Gospel Crusade's outreach to the Philippines began with Gerald Derstine's first missionary journey to the Orient in 1961. While visiting a Bible School in the Philippines, he met Claudio and Hosanna Cortez, who through the assistance of this ministry established the Far East Bible Institute, a school where native Filipinos are trained to be missionaries to their own people.
Over the past 40 years, the Cortez family has provided faithful leadership as they have evangelized headhunter tribes, established over 300 churches, and built schools, orphanages and medical clinics. They also produce Christian radio programs that reach people throughout the islands.
The Philippines mission work has grown to become the largest independent charismatic ministry in northern Luzon, and now a second generation is carrying on the ministry.