Miraflores, Salvador Genis (1920–1998)

By Adlai Wilfred M. Tornalejo, and Remwil R. Tornalejo

Adlai Wilfred M. Tornalejo is a theology instructor at South Philippine Adventist College, Digos Davao del Sur, Philippines. He finished his Bachelor of Theology from Mountain View College, Valencia, Bukidnon, Philippines in 2016. He earned an M.A. in religion in church history and theology from the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies in 2018.

Remwil R. Tornalejo is an associate professor in the Historical-Theological department of the International Institute of Advanced Studies Seminary (AIIAS). Tornalejo has a B.A. in theology from Mountain View College, Valencia, Philippines, and M.P.S., M.Div., and M.Th. degrees from AIIAS. He had served as a pastor, Literature Ministry Seminary dean and instructor at the South Philippine Union Conference. He had served as chair of the theology department of the South Philippine Adventist College. Tornalejo completed his D.Theol. from Theological Union (ATESEA). He is married to Marilou Manatad. They have four children.

First Published: October 4, 2022

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Salvador Genis Miraflores was a renowned educator, a prolific writer, and an accomplished editor.

Early Life

Miraflores was born on June 1, 1920, in Ilog, Negros Occidental, to Seventh-day Adventist parents Donato and Honorata Miraflores.¹ At the early age of 11, he was baptized in March 1931. He had one brother, who eventually served as the YMCA director for Asia, and eight sisters, most of whom became teachers and married ministers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Education and marriage

Salvador began his early education in his birthplace of Ilog, Negros Occidental, spending two years at the Ilog Church School. He transferred to La Carlota Church School for a year, then moved to the Ilog Private Academy in Ilog, Negros Occidental.² After spending a year there, he attended West Visayan Academy for three years to complete his secondary education. After five years, he then finished his bachelor’s degree at Philippine Union College.³ He was a Science major who minored in English. In 1967, Salvador was among the students who completed their Master of Arts degrees in Philippine Union College⁴.

Salvador spoke Tagalog, Cebuano, and Ilongo.⁵ He worked as a teacher for most of his life. On June 25, 1951, he married Bienvenida Miraflores, a resident of Buenavista, Iloilo, who is also a teacher.⁶ He has a daughter and two sons. The eldest, Ophelia Miraflores, was born July 4, 1952, in Digos, Davao del Sur, followed by Don Miraflores on October 20, 1953. Their third child, Salvador Miraflores Jr., was born on November 23, 1956, in Bangkok Thailand.⁷

Ministry

Salvador Miraflores served in several Adventist institutions, missions, colleges, and academies throughout the Philippines, including South-Central Luzon Mission, Northern Mindanao Mission, Southern Mindanao Mission, Mountain View College, West Visayan Mission, Northeast Luzon Academy, Pasay City Academy, Philippine Publishing House, and the North Philippine Union Mission.⁸ He also worked in Thailand Mission for five years.⁹

He began his career as a teacher in South-Central Luzon Mission for one year and ten months from June 1949 to March 1951. Over the consecutive years, he moved from one workplace to another as his teaching services were needed. From April 1951 until April 1952, he worked in Northern Mindanao Mission. From May 1952 to May 1954, he taught in Southern Mindanao Mission. After spending a couple of years in Southern Mindanao Mission, he was called to serve in Mountain View College from June 1954 until June 1955. From July 1955 to March 1956, he moved to the West Visayan Mission where he served for nine months before accepting the call to Thailand Mission as a science teacher from April 1956 through June 1961. After his five years and three months of service in Thailand Mission, he moved back to West Visayan Mission to serve for another five years and one month from July 1961 to July 1966. This was his last full-time teaching assignment as he was appointed to serve as principal of Northeast Luzon Academy.

He served as principal in Northeast Luzon Academy for one year from August 1966 to June 1969 after which he served as principal of Pasay City Academy from July 1969 to April 1970. His stint as Pasay City Academy Principal would be cut short as he was called to serve as the first Filipino editor of Philippine Publishing House. He worked there for six years and eight months, from May 1971 to December 1977. He then served as the Communication director of the North Philippine Union Mission from January 1978 until December 1978.¹⁰ Salvador was ordained to the gospel ministry on February 24, 1968, on the last day of the eleventh biennial session of the Northern Luzon Mission.¹¹

Later Life

Miraflores' service in the denomination would be cut short as he suffered a stroke during his time at the North Philippine Union Mission.¹² This would force him to take an early retirement. Salvador Miraflores worked in the denomination a total of 28 years and seven months.¹³ He then lived at Central Philippine Adventist College for five years while his wife, Bienvenida Miraflores, who was president there. The couple then moved to Taculing, Bacolod City, where they lived until his passing.

Salvador G. Miraflores succumbed to Parkinson’s Disease on June 22, 1998. He was laid to rest in Bacolod Memorial Park, Bacolod, Negros Occidental Province, Western Visayas, Philippines.¹⁴

Contribution

Miraflores is known for his contributions to the editorial work of the Philippine Publishing House and his numerous written news bits and articles.¹⁵ He wrote two books, The Chalk Dust and Handy Health Highlights, which featured some of his work, resources for teachers, and health articles. He was also active in writing mission reports about what was happening throughout the Philippines wherever he was assigned.¹⁶ These reports vary from detailing a conversion experience of an individual and why he or she became a Seventh-day Adventist,¹⁷ a scientific breakthrough,¹⁸ successes of Adventist members in their respective fields,¹⁹ promotion of Seventh-day Adventist publications,²⁰ and contributions to the work of Christ.²¹ Also some of his published work in Adventist periodicals are poetry entitled Strange Chemistry,²² Together,²³ Harmony,²⁴ Forgiveness,²⁵ Second Chance,²⁶ and Love.²⁷ His contributions to the work enlightened and informed Seventh-day Adventists throughout the world about the progress of Adventism in the Far Eastern Division and particularly in the Philippines.

Sources

“A Catechism Teacher Becomes a Sabbath School Teacher.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, February 1969.

Alsaybar, B. B. “D.B. Alsaybar Graduates With Three Majors at PUC Commencement.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, July 1967.

Alsaybar, B. B. “Principal Ordained at Mission Session.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, May 1968.

“Colporteur Joins Top Ten.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, October 1971.

“Concerts Presented by Cebu Choral Arts Society.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, June 1967.

“Convenience or Conviction?” ARH, August 4, 1977.

“Doctrine of Tithe Makes Convert.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, November 1972.

“Golden Jubilee at Philippine College.” ARH, July 20, 1967.

“He That Hath Clean Hands.” ARH, December 12, 1974.

“LLU Elects Filipino Alumna of the Year.” ARH, July 20, 1978.

Miraflores, Salvador G. “He Flew from U.S.A. to Manila for Baptism.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, March 1967.

Miraflores, Salvador G. “Philippine Professor Recognized for Coconut-Disease Research.” ARH, April 20, 1967.

Miraflores, Salvador G. “Adventist Doctor Becomes Diplomate in Internal Medicine.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, April 1971.

Miraflores, Salvador G. “F.E.D. Sales Development Meeting Held in Philippines.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, November 1971.

Miraflores, Salvador G. “Health Lectures Promote S.D.A. Literature.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, December 1971.

Miraflores, Salvador G. “The Recently Built Botong Church.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, March 1972.

“Most Outstanding Student Named.” ARH, May 19, 1977.

“One Life for Thirty-two Souls.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, May 1972.

Personal Service Record of Salvador Genis Miraflores. Southern-Asia Pacific Division Archives, Silang, Cavite, the Philippines.

“Recipe Book is All-time Best Seller.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, October 1971.

“Remember Lot.” ARH, November 14, 1974.

“Salvador G Miraflores.” Find a Grave. Accessed October 4, 2022. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/169277626/salvador-g-miraflores.

“Youth Congress Meets in Bacolod.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, June 1975.

Notes

Personal Service Record, Salvador Genis Miraflores, Southern-Asia Pacific Division Archives.↩
Ibid.↩
Ibid.↩
B. B. Alsaybar, “D.B. Alsaybar Graduates With Three Majors at PUC Commencement.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, July 1967. https://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/FEDO/FEDO19670701.pdf. Accessed July 11, 2022.↩
Ibid.↩
Ibid.↩
Ibid.↩
Ibid.↩
Ibid.↩
Far Eastern Division Sustentation Fund Application. Southern-Asia Pacific Division Archives.↩
See B. B. Alsaybar, “Principal Ordained at Mission Session.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, May 1968, 7.↩
Ibid.↩
Ibid.↩
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/169277626/salvador-g-miraflores.↩
Salvador G. Miraflores, “F.E.D. Sales Development Meeting Held in Philippines,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, November 1971, 5. See also “Convenience or Conviction?” ARH, August 4, 1977, 8; “One Life for Thirty-two Souls.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, May 1972, 8.↩
Miraflores wrote on the assistance of the Cebu Choral Arts Society headed by Lorenzo Lacson, the director of East Visayan Academy Choir, in a concert by Mrs. Edith Dizon. Most Cebu Choral Arts Society members have been East Visayan Academy students. See “Concerts Presented by Cebu Choral Arts Society” Far Eastern Division Outlook, ed. Don A. Roth, June 1967, 4. See also “Youth Congress Meets in Bacolod.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, June 1975, 7-8; “Golden Jubilee at Philippine College,” ARH, July 20, 1967, 18.↩
Salvador G. Miraflores, “He Flew from U.S.A. to Manila for Baptism,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, March 1967, 20. See also “A Catechism Teacher Becomes a Sabbath School Teacher,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, February 1969, 16; “Colporteur Joins Top Ten.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, October 1971, 8; “Doctrine of Tithe Makes Convert,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, November 1972, 72.↩
Salvador G. Miraflores, “Philippine Professor Recognized for Coconut-Disease Research,” ARH, April 20, 1967, 24.↩
Salvador G. Miraflores, “Adventist Doctor Becomes Diplomate in Internal Medicine,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, April 1971, 10. See also “Most Outstanding Student Named,” ARH, May 19, 1977, 18; “LLU Elects Filipino Alumna of the Year,” ARH, July 20, 1978, 18.↩
Salvador G. Miraflores. “Health Lectures Promote S.D.A. Literature,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, December 1971, 8. See also “Recipe Book is All-time Best Seller,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, October 1971,10.↩
Salvador G. Miraflores. “The Recently Built Botong Church,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, March 1972, 13.↩
See Australasian Record and Advent World Survey, September 26, 1977.↩
ARH, August 8, 1974, 9.↩
ARH, November 6, 1975, 10.↩
ARH, October 7, 1976, 15.↩
ARH, May 22, 1980, 9.↩
ARH, June 24, 1976, 14.↩