Dr. Dick Eugenio (APNTS Academic Dean) and Ms. Marie Joy Pring (Director of Research) with the Research Grants Awardees,
Roxane dela Pena and Cing Sian Thawn.
I am Cing Sian Thawn from Myanmar and I am pursuing Master of Science in Theology. Currently, I am doing a Basic Qualitative Research entitled, The Concept of Self-Liberation Among Theravada Burmese Buddhists. This is the embedded doctrine among the Burmese Buddhists. The research utilizes the primary sources such as the English translations of Pali Tipikata, the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist, in order to understand the authentic doctrines of the Theravadins on self-effort to liberation. With much openness towards each other in the past few years, Buddhists and Christians in Myanmar are engaging in inter-faith dialogue. This openness requires Christians in Myanmar to understand the core teachings of the other party authentically in order to relate to them by appreciating each other’s beliefs while remaining faithful to our faith and conviction. Importantly, this research will help the Christians in Myanmar understand the presence of common elements in the two religions on which we can build our dialogue despite the deviations. (Cing with three Burmese Buddhists kids in Aungmyitthar, Kale, Sagaing Region, Myanmar.)
I am Roxanne L. dela Pena, currently studying in Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary taking up Masters of Arts in Religious Education with concentration in Curriculum and Instruction. My passion for education and mission made me choose the research that I have been doing. It is a production thesis which titled “Towards a Social Values Integration Curriculum Among Adult Dumagats in Ilaya, Tanay, Rizal.” This research aims to help the Dumagat Community in terms of equipping them through transformational education. The result of this research is a curriculum material which contain 15 supplemental lessons that is divided into 3 units: Self-awareness, Family Values Implementation and Social Relationships. The goal is to empower them individually and make its impact into the community. Empowering a community is quite a challenge but you can start by educating them. Being a recipient of the research grant helped me a lot to focus in the process. It gave me a lift and lessen my burden financially in doing the research. This is a very much needed assistance for students like me and APNTS is doing great about it. (Roxanne with her key informants, Nanay Loida dela Cruz, one of the chieftains of the Dumagat community with her husband, tatay Aurelio dela Cruz.)
