice and processed foods like instant noodles.

    However, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that a genuinely healthy, balanced diet—one that includes sufficient daily protein and fresh produce—costs roughly ₱250 to ₱290 per person, per day.

    For a family of five, that equals roughly ₱1,250 to ₱1,450 daily—nearly three times the regional minimum wage.

    The Impact on the Next Generation

    This massive gap between the cost of survival calories and nutritious calories leads directly to severe health challenges. Because protein is often priced out of reach, roughly 26% of Filipino children under five suffer from stunting, which limits long-term cognitive development and immune system strength. Furthermore, relying on rice and instant noodles leaves individuals severely deficient in vital nutrients like iron and Vitamin A.

    Bridging the Gap Together

    Understanding these numbers changes how we approach our ministry. When we organize feeding outreaches or distribute grocery packs, our focus cannot just be on handing out bulk rice.

    Because of your continued partnership, we are able to bridge the nutritional gap that families simply cannot afford to fill on their own. Your support provides access to the proteins, fresh produce, and fortified goods that change a child’s developmental trajectory.

    True community development isn’t just about keeping people from starving; it is about ensuring they have the physical foundation they need to live healthy, capable, and dignified lives. Thank you for standing with us and for investing in the health and future of this community!

  • The Sweet Necessity: The Ingenuity Behind Banana Ketchup

    The Sweet Necessity: The Ingenuity Behind Banana Ketchup

    Walk into any Filipino kitchen, and you will inevitably find a bright red bottle sitting on the table. To the uninitiated visitor from the United States, it looks like standard tomato ketchup. But one taste—a unique balance of sweet, tangy, and savory—reveals that this is something entirely different. This is banana ketchup.

    While it is now a beloved staple of Filipino cuisine, the story of this condiment is not a lighthearted one. It is a story of scientific brilliance and quiet heroism born during the dark years of World War II.

    A Genius in the Lab

    The invention of banana ketchup is the legacy of María Orosa, a brilliant food chemist born in Taal, Batangas, in 1892. After earning degrees in pharmaceutical and food chemistry at the University of Washington in the United States, Orosa was offered a prestigious, lucrative position as an assistant chemist with the Washington state government.

    In an era of systemic prejudice against women and immigrants, her success was remarkable. Yet, she chose to walk away from that comfort. Believing her knowledge belonged to her home, she returned to the Philippines to lead the plant utilization division at the Bureau of Plant Industry.

    Invention Out of Need

    In the 1920s and 30s, the Philippines relied heavily on imported canned goods, even though the islands were rich with agricultural resources. Orosa set out to change this, developing over 700 recipes and preservation methods to promote self-reliance.

    The creation of banana ketchup was born of this desire to utilize local ingredients. With tomatoes scarce and expensive, Orosa experimented with the abundant banana crops. She created a sauce that was not only shelf-stable but also suited the Filipino palate, which inherently favors sweeter profiles.

    A Weapon of Resistance

    When the Japanese invaded the Philippines in 1941, Orosa’s scientific work took on a life-saving urgency. She joined Marking’s Guerrillas, a local resistance group, holding the rank of captain.

    While others fought with rifles, Orosa fought with science. Working under the radar, she organized a system to smuggle her nutrient-rich inventions—such as Darak (vitamin-rich cookies made from rice bran) and Soyalac (a protein-rich soybean preparation)—into internment camps at the University of Santo Tomas. Hidden inside hollowed-out bamboo tubes, these “miracle foods” kept thousands of prisoners of war and civilians from dying of starvation and beriberi.

    Tragically, Orosa was killed by shrapnel during the Battle of Manila in February 1945. She did not seek the spotlight, but her work—including the humble banana ketchup—remains a lasting testament to her practical, quiet dedication to her people.

    More Than a Condiment

    Today, banana ketchup is a flavor identity. It is an essential partner to fried chicken, the secret behind the unique sweetness of Filipino-style spaghetti, and a common dipping sauce for everything from omelets to hotdogs. It stands as a reminder that the most ordinary things in our lives often hold the most extraordinary histories.

    What’s Next?

    We have only just begun to scratch the surface of the Filipino table. In future articles, we will explore:

    • The Sacadas of Sugarlandia: A look at the migrant workers of Negros and the grueling history behind the sugar that sweetens our daily lives.
    • The Working-Class Jeepney: How a generation of Filipinos turned abandoned WWII military jeeps into the backbone of the nation’s public transport.
    • The Fisherfolk of Manila Bay: A profile on the families who have relied on the bay for generations and their resilience in the face of changing tides.

  • Strength in the Shadows: The Filipina Experience During World War II

    The history of the Philippines during the Second World War is often recounted through the movements of armies, the strategies of generals, and the tragic falls of Bataan and Corregidor. Yet, running parallel to the military campaigns is a narrative just as vital, though often less documented: the experience of Filipina women during the Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945.

    Their wartime reality was not defined by the glamorous or romanticized narratives often found in fiction. It was defined by grueling endurance, quiet sacrifice, and profound courage.

    The Frontlines of the Home

    When the Imperial Japanese Army occupied the archipelago, the daily lives of Filipinas changed overnight. With many men conscripted, killed, or fleeing to the mountains to join the guerrilla resistance, women were left to manage the survival of their households under hostile conditions.

    • Economic Survival: Hyperinflation caused by the occupation currency (often derisively called “Mickey Mouse money”) made purchasing basic necessities nearly impossible. Women turned to bartering, foraging, and black-market trading to secure rice and medicine for their families.
    • The Anchor of Faith: During a time of immense uncertainty and fear, faith became a crucial mechanism for survival. Across various Christian traditions and local communities, churches and neighborhood prayer gatherings served as hubs of mutual support, offering both spiritual solace and a quiet space to share critical information.

    The Resistance: Spies, Smugglers, and Soldiers

    Filipinas were not merely passive observers of the war; many actively worked to undermine the occupation. They leveraged the fact that occupying forces often underestimated women, using this blind spot to their advantage.

    • Josefa Llanes Escoda: A prominent social worker and founder of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, Escoda and her husband systematically smuggled food, clothing, and vital medicines to Filipino and American prisoners of war enduring the horrors of the Bataan Death March and the concentration camps at Capas. Her network saved countless lives before she was eventually discovered, imprisoned, and executed by Japanese forces in 1945.
    • Magdalena Leones: Operating in Northern Luzon, Leones served as a special agent and intelligence officer. She memorized the names of enemy ships, their contents, and the identities of Japanese commanders, relaying this information to guerrilla forces. She personally smuggled radio parts and explosives through heavily guarded checkpoints. For her verifiable, life-saving intelligence work, she became the only Filipina to be awarded the United States Silver Star during WWII.
    • Medical Workers: Nurses and civilian doctors routinely risked their lives treating wounded guerrilla fighters in secret, fully aware that aiding the resistance carried a penalty of death.

    The Unspoken Trauma: The Malaya Lolas

    Any factual recounting of this era must compassionately acknowledge the deep wounds inflicted upon Filipina women.

    As the war progressed, the Japanese military systematically institutionalized sexual slavery. An estimated 1,000 Filipina women and girls were abducted, confined in garrison houses, and forced into servitude as “comfort women.”

    The trauma endured by these women—who later organized under the name Malaya Lolas (Free Grandmothers)—was both physical and psychological. For decades after the war, a profound cultural stigma forced many to carry their pain in silence. It was only in the 1990s that survivors began stepping forward to publicly demand official apologies and historical recognition. Their struggle for justice has been a long, sobering reminder of the enduring scars of war.

    A Legacy of Endurance

    The liberation of the Philippines in 1945 brought an end to the occupation, but the rebuilding of the nation rested heavily on the shoulders of its women. They buried the dead, rebuilt broken communities, and worked to heal families fractured by years of violence.

    Looking back at the Filipina experience during World War II requires us to strip away sentimentality and face the stark truths of the era. Their legacy is not a neat, comforting story. It is a testament to the raw, unyielding human capacity to endure deep suffering, hold fast to faith and conviction, and do what is necessary to protect the lives of others.

  • María Orosa: The Chemist Who Fed a Nation in Crisis

    María Orosa: The Chemist Who Fed a Nation in Crisis

    History often remembers the generals and politicians of wartime, but some of the most profound acts of courage come from those who simply do the work in front of them. During World War II in the Philippines, one of the most vital figures of the resistance was not a soldier, but a food chemist named María Orosa.

    María Orosa The Chemist Who Fed a Nation in Crisis

    Brilliance Over Prejudice

    Born in 1892 in Taal, Batangas, Orosa possessed a brilliant scientific mind. She traveled to the United States in 1916 as a government scholar to study at the University of Washington. During the 1910s and 1920s, the American academic and professional landscape was deeply challenging for women, and even more so for a woman of color. The field of chemistry was heavily dominated by men, and a Filipina immigrant faced systemic barriers at every turn.

    Yet, Orosa’s talent was undeniable. She earned degrees in pharmaceutical chemistry and food chemistry, and her expertise became so highly regarded that the Washington state government offered her a position as an assistant chemist. In an era of intense prejudice, she secured a lucrative, prestigious job that many would have envied.

    What makes her story extraordinary is that she walked away from it. She did not return to the Philippines because she was overlooked in America; she returned because she rejected the comfort and status of that success. She deliberately chose to bring her skills back to a less-equipped laboratory in Manila because she believed her knowledge belonged to her country.

    A Focus on Self-Reliance

    In the 1920s and 30s, the Philippines was heavily dependent on imported canned goods, despite its abundant agricultural resources. Orosa set to work changing this. As the head of the plant utilization division at the Bureau of Plant Industry, she developed over 700 recipes, preservation methods, and canning techniques using native ingredients.

    She is perhaps most widely known today for inventing banana ketchup—a clever, locally sourced alternative to tomato ketchup. But her most significant contributions were born out of a desire to eradicate malnutrition. She created two vital nutritional supplements:

    • Soyalac: A highly nutritious, protein-rich liquid preparation made from soybeans.
    • Darak: A vitamin-rich cookie made from rice bran (the outer coating of the rice grain usually discarded during milling). Darak was packed with Vitamin B1 and was specifically designed to prevent and cure beriberi, a deadly disease caused by thiamine deficiency.

    The War Years

    When the Japanese invaded the Philippines in 1941, Orosa’s scientific work took on a new, life-saving urgency. Rather than fleeing or keeping her head down, she joined Marking’s Guerrillas, a local resistance group, holding the rank of captain.

    Her weapon was her laboratory. As the occupation dragged on and food supplies dwindled, thousands of Filipino and American prisoners of war were held in camps like the one at the University of Santo Tomas. Starvation and disease were rampant. Working under the radar of the occupying forces, Orosa organized a system to smuggle her Darak cookies and Soyalac into the internment camps. Hidden inside hollowed-out bamboo tubes, these “miracle foods” were covertly passed to prisoners.

    Survivors of the camps later testified that Orosa’s smuggled nutrients were the only thing that kept thousands of people from dying of starvation and beriberi.

    A Tragic End, A Lasting Legacy

    In February 1945, the Battle of Manila began as American and Filipino forces fought to retake the city from the Japanese. The fighting was brutal, and the city was subjected to devastating artillery fire.

    Friends and family pleaded with Orosa to evacuate the Malate district where she lived and worked. She refused. She felt a deep responsibility to her staff and her country, reportedly telling her loved ones, “I cannot abandon my work.”

    On February 13, 1945, while at work in the Bureau of Plant Industry, Orosa was hit by shrapnel from an American artillery shell. She was taken to the nearby Malate Remedios Hospital, a makeshift facility serving the wounded. In a tragic turn of events, the hospital itself was struck by a second bombing raid later that same day. Orosa was killed instantly at the age of 51.

    María Orosa’s life was defined by practical service. She did not seek the spotlight, but simply used the tools and knowledge she had to address the immediate needs of her fellow citizens. In a time of profound darkness, she used her work to keep thousands alive, demonstrating that true heroism often looks like steady, quiet dedication to the welfare of others.