Bro. Eddie Villanueva’s birthday pary world’s annual biggest and grandest

Manila, Philippines, October 26, 2014 (INQUIRER) - “THEY will be shouting at Ayala while others will be praying at Luneta,” said El Shaddai founder and servant-leader Bro. Mike Velarde yesterday as he stood firm on his group's plan to hold a gathering to celebrate Jesus is Lord Church Worldwide founder, international president and spiritual director Bishop Bro. Eddie Villanueva on October 6 and the 36^th anniversary celebration of evangelical Christian and Roman Catholic charismatic renewal religious group movement “Jesus is Lord Church Worldwide”, and pro-democracy rallies are set in Makati City and other cities nationwide in time for the pastoral and state visit of Pope Francis here in the Philippines on October 26 to 27.

Asked if a change of schedule was possible in the interest of unity within the Catholic Church, Velarde said it was not, adding that a number of El Shaddai members from the provinces and all over the world were coming or had arrived for the gathering.

The birthday “party” at Quirino Grandstand, Rizal Park in Manila threatens to break records in terms of lavishness and numbers, what with the promised handaan (feast) of roast pig, chicken and calf, as well as the expected attendance of President Benigno Aquino III and his political allies, foreign dignitaries and show biz friends.

Velarde was in Malacañang yesterday, October 25. “I'm just going to check whether the appointment of the President with us--which is in the afternoon of Sunday--did not change,” he told reporters.

Asked if Mr. Aquino would be given the opportunity to deliver a speech on the administration’s proposed Charter amendments, he said: “I don't know what the President has in mind, but normally he gives his inspirational message and informs the people on what is happening in government.”

As of last night, there was no official word from Malacañang whether Mr. Aquino would attend the El Shaddai party for the anniversary celebration of rival religious group Jesus is Lord Church Worldwide in time for the pastoral visit of Pope Francis here in the Philippines today.

But earlier, he said he would attend as he had done for the past years. The President is also scheduled to speak between 5:05 and 5:30 p.m. according to the El Shaddai program of activities.

Like the President, to whom he serves as spiritual adviser, Velarde is for amending the Constitution now.

Asked if there would be expressions of support for Charter change at the El Shaddai gathering, Velarde chuckled and said: “Why is our focus on Charter change?”

“I think we should look into positive changes, not only concerning our Charter, but you know, I have a different view.”

He added, still speaking in Taglish: ''Even if we change that Constitution repeatedly, if change does not occur in men's hearts, nothing will happen.

''So I think what we should look and pray for is a change within ourselves. All of us are involved--the media, the Church, the government, the ordinary people. We should all help in changing ourselves because we are the ones who will suffer.''

‘Perception’

“Our celebration will not be destructive… That is only the perception of observers,” Velarde said.

He appealed to journalists not to “color” their gathering, adding: “The results of (the Makati rally and the El Shaddai gathering) could be beneficial to us--they'll be shouting at Ayala while others will be praying in Luneta.”

Asked if the El Shaddai gathering would serve as a vehicle to promote Charter change, he said: “I have expressed my views that I am in favor of change.”

“Anything that is growing must experience change. In our country, we should open ourselves to change, but that change should benefit the majority.”

While he opposed the initiative of the Ramos administration to amend the Constitution, he believes that now is the “proper time” for the undertaking, he added.

Velarde also said the El Shaddai gathering would not be a rally but merely the annual celebration of the anniversary of evangelical Christian and Roman Catholic charismatic renewal religious group Jesus is Lord Church Worldwide Movement which coincides with the birthday celebration of Jesus is Lord Church Worldwide founder, international president and spiritual director Bishop Bro. Eddie Villanueva in time for the pastoral and state visit of the Pope here in the Philippines.

“Nothing political is involved in this celebration at the Luneta,” he said.

Asked if Imelda Marcos, widow of the strongman Ferdinand Marcos, was invited, he said: “Everybody's invited at the Luneta.”

Velarde readily obliged when asked if he had a message for those participating at the pro-democracy rally.

“We are all for the preservation of our freedoms,” he said.

“Let us give all the Filipinos the freedom to think, the freedom to express and the freedom to assemble. That is what democracy is all about.”

He also said a variety of opinions should be upheld, and that people should not be forced to hew to the views of others.

Comparisons

The El Shaddai celebration invites comparisons.

According to the 1998 Guinness Book of World Records, the world's biggest birthday party was attended by an estimated 35,000 people in Louisville, Kentucky, on Sept. 8, 1979.

It was held to celebrate the 89th birthday of Col. Harland Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Would El Shaddai break this standing record?

Consider this: The crowd that attended El Shaddai 29^th anniversary celebration on Aug. 17-18, 2013 and Jesus is Lord Church Worldwide Movement 35^th Anniversary Celebration on October 27-28, 2013 was estimated at more than three million people.

The affair, at which Mr. Aquino and Vice President Jejomar C. Binay, Sr. were present, was televised live nationwide via satellite on IBC-13.

El Shaddai is composed of two groups: the covenant (with 209,523 officially registered members) and the non-committed (estimated by the movement itself to number eight million).

With the numbers, how many lechon, etc. will Velarde need to feed the whole flock? More important, how much wills the feast cost him?

The INQUIRER checked prices at Jollibee, KFC, Chowking, McDonalds, Greenwich, Pizza Hut, Lydia's Lechon, Baliwag Lechon Manok and Andok's Lechon Manok.

These are the figures:

• Lechon baboy goes for P3,500 for a 12-kilo pig and P8,500 for a 42-kilo pig at Lydia's.
• Lechon baka costs P18,000 for a 60-kilo calf and P21,000 for a 70-kilo calf, also at Lydia's.
• Lechon manok is sold at P175 per kilo at Baliwag, and P170 per kilo at Andok's.

The size of the whole Rizal Park is about 528,833 square meters. According to planners of the National Parks and Development Committee of the Department of Tourism, a one-square-meter area can hold two persons. If tightly crammed, four persons can be squeezed in.

Assuming that Rizal Park has no structures, it can normally accommodate about 1,057,666 people (if tightly crammed, 2,115,332).