Philippines: 50 years of the Alay Kapwa Solidarity Fund

Launched in 1975 as a Lenten gesture, over the years it has become an ongoing form of support for the activities of the 85 social action centres of the Philippine Church. And to mark the anniversary, Caritas has launched a campaign to engage one million Filipinos in a monthly donation. Bishop of Kidapawan Msgr Bagaforo: "Seed of hope and compassion".

Manila (AsiaNews) - Caritas Philippines - the solidarity organisation of the Catholic Church in the Philippines - is celebrating this year the 50th anniversary of its Alay Kapwa (in Tagalog: "Offering of oneself to others") initiative, a fund that began in 1975 as a Lenten initiative and that over time has become a driving force behind many year-round initiatives in the large archipelago. The important anniversary is becoming an opportunity to relaunch this activity, as Monsignor Jose Colin Bagaforo, Bishop of Kidapawan and president of Caritas Philippines, explained in recent days at a press conference held at the University of Santo Tomas, run by the Dominicans, in Manila.

"Alay Kapwa promotes hope and compassion," explained Bishop Bagaforo, "That is why we are all called to support and maintain the Alay Kapwa campaign in villages, parishes and institutions to help our neediest brothers and sisters become self-sufficient.

Over the years, it has evolved to become the source of training modules sent to all 85 diocesan social action centres. It has also been instrumental in the creation of a special solidarity fund that has enabled Caritas Philippines and the social action centres to react quickly, especially in times of disasters and other serious crisis situations. With Christ at the centre, Caritas Philippines - the heart of the Church of the Poor - has focused its attention since 2021 on the dimensions of mercy, development and justice through seven specific programmes: Educational Assistance and Community Schools; Health and Nutrition; Livelihoods and Food Security; Ecological Advocacy; Humanitarian Programmes and Disaster Risk Reduction; Justice, Peace and Good Governance; and Institutional Development and Capacity Building.

Initiatives that on the occasion of the 50th anniversary the Philippine Church through a national campaign invites support throughout the year with monthly donations. The stated goal is to involve 1 million Filipinos. It does not matter whether contributions will be 50 or 500 pesos. 'We ask you to donate not from mere abundance, but from a heart full of compassion for others,' Bagaforo urged.

The campaign also aims to involve the younger generation. That is why Ben&Ben - the brothers Paolo Benjamin and Miguel Benjamin Guico - two singers well known in the Philippines - will also be there to support the campaign. Together with other artists, they will be the stars of a big concert to be held on 8 July at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Their involvement also stems from a personal experience: at the press conference, they said that their mother used to work as a social worker for Caritas Manila. "We practically grew up hearing about Alay Kapwa,' they said. 'So when the opportunity to collaborate came up, we naturally said yes. Not only because we knew what it was about, but also because we had seen the impact it had had on the communities it served over the years'.

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