REAP History
The Religious Educators Association of the Philippines (REAP) was founded in 2011 by faculty members of TRED / DLSU with the intention of creating a professional organization of Religious Educators in the Philippines. It was launched at the 1st National Conference on Catechesis and Religious Education (NCCRE) on April 27, 2012, where there are seventy (70) participants of the conference who joined the organization.
It was incorporated and registered at the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2015 with the name Religious Educators Association of the Philippines (REAP) Inc.
It was granted its Certificate of Registration with the Bureau of Internal Revenue of the Republic of the Philippines on July 26, 2016.
As of November 25, 2019, the association remains strong and is showing growth with 290 members from various schools, parishes, formation houses all over the country, as far as Visayas and Mindanao; and even abroad with majority coming from the Metro Manila area.
The purposes for which the association is incorporated are:
- To promote interdisciplinary and inter-professional dialogue among religious educators from different schools and universities working in the field of spirituality, ethics, philosophy, values and religious education and theology.
- To create opportunities for exploring and advancing the interconnected practices of scholarship, research, teaching and leadership in faith communities and academic institutions.
- To serve as a venue for both local and international conferences, seminars, publications and other activities which will improve in schools and universities the quality of teaching and research in the field of religious education.
- To foster harmonious and closer relationships among graduate students, faculty and administrators of various institutions or religious education.
As of March 2019, REAP has been accredited by the Philippine Regulatory Commission (PRC) -CPD Council as CPD Provider from 2019 – 2022 (three-year validity). The 8th NCCRE was applied and accredited as a CPD Program that earned the participants CPD units. The attendees of the 8th NCCRE earned 15 CPD units for their active participation which they can use for their renewal of their Professional Teachers License.
The first International Conference on Theology and Religious Studies (ICTRS) was also accredited as a CPD Program and the attendees earned 10 CPD unit points which they can use for their renewal of their licenses as Professional Teachers.
REAP continues to spearhead and host lectures/Seminar-workshops for its members and other religious educators, campus ministers, catechists and formators as a means of professional development in the areas of teaching, research and community engagement.