Philippine Atheism, Agnosticism, and Secularism Incorporated

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History

By early 2016, John Paraiso proclaimed the death of The Philippine Atheists and Agnostics Society and created another debates group, removing PATAS. A couple of years after, a group of enthusiasts planned to create a new secular group with the same acronym. Authorized by previous PATAS leaders - Regie Pasion, Thomas Fleckner, and Ivan Eusebio - a new organization was born and named as "The Philippine Atheism, Agnosticism, and Secularism Incorporated". The people behind the new incorporation is Richard Dalida, Justin Minoru Luna, and Eve Landas. The new SEC registration was officially stamped on the 6th of June, Twenty Seventeen.

The first ever meet-up of the new PATAS with the old PATAS members was recorded in iChill on the 25th of January, 2020.

The New PATAS

Contrary to what is known to many, the new organization is not a continuation of the old PATAS. It has its own mission and vision. It also has a diverent set of goals. The new PATAS Year End Party 2019 was in fact documented by Thomas Fleckner throught the link on the citation.

The New PATAS has became ally with German foundation called "Giordano Bruno Stiftung Foundation – Evolutionäre Humanisten Berlin-Brandenburg (GBS-EHBB)" </ref>https://www.gbs-berlin.de/</ref> and has became a member of Humanist International.

The New PATAS Mission and Vision

The New PATAS would like to set the boundaries clear that the only portfolio they offer is SECULARISM or the Separation of Church and State. The New PATAS know that the Philippines is already a secular country and the country is just friendly to the religious people. However, some religion crosses that boundary, the new PATAS becomes the gatekeeper for this. It shall be known that the new PATAS accepts members that believes in god but believes in the separation of church and state, in which it is called a secular theist. The New PATAS welcomes not just atheists and agnostics, rather they have welcomed the Ignostics, Misotheists, Apatheists, LaVeyan Satanists, The Satanic Temple, Raelian, Pastafarians, and many more.

John Eric Santos is the current Public Relations officer and as the host of the Year End event held last 2019, he announced the new PATAS Mission and Vision: Vision: A more stronger secular Philippines. Mission: To push for the separation of the church and state in the country through education, community based projects, and evolutionary humanitarian works.

Projects including the First Ever Secular Magazine In Asia

The very first project of the New PATAS is the LOGOS project wherein it was held at Sta. Elena Highschool, Marikina City. The LOGOS Project is a supplemental extra-curricular courses that is offered to the young key population. Courses that were given are HIV Awareness, Anti-bullying lecture, Recycling Method, and many more. The second LOGOS project was held at Marikina Heights Highschool, Marikina City. DepEd has fully granted this project.

Since the pandemic, the LOGOS project has become hiatus. During the pandemic, the new PATAS has been consistently showing up through PATAS Weekly and you can check this on their official facebook group and page.

It was also announced that PATAS Magazine, the first ever secular magazine in Asia, will be release in October of 2021.

The plan of the new PATAS is to grow an active pool of members by having chapters per region. Currently, the organization has 16 Chapters from the different regions and provinces plus 8 mini-chapters from different municipalities of the Philippines.

References

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