Manila archbishop launches fundraiser to help poor

Can 25 centavos really make a difference in the lives of Juan and Maria dela Cruz?

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales believes so.

Rosales is on a mission to spread his message of charity in small doses, "Pondo ng Pinoy" (Fund for the Filipino), across the country.

Launched by the Archdiocese of Manila in June last year, Pondo ng Pinoy is a community charity patterned after the Pondo Batangan started in 1996 by the Archdiocese of Lipa, which Rosales formerly headed.

With the motto "Anumang magaling, kahit maliit, basta’t malimit, ay patungong langit (Anything good, no matter how small, if given frequently, helps win heaven)," Pondo ng Pinoy calls on all Catholics to donate 25 centavos a day to support livelihood projects for the poor.

"Pondo ng Pinoy would bring about not only the development of the Filipino people, especially the poor, but also the miraculous transformation of the country," Rosales said in yesterday’s press briefing on the project held at the Villa Immaculada reception area in Intramuros, Manila.

The project has managed to collect P15 million in 25-centavo donations since its launch, Rosales told reporters.

The amount will be made available next month for micro-lending to the poor through Church groups and other non-governmental organizations.

Rosales believes that by thinking small the project can involve more Filipinos in charity.

"This is what people can afford. If we ask for a thousand pesos only a few people can afford it. But if we ask for 25 centavos, literally crumbs, we will touch every Filipino because it is easy to give," he said.

But more important, Rosales said, than the accumulated fund is the spirit and community fostered by the fund drive.

"We could change the country by changing the attitudes of the Filipinos. With Pondo ng Pinoy, we are giving them a new attitude, a new mental orientation," he said. "If we want a progressive Philippines, it must start with the people. Let the people desire it as a community, as a church and as a nation."

Nine years ago, Pondo ng Batangan raised almost P15 million in donations.

The money was distributed to the 21 parishes of the Archdiocese of Batangas for micro-lending.

Small vendors and fishermen took out soft loans they could pay back in two years at one-percent interest per year.

Many fishermen in Batangas were able to acquire their own boats and nets through the fund.