“Orthodox Filipinos pray and work so that everyone can get acquainted with Orthodoxy” History and current state of Orthodoxy in the Philippines

The article discusses the history of the emergence and spread of Christianity in the Philippines, starting with the discovery of the islands by Europeans in the 16th century. It briefly describes the activities of the Catholic orders of the Augustinians and Jesuits. Specific attention to the circumstances of the emergence of the Catholic National Philippine Church at the beginning of 20th century. The article also discusses the history of the emergence and spread of Orthodoxy on the Philippine Islands and the activities of the Patriarchates of Constantinople, Antioch and Moscow in this region. A parishioner of a rural parish dedicated to St. John of Shanghai of the Hong Kong and South Asian Metropolis of the Moscow Patriarchate (Kiamba Saraggani village, Mindanao Island), now a 2nd year student of the Preparatory Program of the Faculty of Foreign Students at St. Petersburg Theological Academy, shares his thoughts on the current state and problems of the Orthodox Church in the Philippines. The peculiarities of the liturgical and ceremonial life of Orthodox Filipinos, as well as the specifics of communication and contacts of Orthodox Christians in the Philippines with representatives of other Christian and non-Christian faiths are noted.