Category: Announcements

Solidarity Appeal for the Families Affected by Typhoon Ambo in Samar Provinces

Typhoon Ambo has put more than 200 thousand lives in much peril after it ravaged Samar and Quezon provinces several days ago. Most unfortunately, it hit the Philippines while the country is battling against the meltdown COVID-19 pandemic is causing.

Unlike all the previous disasters, NASSA/Caritas Philippines was always able to respond quickly to dioceses needing immediate interventions. We are constantly able to launch emergency appeals to our donors, especially the Caritas Internationalis confederation. During the Mindanao Earthquake for example, we were able to provide almost 50 million pesos’ worth of response from our external appeals alone.

In the same manner, the Alay Kapwa Solidarity Fund has been our primary source of local emergency response fund. Since 2004, we have been using our AK Fund especially for small-scale emergencies, and the advocacy campaigns of the National Social Action General Assembly.

However, of the 85 dioceses, our Annual Report recorded only a fraction that has been religiously providing support to the national campaign mandated by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. We feel this great challenge now with the COVID-19 pandemic. Since we have no Lenten Campaign this year because of the lockdown, and there is no donation coming from our partner schools, our AK Solidarity Fund currently amounts to at least 900 thousand pesos only. We have allotted 500 thousand pesos to our solidarity response to the dioceses of Borangan and Catarman. We will not have enough if another disaster or emergency will happen during the next months.

Thus our urgent and utmost appeal to our Brother Bishops: “In this great time of need, we urge you to show solidarity to the Dioceses of Borongan and Catarman by giving your donations directly to them.”

“In like manner, we enjoin you to collectively support our Alay Kapwa Program both at the diocesan and national levels. We need this solidarity mechanism to be able to appropriately and timely respond to the emergency needs of our communities, where the most vulnerable and marginalized families continue to be the most affected.”

We are hoping that you will positively respond to this appeal, while steadfastly praying that all will be well.

In the service of the Church of the Poor,

Most Rev. Gerardo Alminaza, DD  Most Rev. Jose Colin M. Bagaforo, DD
Bishop, Diocese of San Carlos             Bishop, Diocese of Kidapawan
Vice Chair, ECSAJP                                 Chairman,ECSAJP

LAIKO urges our fellow Catholics not to neglect our Parish and its activities during the pandemic and quarantine. We have witnessed that even without the regular collections, the Church has been at the forefront of helping those in need, Catholics or non-Catholics.

We are aware that for eight weeks, there has been no Holy Mass celebration in our Parishes, in line with the Government’s guidelines on Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). As a result, collections and various offerings to our churches have also stopped. As members of the Church, we know that all the services and duties of our Parishes and Dioceses require our continued contributions. Therefore, we must not forget and neglect this important and fundamental duty.

Like the first Christians who gladly and promptly responded to all the needs of fellow Christians, should we not remember our duty to love and care for our Church? Like the early Christians, let us be willing to support our neighbors, especially those in the peripheries who only depend on the generosity of fellow believers.

We call on all servant leaders of the Diocesan Councils of the Laity, National Lay Organizations and Parish Pastoral Councils, to help promote Parish programs for those in need during this pandemic.

Kindly ask permission from your Bishops and Parish Priests to announce or post this message. Let us call on our constituents, supporters and parishioners for their assistance.  Let us remind them to make regular offerings and contributions (Monthly Church Support). Assigned lay people to instruct and remind parishioners on how to send money through banks, money delivery, Cebuana, GCASH among others. 

Let’s not neglect our Church!

With sincere gratitude,

President
Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas 
14 May 2020

Nananawagan ang Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Laiko) sa kapwa naming mga Katolikong mananampalataya na huwag nating pabayaan ang ating mga Parokya at mga gawain nito sa panahon ng pandemya at kuwarantin. Nasaksihan din po natin na kahit na walang koleksyon, nangunguna ang simbahan sa pagtulong sa mga nangangailangan, Katoliko man sila o hindi.

Sa nakalipas na walong linggo na walang mga Misa, hindi po tayo nagkaroon ng pagkakataong makapag-alay sa simbahan. Alam natin na ang lahat ng mga gawain at tungkulin sa ating mga Parokya at Diyosises ay nangangailangan ng ating tuloy-tuloy na pag-aambag. Hindi natin dapat makalimutan at mapabayaan ang mahalagang katungkulang ito.

Maari po bang tulad ng unang martir na si San Esteban, na binigyan nang katungkulang alagaan ang mga balo, ay maghanap din tayo ng mga Laykong tutulong sa pangangalaga ng pangangailangan ng ating simbahan? Maari din bang tulad ng mga unang Kristiyano, ay makita natin ang pangangailangan ng ating kapwa at itaguyod ang mga programa, ng ating Simbahan, para sa kanila?

Sa mga kapwa lingkod at lider ng mga Diocesan Councils of the Laity, National Lay Organizations at Parish Pastoral Councils- nananawagan po kami.

Humingi po kayo ng pahintulot sa inyong mga Obispo at Kura Paroko upang maipalaganap ang mensaheng ito. Manawagan tayo sa ating mga nasasakupan at pinag-lilingkurang kawan na tumulong. Turuan natin silang magpahatid ng mga alay at kontribyusyon sa regular (Monthly Church Support) na paraan. Magtalaga tayo ng mga Laykong magpapa-alala sa kanila at mga accounts (Banks, Pera Padala, Cebuana, GCASH)  kung saan maari nilang ipadala ang mga ito.

Huwag po nating pabayaan ang ating simbahan!

Umaasa at nagpapasalamat po!

Pangulo
Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas
May0 14, 2020

May 20, 2020 (3:00-5:00 PM PHL)

Dear friends and partners,

Warm greetings from the Center for Women’s Resources!

The COVID-19 pandemic is putting enormous stress on everyone but especially on women and other vulnerable groups. The lockdown imposed has adversely affected the socio-economic conditions of women, depriving them of their source of income and livelihood. Without immediate economic support and services from the government, women are faced with multiple difficulties of finding alternative sources of living, keeping the family safe and healthy, multiple burden, among others. These narratives, the daily anxieties of women, are often left untold.

In this light, the Center for Women’s Resources (CWR), GABRIELA, and Voices of Women for Justice and Peace (VOWJP) will be hosting an online discussion entitled Pandemic Tales: Untold Stories of Women During the Lockdown. We invite you to listen to the stories of frontline workers, indigenous women, artists, and small food producers as they share their struggles and hopes amid the pandemic. Dr. Reginald Pamugas, psychiatrist, and Vice-Chair of Health Action for Human Rights will serve as main speaker to talk about the importance of collectively taking care of our mental health. Join us on May 20, 2020 (Wednesday) at 03:00 pm to 5:00 pm (PHL Time).

If you are interested to join the discussion, you may please register here: https://cwr1982.typeform.com/to/gIMuE7 until 11:00 am of May 20, 2020.

Only registered participants will receive webinar details from us.

In solidarity,

Cham Perez
Center for Women’s Resources

My dear People of God in the Archdiocese of Manila,

As we strive to be personally connected with God, let us also be connected with each other in and through the Church as the Body of Christ. Let us join then in the activities that are meant to draw us closer to one another and to God.

I invite the parishes, religious communities and families of the faithful in their homes to participate in the Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on May 13, the 103th anniversary of the apparition in Fatima.

1.         At 8:30 in the morning, let us follow the live stream of the praying of the holy rosary and the prayer of consecration of the whole country to the Blessed Virgin.  This prayer will be done simultaneously all over the country. The National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Valenzuela City will be the center of this activity.

2.         At 12 noon, let us unite our hearts as an archdiocese for the live streaming of the Eucharistic Celebration at the Manila Cathedral.  At the conclusion of the Mass, the bishop together with the Mayors of the different cities within the Archdiocese will consecrate the archdiocese and the cities to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

In preparation for this important event, let us be one through a triduum of fasting, prayer and reflection on May 10, 11 and 12 through TV Maria live stream and Radio Veritas:

3:30 PM          Praying of the rosary and the Flores de Maria devotion
4:30 PM          Reflection of Bishop Broderick Pabillo
                        Prayers to be led by different sectors of the Church

TV Maria will live stream all these activities (TV Maria facebook page, Sky Cable – Channel 210; Destiny Cable – Channel 96; SatLite – Channel 102; Sky Direct – Channel 49; Cable Linek Channel 18). You can also tune in to Radio Veritas. I invite the social communication ministry of the parishes to hook in to broaden the reach of these broadcasts. Even individually please invite your friends and relatives in the archdiocese to participate in these activities.

Let us entrust ourselves to the maternal protection of Mary, our Mother during this time of crisis.  We pray that through her prayers as at Cana in Galilee, joy and celebration may return after this time of trial.

The Holy Father is calling for a day of prayer, fasting and acts of charity on May 14 to be participated in not only by Christians but by all religions to implore the Almighty to end this pandemic. Being in the Year of Ecumenism and Inter-religious Dialogue, this is a very concrete sign of common activity of all religions since prayer, fasting and acts of love are common to all, and we are all affected by this pandemic. I ask our faithful in the archdiocese to fully participate in this activity. To make our act of charity concrete, I invite everyone to extend material help to at least one person within your reach, no matter the amount, to make that person/s feel the care we have for each other. May this sign of unity among us draw us all to the One Source of all Goodness.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely yours in the Lord Jesus,

+ BRODERICK S. PABILLO
Apostolic Administrator of Manila
May 6, 2020

May 5, 2020

To: All Heads: National Lay Organizations &
Arch/Diocesan Councils of the Laity

 Dear Brothers & Sisters,

The peace and love of the risen Lord be with you!

As we continue to be confined for safety in our homes, we would like to take this as an opportunity to continually harness the use of modern technology and to carry on our mission of forming community of disciples amidst this situation.

We are pleased then to invite you and your members to a Post Quarantine Conversations II: New Mindsets for Emerging and Alternative Ministries… A Post-Quarantine Conversation, on May 9, Saturday, 2:00 to 4:00 PM. The topic would be on Mental Health.

We will be using a Zoom application for this. Kindly let us know if you are capable and available to join this conversation by replying to this email on or before May 7, so that we could send you the link, ID & Password, where you could register to actively participate. It will be on a first- come – first- serve basis since participants are limited to 100 persons only.

Our main presentor is Dr. Joff Quiring, a Diplomate of the Specialty Board of the Philippine Psychiatry and a member of the Philippine Psychiatric Association. He is also a young Coordinator-Leader of the Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon Community.

Most Rev. Broderick Pabillo and the Laiko Board Members will join us also in this sharing.

Thank you. Rest assured of my prayers for you and your loved ones’ safety!

Sincerely in the service of the Lord,

My dear people of God in the Archdiocese of Manila,

We have started the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ESQ) last March 15. Now the month of May is upon us. We never thought then, that the quarantine would be so long. We have accepted the lockdown for the sake of the common good, though by now it is taking its toll on us. There is restlessness, and even fear, mostly because of its economic effects. Many people are unsure of their future. It is in this situation that we need to be strong with the strength that comes from above. St. Paul wrote: “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). This strength no longer comes from him.

As we enter the month of May, what comes to our mind is the Blessed Virgin Mary. May is the month of Mama Mary. We have many fiestas of our Lady on this month. We have the Flores de Mayo celebrations. We will all miss these this year. Nevertheless, let us keep the month of May as a Marian month. During this month let us intensify the devotion to our Blessed Mother in our homes. We can decorate the altar of Mama Mary. We can daily pray the Holy Rosary as a family. We may not be able to offer flowers but we can daily offer some small good deed to Our Mother.

As we try to do these individually in our homes, let us also do something together as an Archdiocese. The main patron of our Archdiocese is the Immaculate Conception. We are a Marian local church. On May 13, which is the 103rd anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady at Fatima, at 12 noon, we will have a Holy Mass in the Manila Cathedral during which we will consecrate the whole Archdiocese of Manila to the Blessed Virgin. The prayer of consecration will be done by all of the faithful of the Archdiocese to be led by the mayors of the five cities that comprise the Archdiocese: Manila, Mandaluyong, Pasay, Makati, and San Juan. It will be beautiful when all the people God, led by their civil and religious leaders, put themselves under the protection of the Blessed Virgin.

In order that this act of consecration be meaningful, from the first week of May, there will be a series of catechetical instructions online explaining the meaning and implication of such consecration. Then from May 10, we will start a triduum (three days) of daily penance and rosary which will culminate on the common Act of Consecration on the 13th. We do this to implore the protection of the powerful intercession of our Blessed Mother in this difficult time, especially as we move to the transition to a new way of life after the quarantine. We need strength from above, and we have a powerful intercessor in Mama Mary to get that heavenly help.

Press Statement
April 24, 2020

The Movement Against Tyranny is greatly alarmed at President Rodrigo Duterte’s bristling threat to impose martial law on the pretext of the communist threat and the rebels’ alleged attacks on government troops involved in Covid-19 operations.

Just a few months ago, the President and generals of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were one in declaring the CPP-NPA as a spent force, citing the thousands of supposed rebel surrenderees under the government’s “whole of nation” counterinsurgency program. To ascribe to the rebel group widespread lawless violence or rebellion enough to justify the imposition of martial law is highly doubtful.

As to the allegation that the rebels are deliberately targeting ongoing Covid-19 response efforts, the President himself clarified that the targets are not the medical or relief workers themselves but their armed security escorts. Meanwhile, the CPP-NPA claims that their actions were defensive actions in response to AFP combat operations that have nothing to do with Covid-19. In any case, such accusations and counter accusations have to be verified and, if possible, properly addressed through existing mechanisms under the GRP-NDFP Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

In the first place, with Duterte eschewing the peace talks and declaring all-out war against the rebels, isn’t it hypocritical for him to use an incident in that ongoing war as a reason for declaring martial law?

We reiterate that there is no legal or moral basis for declaring martial law at this time. Government’s attention, energy and resources should be focused on health measures to contain Covid-19 and mitigate the impacts of such health measures. The least thing we need are militarist and tyrannical outbursts from the President.#

April 14, 2020

To: All Laiko Heads of National Lay Organizations & Arch/diocesan Councils of the Laity
Dear Brothers & Sisters,

The peace and love of the risen Lord be with you!

As we are confined for safety in our homes, we would like to take this as an opportunity for all of us to try and harness the modern technology to continue our mission of forming community of disciples amidst this situation. 

We are pleased then to invite to a Post Quarantine Conversations on April 25, Saturday, 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Proposed Title is: New Mindsets for Emerging and Alternative Ministries… A Post-Quarantine Conversation.

We will be using a Zoom application for this. Kindly let us know if you’re capable and available to join this conversation by replying to this email on or before April 22 so that we could send you the link where you could register to actively participate in this meeting as well as the mechanics. It will be on a first- come – first- serve basis since participants are  limited to 40 persons only.

Most Rev. Broderick Pabillo and the Laiko Board Members will be joining us in this sharing.

Thank you. Rest assured of my prayers for you and your loved ones’ safety!

Sincerely in the service of the Lord,

(Sgd) ROUQUEL A. PONTE
LAIKO President