More families invited to host IEC delegates

CEBU, Philippines - The accommodation committee of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress is still inviting more families living in Metro Cebu to play host to some of the local and foreign delegates of the international gathering.

As of yesterday, close to 500 families have already committed to provide homestay accommodation. The figure has increased from 300 as of June this year.

This is already half of the needed 1,000 family hosts that will accommodate at least 2,000 IEC delegates, said Monsignor  Ruben Labajo, chairman of the 51st IEC accommodation committee.

“In every family at least duha ang i-accommodate… Ang ubang families wala pa lang mosuwat formally sa ilang letter,” he told reporters yesterday.

He said a lot of families have already signified their interest and hopefully will add up to the latest number.

He, however, made it clear that some qualifications will have to be taken into account first before homestay arrangement is set with a family that vo-lunteers to become a host, such as security and sanitation.

Parish priests are tasked to inspect the house of the host families to determine if it is suitable and convenient for the delegates.  The delegates, on the other hand, must be endorsed by a bishop or archbishop to ensure the safety of the host families.

“If they (delegates) would opt to stay for a family, they should have recommendation sa ilang bishop kay if wa silay recommendation, di sad nato dawaton,” Labajo said.

The accommodation committee will opt to billeting the delegates in seminar centers should they fail to meet the target.

“Anyway, we prepared mga retreat houses, mga seminar houses nga affordable kaayo,” Labajo added.

He said they are also getting initial support from hotel owners and homeowners associations.

A campaign to gather more host families that will adopt the delegates from January 24 to 31, 2016 was launched in June.

The Eucharistic Congress is an international gathering of people that aims to promote awareness of the “central place of the Eucharist in the life and mission of the Catholic Church,” according to the IEC website.  (FREEMAN)