The nineteenth to twenty-fourth of November, the dates I spent in General Santos City, South Cotabato, Mindanao were quite memorable for me. It was not because our parliamentary team won fifth place out of fifteen contending groups. It was not due to the countless tuna delicacies we were able to taste, nor the rides we experienced inside the unique tricycles that could offer seven people comfortable seats. The reason was, it was in General Santos City where I first saw Christians and Moslems pray together. Although I witnessed such a scenario only once, it was a thrilling moment for me.

It happened on November 20, 2005 during the opening ceremony of the fourth Student Technologists and Entrepreneurs of the Philippines Skills Competition. When everybody was requested to stand for the doxology, I had been surprised because eight students, dressed in different costumes, came on the stage. Three of them, a boy and two girls, walked near to the microphones at the hub of the stage. The other three girls stayed at the right side. The remaining two, a boy and a girl, stood at the left. I truly wondered how they were going to perform, since their positions did not resemble that of a choral society.

The magical atmosphere began when the boy at the heart of the platform began to chant a Moslem prayer. Though I did not understand a single word which his long melismatic utterance created, his voice signified a feeling of enlightenment and peace. The three girls at the right side danced, in movements I interpreted as pagan worship. Pretty soon, the plainsong quality of the voice of one of the girls at the center joined that of the boy. After a few more minutes of hymns, the operatic voice of the last girl at the middle did a rendition of The Lord's Prayer. The boy and the girl at the left side moved in delightful ballet steps. The whole act was beautiful to the sight, and soothing to the ears. It was heartwarming to find out that people with diverse religious beliefs could come up with something like that. With this practice, no religion would appear to be discriminated and regarded as inferior.

What I observed during that time was a treat for my soul. It not only made me realize how wonderful it would be to maintain and respect our cultural variation, but that we could also exist as one united race no matter what our beliefs about the Great One were. If Christians and Moslems could display their reverence to the Great One together, consequently they could live without involving in a war against each other. Since Christians and Moslems could look up to the Great One and do their pious rituals in front of one another, they could also show consideration for the beliefs of each other and thus not fight just to prove whose opinions about the Great One should be deemed as proper and exemplary.

I have heard of ecumenism and I have seen lots of ecumenist attempts in the environment where I reside. Ecumenism is better known as the principles of promoting cooperation among differing religious faiths. This kind of practice likely occurs during a national or global catastrophe. Of course, I am glad to discover that people willingly participate in such an activity. But then, I have to admit that in some cases of this so-called "ecumenism," I cannot perceive the sincerity of those who engage in it. I feel as if others only take part in it so they can convert other people's perspectives about the Great One into a mirror image of their own points of view on religion.

I do not think that the doxology presented during that special Sunday in General Santos City would be a good example of ecumenism in its evident sense. We were not gathered there because of a natural calamity. But looking into the facts intently, we were there in order to pray not for the victory of our regions, but for the success of the contests and events ahead of us. We, people of dissimilar religious affiliations, were assembled in one area to give veneration to the Great One. Whether others would refer to it as ecumenism or not, I think it is an illustration of ecumenism, more than anything else. It is actually a better portrayal of what ecumenism is, for the people must not only pray to the Great One when a tragedy strikes. And more importantly, people must learn that they do not need to belong to a same religious affiliation if they wish to pray together.