Our Deepest Sympathy for the Family of Greg Banua Who Recently Passed Away

Greg Banua, a dear friend and a partner of DISOP passed away last September 19, 2009, he was 65 years old.   The DISOP family lost not only a good partner but a friend who inspired many of us to continue fighting for the poorest with continued enthusiasm.

“Father Greg” like he was fondly called, not only because he was close to the church and had 7 children, but because he was a father figure for so many people, created an NGO in 1986, together with Bishop Salvador Modesto in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental called St. Joseph Parish Small Christian Community Livelihood Project, Incorporated (SJP-SCCLPI). Greg was the Executive Director of the organization.  It aims to assist the rural barangays surrounding the Mt. Canlaon area just a few hours ride from the city.   Not long after, in 1998, SJP accessed funds from DISOP to implement a carabao dispersal program for small rice farmers and to organize them into a cooperative. The project also implemented sustainable rice farming among the beneficiaries by utilizing the carabao’s manure as compost. Individual farms were set as demonstration farm for the others.

The project benefited 273 families who were able to improve their income by at least 40% in 5 years, organize themselves and for most of them get a carabao and/or goats.

Greg was known as “Mister Carabao” among the DISOP partners and he was always ready to relax the atmosphere by a good joke or a word of wisdom. The 6^th DISOP Partners conference in 2004 was held in Canlaon City and hosted by SJP, so the place is known to most of us and we fondly remember the cool and beautiful atmosphere of the place.

He was also a very good teacher and continued to teach up to the end of his life in the local college of Canlaon City.

The entire “DISOP Family” expresses its deep sympathy with his family. We will miss him in our gatherings but his spirit will always remain alive.  May the Lord give him the reward of a life of service to the least and last of our society.