[Philippines] Meeting with the President of Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte

– Fifth Meeting with Foreign World Leader

– Interest in the Activities of the IYF and Pastor Ock Soo Park in a Meeting with the Secretary

– Introduction of the World Camp and Good News Corps during the Meeting with the President

– During the Meeting, “It is a Good Organisation, I will Support It”

– “Let’s Talk about the Specifics, Later.” – Promise of a Future Meeting

On the 10th of February, in the afternoon, Pastor Ock Soo Park had a meeting with the President of Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte in the second-floor hall of the Marco Polo Hotel.

From a long time ago, the Philippines have been suffering from a variety of sociological problems such as corruption and drugs. As soon as the current President, Rodrigo Duterte, was elected, he launched a war against crime and is in the front line against drugs and corruption. Due to these methods, the Philippines are becoming a safer place but there are still a variety of problems that are happening in places so it remains a difficult situation.

Therefore, the IYF branch in the Philippines organised a World Camp in Davao and invited the President in order for Pastor Ock Soo Park to have a meeting with him. Firstly, we had gone to the Secretary’s Office to explain about the IYF and Pastor Ock Soo Park and to request for a meeting with the President. As the Secretary’s Office heard about the current activities of the IYF and Pastor Ock Soo Park; meetings with various foreign world leaders, delivering the Mind Education for students, and the worldwide activities of the IYF, and running a Mind Education for the educators in the Philippines, they revealed their interest to participate in the meeting.

On the 3rd of February, there was an incident where, in a conflict between government soldiers and rebels, a number of government soldiers had died. President Rodrigo Duterte, who came to Davao to offer condolences to the families of the lost ones, met the Good News Corps volunteers. The volunteers explained about the IYF in very simple terms and invited the President once more to the World Camp in Davao, at the USeP, where 4500 Filipino students and 300 Korean students were waiting for him.

The President called the Secretary General and said, “Take note, this Event” Afterwards, despite the potential danger of the rebels, the President had attended the meeting as promised and took part in an individual meeting.

On the 10th, the World Camp was in full flow. The President was participating in the ‘The Philippines Economic Outlook for 2017 | 5th Business Forum’, hosted by the most well-known ‘The Manila Times’ at the Marco Polo Hotel, and this is where the meeting took place.

After the event, during photo time, there were greetings with President Duterte. The President spoke shortly about our activities before moving to a different room to continue the conversation.

The meeting with between Pastor Ock Soo Park and company with President Rodrigo Duterte began in the meeting from on the second floor of the Marco Polo Hotel.

Pastor Ock Soo Park began to introduc why he began the IYF.

“I heard that Your Excellency is declaring a war against crime in the Philippines and was making the place cleaner. I also do the work of making the hearts of people clean. <laughter>

There was a Korean student in America that did drugs and always carried a pistol around with him. That student stayed at my house. When people commit sin such as commit adultery, steal or murder, it all begins from the heart. I am a Pastor. I learnt how the world of the heart changes through the Bible. That student came to Korea and became a new person.

That was the starting point. We founded the IYF in 2001 and we are educating and changing so many youths. In 2009, I was invited by the Communist Youth Party in China and delivered the lecture there for two days. This time, I am educating 4000 students at the USeP and they are so happy at the moment.

It began with the President of Paraguay, Lugo, followed by the President of Benin, Uganda, Kiribati and 10 other world leaders who called me to be in take charge of their youth. Last March, we met an FA with Vietnam to solve the youth problems.

The Chancellor of USeP really enjoyed participating in the World Camp in Korea last year and now we are running the World Camp at her university. Many of the students are changing. A few years ago, when we had the camp in Bangkok, 15 Indian university representatives came to participate and they saw time and time again that the youth were changing. Now many of those university Chancellors now work with us.

We ran a program called, “The World of the Heart” for 50,000 Philippine teachers over three days, which was hosted by the IYF. If the students of the Philippines learn self-control, how to think deeply, and the ability to interact with one another, they will become so much greater. We will continue to work powerfully for the Philippines. If your excellency helped us just like the other governments then it will give us great strength.”

The President replied, “That’s great! Of course!”

Pastor Ock Soo Park continued, “We have a ten-year plan for the Philippines. We are going to start with the Mind Education for the university students, and if your excellency supports us we want to teach this Mind Education to the students through a course at university. Moreover, we want to educate the professors, teachers and students in primary, secondary and high schools to allow the students to have a sound mind from a young age.

Until now, we have run such things by ourselves but now we are at the stage where we really require the help of the government. If you support us, we will work very hard.

In the next 20 years, I am certain that the IYF will be leading the world. Living while controlling one’s heart and living while revealing one’s heart is completely different. Whenever you have time, if you come to our World Camp, you will be able to see how many of the youth are changing.

President Duterte was full of joy and said, “I will support this great work.”

Next, Elder Hyo Jung Hwang said, “Our Good News Medical Volunteers have been providing free medical healthcare to the people in Davao for three days. Yesterday, we treated 1000 people in one day and we are collaborating with the Department of Health to do such things. We will continue to do even more Medical Volunteering for the Philippines.”

The President of Duterte thanked us saying that it was such a good organisation.

Although it was a short meeting, the President promised a future meeting.

Just like the New Year’s Message, God is working through the light of the Gentiles. In 2017, there has already been 5 meetings with world leaders; the light of the gospel is shining brightly. When we think of God, who will lead the Philippines in a blessed way, we are full of hope because He only gives us good things.