INCREASED PRINTING ACTIVITY

The 1970’s have seen a continuation of the fine progress of Jehovah’s servants in the Philippines. In July of 1971, Brother Knorr thrilled a crowd of 17,071 who had gathered to hear him at the Rodriguez Sports Center, in Marikina, Rizal. He announced that there was to be an enlargement of the printing activities of the Philippine branch. A new factory and dormitory were to be built. A rotary press and other printing equipment would be installed, and the Philippines would undertake responsibility for printing the Watchtower and Awake! magazines in English and the local languages.

This was exciting news. Previously these magazines had been produced in Brooklyn, and over the years the brothers there had given fine service to the Philippines. But there were inevitable problems in shipping each issue of the magazine halfway around the world. Hence it would be a big step forward to have the magazines actually printed here.

Permission to build was finally granted by the authorities on February 2, 1972, and the very same day construction started. Most of the work was done by Witnesses, and it progressed rapidly. By August 25, despite one of the heaviest rainy seasons in Philippine history, the 2,082-square-meter (22,400-square-foot) factory was taking shape, and delivery was made of the first of the large crates of heavy machinery from Japan.

In September 1972, due to increasing civil unrest, the president of the country declared martial law, just as the branch was preparing to start printing! It was wondered just how the printing would be affected, and there was a quick test. Almost immediately, permission to print had to be applied for. This was granted on September 28, just six days after the declaration of martial law!

Between 1971 and 1973, fourteen missionaries were assigned to the Philippine Bethel, persons with special training in printing and building. These were able to help first with the construction and then with the training of local pioneers to work in the new factory. By October 1972, this training had started, and in February 1973, the first two magazines came off the press.

From then on, the printing work has grown. Gradually production increased to include all eight editions of The Watchtower and all four of Awake! in the local languages. Then, English magazines were added. New machines, including a second rotary press, which arrived May 29, 1975, were installed to help cope with the increasing load. Thanks to the fine training by these missionaries, six of whom are still here, all the actual printing work is now done by Filipino brothers, and magazines are sent from this printery to seventy-two foreign countries.

OTHER PROGRESS IN THE 1970’S

The year 1973 saw another step forward. An agreement giving special privileges to Americans with regard to owning property in the Philippines was due to expire in July 1974. Hence, it seemed wise to transfer all the Society’s property to a local corporation. On October 19, 1973, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of the Philippines, Inc., came into being. This has given added stability to the situation of Jehovah’s Witnesses here.

To keep pace with this, we have seen a corresponding increase in the Bethel family. In 1948, when the branch office first moved into the new property on Roosevelt Avenue, there were just nine persons living in the one building. Now there are five large buildings in the compound, totaling 4,670 square meters (50,250 square feet) of floor space, and there are 89 Bethel workers here serving their fellow believers in different capacities.