DAYS after the anniversary of Datu Pamulingan’s investiture, Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy was laureled with the name ‘Datu Tud Labun’ which means ‘Access to Heaven’ by the B’laan community in Kitbog, Malalag Cogon, Malungon, Sarangani Province. This significant recognition signifies his role as a bridge connecting the realms of heaven and earth, granting him privileged access to the divine realm.
Much has been known about the B’laans of Kitbog as a group of ethnic tribes that was closely associated with the Son during his spiritual training in the early 70’s. Passing through the labyrinthine byways of Sarangani Province, Kitbog is nestled in the far-flung hinterlands, far from civilization where Pastor Apollo was tested on his decision to follow the Father’s Will, banishing all his doubts and leaving his life of comfort as a renowned preacher in his denomination.
For a year, Pastor Apollo lived with the B’laan people. There, he received all kinds of miracles, naked eye visions and revelations from the Father. Even the B’laans could attest to many of these miraculous occurrence night and day. Pastor Apollo had built a strong rapport with the B’laan natives for which they fondly call him, ‘Afullo.’’
Having been revealed by the Father through vivid dreams, they were convinced among themselves that ‘Afullo’ was the one handpicked by God for a very special mission, which drew them closer to him until the time he had to depart the said hinterlands and move to Tamayong where he had to prove his commitment and complete obedience in doing the Father’s Will.
In 2017, 43 years after he left the Mountain of Decision, Pastor Apollo returned to the foothills of Mt. Matutum, where he reunited with the B’laan community. On the same day, they presented Pastor Apollo with the stewardship of their ancestral domain. His comeback was not without a purpose. It paved the way for him to see firsthand what the B’laan natives needed the most at that time- the road project that would bridge Kitbog to the outside world.
As an eco-crusader, he also launched successive tree-planting projects in the area to restore the lush verdure of the denuded hills caused by irresponsible logging. And above all, he has found a way for the IPs to reconnect to the Supreme Being- our Almighty Father by establishing a worship center in the highlands.
This year, Pastor Apollo returned to Kitbog where a tribal ceremony was held, with the B’laan natives handing him a handcrafted set of clothing and ornaments as a symbolic representation of the former’s adoption to their community.
According to the Indigenous Peoples’ Mandatory Representative (IPMR) President of Region XII Datu Edmond Pangilan, the name “Tud Labun” comes from two words: “Tud” (meaning pillar or bridge) and “Labun” (meaning clouds or skies). When combined, it gives a new profound meaning, which is “Access to Heaven” or “mediator between heaven and earth.”
Like a fitting allusion to the Son’s triumphant spiritual journey, Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy’s adopted name speaks volumes of his role as a spiritual figure. Literally, ‘Datu Tud Labun’ means the tribes’ passage or avenue to the spiritual realm.
True enough, since Pastor Apollo returned to his then Mountain of Decision, he has not only been building bonds of amicable relations with the IPs but also spearheads various development efforts and bridges the tribe’s spiritual connection to the Almighty Father.
As an endearingly compassionate person, his solicitude towards the less fortunate is round-the-clock which is aimed at continuous progress and welfare for the B’laan indigenous community.
Datu Tud Labun also joined the community dance with the Blaans, accompanied by the young delegates of the 1st International Kingdom Youth Leaders Convention who had made their journey to Kitbog.
