Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association
Encyclopedia
The Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA) is founded by Ruben Ecleo, Sr.
in 1965 on the Philippine
island of Dinagat, off the coast of Mindanao
. Since being chartered in 1965, the PBMA has virtually turned the entire island into a fiefdom of the Ecleos. Upon the senior Ecleo's death in 1987 he was succeeded by his son Ruben Ecleo, Jr. Considered by followers to be a reincarnation
of Jesus Christ, Ecleo has an estimated one million members in the central and southern Philippines. The PBMA has been referred to as a real benevolent by the BBC
and the Manila Times
. The Manila Times estimates the group has raised at least P
35 million in entrance fees from its members since its founding.
, and Aramaic, in order to interpret the ancient mysteries. He also made predictions of the future based on Akashic records
. PBMA followers also viewed Ecleo Sr., who could accomplish anything by reciting Ecleo's healing abilities were stated to have directly come from "our Divine Father by virtue of the sacred or divine prayers.
Leaders also stated that Ecleo Sr. has since his childhood been simultaneously present in many disparate locations, possibly as many different people. An example was his doing missionary
work in Agusan del Sur
, while also traveling in the province of Samar
. All of his different persona possessed the ability to heal applied these powers..."
Ruben Ecleo
Ruben Edera Ecleo, , a Filipino spiritual leader who founded the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association, Incorporated in 1965....
in 1965 on the Philippine
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
island of Dinagat, off the coast of Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
. Since being chartered in 1965, the PBMA has virtually turned the entire island into a fiefdom of the Ecleos. Upon the senior Ecleo's death in 1987 he was succeeded by his son Ruben Ecleo, Jr. Considered by followers to be a reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
of Jesus Christ, Ecleo has an estimated one million members in the central and southern Philippines. The PBMA has been referred to as a real benevolent by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and the Manila Times
Manila Times
The Manila Times is the oldest existing English language newspaper in the Philippines. It is published daily by The Manila Times Publishing Corp. with editorial and administrative offices at 371 A...
. The Manila Times estimates the group has raised at least P
Philippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
35 million in entrance fees from its members since its founding.
Beliefs
According to doctrine, Ecleo Sr. was fluently read and write Arabic, Hebrew, SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, and Aramaic, in order to interpret the ancient mysteries. He also made predictions of the future based on Akashic records
Akashic Records
The akashic records is a term used in theosophy to describe a compendium of mystical knowledge encoded in a non-physical plane of existence. These records are described as containing all knowledge of human experience and the history of the cosmos...
. PBMA followers also viewed Ecleo Sr., who could accomplish anything by reciting Ecleo's healing abilities were stated to have directly come from "our Divine Father by virtue of the sacred or divine prayers.
Leaders also stated that Ecleo Sr. has since his childhood been simultaneously present in many disparate locations, possibly as many different people. An example was his doing missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
work in Agusan del Sur
Agusan del Sur
Agusan del Sur is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Caraga region in Mindanao. Its capital is Prosperidad and borders, from the north clockwise, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Bukidnon, and Misamis...
, while also traveling in the province of Samar
Samar
Samar, formerly and also known as Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located to the west of the mainland...
. All of his different persona possessed the ability to heal applied these powers..."