Hundreds of lay leaders who are involved in the pro-life and pro-family ministry filled the congress venue located at San Jose de Antique Hotel on December 6, 2025 during the one-day year-end Commission on Family Life Congress for Western Visayas.

The 246 delegates came from the archdiocese of Jaro and from the Dioceses of Aklan, San Jose de Antique and Kalibo. The event started with a Holy Mass officiated by Bishop Marvyn A. Maceda, DD the Bishop of San Jose de Antique and Vice Chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Family & Life of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

The event carries the theme, “Families as Pilgrims of Hope”. With just 31 days to go prior to the end of the Jubilee Year, it is hoped by the organizers that Filipino Catholics will be able to apply into their lives the spirit of togetherness and cooperation as one family of God.

The main speaker of the event is Dr. Rene Josef Bullecer, the VP of the Catholic Physicians Guild of the Philippines, who is also the National Vice President of the National Council of the Laity of the Philippines and the Special Commissionerof the FIAMC President. Dr. Bullecer discussed to his audience on the topic, “Synodality; Participation, Communion and Mission  of Christian Families“.

At first he enumerated the threats and challenges of the Filipino families then the ways and means synodality can help the family from the effects of modernism especially with the support services from the parishes, the religious organizations and the community. In his over an hour talk, the speaker made more emphasis on the uniqueness and strength of the Filipino family and that until now, we were able to thwart the incessant calls of the anti-life forces who are moving for the legalization of divorce, abortion, gay union and euthanasia in the country.

He said, “Under the synodality, no one is left behind but all move as one in helping out to achieve our goal that is the restoration of the “culture of life” in the midst of the seemingly hopeless scenarios of the “culture of death”.