Baháʼí Faith in the Philippines
The Association of Religion Data Archives (relying on World Christian Encyclopedia) estimates the Baháʼí population of the Philippines at about 272,600.
The seventh tablet was translated and presented by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab on April 4, 1919, and published in Star of the West magazine on December 12, 1919.
"[7]Mirza Hossein R. Touty (perhaps a transliteration of "Tiati"), a Persian Baháʼí and subscriber to Star of the West, travelled to the Philippine Islands in 1921 before the death of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá,[1] during American territorial period.
His first encounter with the Baháʼí Faith was in 1924 when a purchase he made was wrapped in a piece of old newspaper which contained an article by Martha Root about the religion.
As the boat was to dock for only a few hours, she managed to place in a college library a few pamphlets for the shelf of comparative religions.
Born in Talisay, Negros Occidental, she was the daughter of a prominent doctor, and graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Education.
After the visit of Mrs. Mori to the Philippines in 1953, and after attending firesides in the home of Mrs. Nina Adler, who was then working in the American Embassy, "Momsu", as she was fondly called, accepted the Faith.
The handful of believers in Solano, Santiago and Manila were empowered to overcome natural shyness and to reach out to masses in these provinces.
Bill Allison, Jack Davis, Vivian Bayona, Grace Maddela, Philip Flores, Baltazar Mariano, Len Scott, Vic Samaniego and Freddie Santiago were among those who assisted others in the process of entry to the Faith.
By 1963 there were 2000 Baháʼís and there were several specific tribes known to have converts - Ifugao, Igorot, Ilocano, Ilongot, Kalinga, Negritoes, Pangasinan, and Tagalog.
The members were Vicente Samaniego, Pablo Mercado, Jack Davis, Neva Dulay, Luisa Mapa Gomez, Dominador Anunsacion, Ruth Walbridge, Theo Boehnert and Orpha Daugherty.
[9] That year, Dr. Muhájir visited the island of Mindoro and walked for eight hours across mountainous terrain to reach the Mangyan tribes.
One new declarant, Rogelio Onella, began using a room in his house to teach literacy classes to fellow tribesmen.
After recovering their mutilated bodies from a shallow grave a convocation was held and funeral procession attended by thousands of people including fellow students, faculty members and university officials.
[18] The religion entered a new phase of activity when a message of the Universal House of Justice dated 20 October 1983 was released.
[24] Internationally, the National Spiritual Assembly of Baháʼís of the Philippines participated in the Conference on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace hosted by the Filipino Department of Foreign Affairs held in 2005 in New York which was attended by the President of the Committee of Religious NGOs in the UN.
[27][28] The Association of Religion Data Archives (relying on World Christian Encyclopedia) estimates the Baháʼí population of the Philippines at about 272600.
