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“The raised clenched fist was the symbol of Hitler for power, greed and death. I was forced to join his army and was trained as a gunner.” Cardinal Rosales quoted from the biography of Pope Benedict VI in his homily at the 4th anniversary of Pondo ng Pinoy, held at Paco Catholic School last June 14. “The older men had pity on me. I was only 14 years old then. So they helped me escape the army. If only Hitler had changed his symbol of the clenched fist, the course of history would have had a different direction”, His Eminence continued the quotation, then he raised his right hand into a fist and slowly opened his palm in a gesture of generosity. “This is Pondo ng Pinoy”, he said.
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Yes, more than a fund-raising scheme, Pondo ng Pinoy is a symbol of love for God and neighbor. Your daily acts of goodness, kindness and generosity will get somewhere. I was asked recently if our country will ever get over our economic crisis. And the answer is YES. The answer is in our hands.”
Over 1,500 delegates attended the 4th anniversary for the Archdiocese of Manila. The morning started with the Eucharist, concelebrated with Bishop Broderick Pabillo who is the Pondo ng Pinoy Archdiocesan Desk Coordinator and almost all the parish priests of Manila, San Juan, Mandaluyong and Pasay. During the break, the participants went to assigned rooms to discuss the present situation of Ponod ng Pinoy in their respective vicariates and write down suggestions on how to intensify the programs – the Education-catechesis, the “collection of crumbs” and the submission of projects for the poor.
During the Plenary, Amb Tita de Villa, one of the Pondo ng Pinoy Board Members, presented the Annual Report and gave prizes to those who could say the Vision, Mission and the four pillars of Pondo by heart. Funds have reached over P160 million. And the coins are steadily coming in. Reporting on the archdiocesan level was Bishop Pabillo. He challenged the delegates to really study the situation of the poor in their parishes in order to be able to come up with viable projects. The past three years, there were a lot of left-over funds allocated to the Archdiocese of Manila because there were not enough projects submitted. During the open forum, questions were raised on what types of projects could be funded and they were clearly answered by Bishop Pabillo and His Eminence.
Over and over again, the concept of the “Theology of the Crumbs” was conveyed to the assembly. Giving without love is not a part of Pondo ng Pinoy. But certainly, one cannot love without giving. Love is not love if it does not give.
This year, it was decided that the 4th anniversary celebrations of the other dioceses will be celebrated in the individual dioceses so that more can participate and help intensify Pondo ng Pinoy.
Listen to the Pondo ng Pinoy hour every Sunday 11-12:00 noon hosted by Brother Archie Polintan and Sr. Pilar, Radio Veritas 846.
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