arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

A Belgian Priest with a Filipino Heart

By Vanessa Erika D. Guinid




Let me share with you the life of a great Belgian Priest who lived his live for the Filipino people, especially the people of Lagawe, Ifugao, Philippines, where he selflessly helped and served. He is a Belgian with a Filipino heart.

There are many good words to describe him and many versions of how he selflessly served and helped the people of Ifugao as I know there are thousands out there whom he had helped, but let me tell you my own version, actually the version of my parents whom he personally helped and guided to a better life. Needless to say I would not have such great parents without the guidance and help that he gave to my parents.

He was born in Belgium on March 24, 1916, the 11th child of 13 children. He came to the Philippines when he was 30 years old, he belonged to the 12 early batch of Belgian priests who came to the Philippines and assigned in Lagawe, Ifugao on December 26, 1946. Despite the hardship of language barriers he was able to spread the Word of God by practically visiting every barrio of Ifugao. In spite of the language barrier and cultural differences he succeeded in transforming and evangelizing the pagan people of Ifugao. He organized “League of the Sacred Heart” for women and “Catholic Action” for men, to help him spread Christianity, He financed the construction of several churches in almost every barrio of Ifugao, correspondingly he undertook the establishment of the Don Bosco High School and several dormitories and realizing the hardships of parents who cannot afford to send their children to College because of financial difficulties he saw the need of creating a College School in Lagawe. When he started materializing all these plans, the skeptics called him an idealist but he was not discouraged by pessimism and seemingly insurmountable difficulties, as years passed by, the once called idealistic priest turned out to be realistic after all, because in 1967 Saint Louis College of Lagawe was finished. He also financed the building of the beautiful church in Lagawe, Ifugao. He had realized all of his plans by asking donations from his friends and relatives in Belgium, my parents were among the lucky students whom he had helped along with the thousands of other students. He was well loved in Lagawe, Ifugao, because of his exceptional kindness, generosity, humility and most of all for being selfless. He lived a very simple and noble life without the extravagances that he could have if he only chose to but instead he gave all his money and donations to everyone who needed it, to the building of schools, churches, up to the personal needs of other people.

With his more than twenty two years stay in Lagawe he has without any doubt performed wonders. The thousands of souls brought to the fold of Christ, the hundreds of young men and women who became clerks, teachers, engineers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, public accountants; and topping all these are those men and women who became priest and religious sisters, through his help in one way or the other and the hundreds of potential professionals and thus future leaders of their respective communities, through his guidance and initiative are evidences of his unselfish and total commitment to the service of God and the Lagawe people.
He was well loved by the people of Ifugao, but sadly as we all know all priests are required to be re-assigned to other places to continue to spread the Word of God.

He was re-assigned to San Fernando, La Union, where he continued his journey of helping people and spreading the Word of the Lord. He again built a beautiful school named St. Louis University of La Union and the Saint Louis College Chapel, through his efforts of asking donations from friends and relatives in Belgium. He also helped and touched the lives of the people of La Union. Eventhough he was re-assigned at La Union, he did not forget the people of Lagawe so when he received Php 13 million from an anonymous donor as a gift for his personal needs he gave all this 13 million for the renovation and improvement of the church in Lagawe, Ifugao. Although he always received donations, he never used the money for his personal needs instead he always donates it to the needy and to the renovations and improvements of church. He doesn’t even own a mobile phone. If you would have the opportunity to go to Lagawe, Ifugao, I do encourage you to visit the beautiful church with its native theme.

What’s even touching is that eventhough he did these good deeds, he never asked for any special treatment or popularity of some sort, because he choose to live a humble and simple life.

He is now 88 years old…….Now you ask, “Where is He?”,,,, He is now at Home Sweet Home in Baguio, where he also financed through donations the construction of the Catholic Renewal Center and where I guess He would stay up to only God knows when…..There are a thousand of people whom he had helped and I am praying that those people would not forget him, and I am praying too that you pray for his recovery because he is suffering from cancer. He doesn’t even know that I wrote this article about him, and he doesn’t even own a computer to see this, nor does he know to surf the Net. But what I would do is to write him by mail and I’ll pray that he could read my letter together with this article.

You see when I grew up I only saw him through his pictures and known him through the stories that my parents told me, about his greatness, kindness, generosity and all the good deeds he did at Lagawe and to other places he was assigned to. I had the great opportunity to see him for the first time together with my daughter, when I joined my parents to go to Baguio and visit him; I already graduated from College at that time. After that, whenever we go to Baguio we make it a priority to visit him. Emotional as I am, I would often try to hide my tears whenever I see him because, I’m thinking “a great and kind man that he is and he is now alone at his room.” I know he often gets visits from other people but still I can’t control my feelings because I know even if he tries to smile, I can see that his lonely right now because he is now alone in his room, a patient’s quarter, but of course I know he is happy because he lived his life meaningfully by sharing his life to the Lord and to all the people he got to have encounter with. Do you know that eversince he came to the Philippines he only made two visits to Belgium and that’s only to ask donations for Filipino people, you see He is a Belgian but for all its worth he could be called a Filipino for all the great things he did for Filipino people.

As I end this let me tell you that what I’ve recounted may only be one-fourth of all the great things he did for I only known him through the stories of my parents and some folks at Lagawe, my parents could have a better version of this because they were personally helped and guided by him along with other people whom he had helped, and of course you too, if you were among those whom he had helped.

The great Belgian priest who has a Filipino Heart and selflessly helped and served the Filipinos, especially in Lagawe, Ifugao is Fr. Gerard De Boeck, now 88 years old and staying at Home Sweet Home in Baguio. My only request is prayer for his recovery. I hope he could be able to read my letter to him together with this article I wrote about him and I hope this very simple gesture that I did could give a joy in his heart. God Bless you Father Gerard De Boeck!!! I’m sure God is very pleased with how you lived your life.

As I’m about to email this to everyone, I received a text message the other day from my Aunt that Fr. Gerard De Boeck just died…, I confirmed it and it was true. I felt sad that I wasn’t able to mail this to him earlier but I know he is happy and at peace with our Creator in heaven!!!! A petition is now worked by some folks at Lagawe & my father to take the body of Fr. Gerard from Baguio to Ifugao, where he should be buried beside the beautiful church he had built. “Father, I’m touched by how you lived your life & I will make you an inspiration to lead a better life, a life with the Almighty God at the center”…..We will miss you Father”….Thank you for everything!!!!”

“Life is a gift from God and what we do with it is our gift to Him”

“Godliness with contentment is a great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.”

“God without man is still God! Man without God is Nothing...”