GKK is the cement that binds the faithful

Christianity has been in Luzon and Visayas for 500 years whereas it has been in Mindanao for about 200 years. However, the church existed only in the coastal towns of Northern Mindanao (Zamboanga, Cagayan, Butuan, Caraga). The Southern part (now the 5 Cotabato and 5 Davao provinces) was untouched until Uyanguren reached Davao in the late 1800s. Visayas and Luzon settlers arrived in Cotabato and Davao in large numbers only in the 1930s.

The Luzon and Visayan churches are baroque designed because of the Spanish influence and built of big heavy blocks of stones, granite, cement. There is a belfry, a mezzanine for the choir, a baptismal room and a chapel. The ceilings are filled with scenes of heaven, angels, saints. The altar, confessional boxes are of elaborate carved wood. The pulpit is in the right side of elevated with a circular staircase, the convent is attached to the church and there is wide courtyard.

The Mindanao churches are low, squat, made of wood or hollow blocks, no belfry, no mezzanine, no decorative paintings, flowers, etc. On the ceilings and along the inner walls, no courtyard, no parochial school, etc. The pulpits are not along the side of the inner chamber. The benches, confessional boxes, altars are not richly, ornately designed.

The Mindanao churches focused on simplicity, functional, low key, plain designs. Luzon and Visayas have bigger populations, hence there are towns every 10 to 20 kilometers. In Mindanao, the towns are 40 to 100 kilometers apart, there are less roads, bridges, trails, barrio roads compared to Luzon. The areas or territories of the Luzon and Visayas towns are smaller.

Overall, the faithful of the Luzon and Visayan towns can easily attend Sunday Masses and holidays of obligations because of more transport, more roads, bridges and the parish or town territory is smaller. It is easy for the faithful in the Luzon and Visayan parishes to meet, socialize anytime all the time. Ask the Surigao, Agusan, Cotabato, Davao, etc. delegates from the towns outside the capital towns how hard it is for the faithful in the hills and mountains to go to the town parish or churches. Communication between the parish and the faithful is fast and easy in Luzon and Visayas. It is still a problem in Mindanao.

Thus, the most simple, easy, inexpensive vehicle for evangelization or mission work in Mindanao is the GKK. For the Mindanao churches, the faithful is the foundation of the parish church but the GKK is the cement that binds the faithful in the poblacion and those outside the town.