MANDALUYONG, Philippines (UCAN) -- Members and beneficiaries of a Church social-action fund marked the program's second year in June recounting its successes and looking forward to it serving more people in need.

Bishops, priests, nuns, lay workers, laborers, students, teachers and businessmen were among 3,000 people who attended the second anniversary celebration of Pondo ng Pinoy (Fund of the Filipino) Community Foundation, held June 17. They listened to testimonies from donors and benefactors, and reports of program proponents and officials.

The program's founder, Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales of Manila, opened the anniversary celebration with a Mass at the La Salle Greenhills gym in Mandaluyong City, southeast of Manila. In his homily he described Pondo ng Pinoy as "a lived prayer in every participating member ... because every 25 centavos (coin) speaks a plea, a prayer to Jesus for the poor."

When the cardinal introduced the program in June 2004, he explained that coins as small as 25 centavos (US$.004), a quarter of a peso, can help the poor if pooled, and if giving as "an act of love" is made a habit. Comparing pocket change to "crumbs" at the table, the cardinal said then that "small amounts multiply if given from the heart."

The theme of the anniversary celebration, translated from Filipino, was: "You are a blessing! Pondo ng Pinoy ... Love of God ... Hope of the Filipino."

During the program, former Bureau of Internal Revenue commissioner Rene Banez, head of the foundation's Finance Committee, reported total collections of 79 million pesos from June 2004-April 30, 2006.

He said 14 Church jurisdictions covering Manila and nearby areas are Pondo ng Pinoy members. All parishes, schools and other Church-based institutions under these member jurisdictions donate to Pondo, implementing its catechetical approach of shared responsibility through small donations.

Anonymous donors have donated a large chunk of the funds, amounting to 16 million pesos, Banez said. Corporations donated 6 million pesos, and the international community contributed 131,345 pesos.

Good Shepherd Sister Mary Pilar Verzosa reported for the foundation's Projects Screening Committee. She said Pondo funds programs related to health, education and social justice. Its main program, initiated with Assisi Development Foundation, is the Hapag-Asa (table of hope) Integrated Nutrition Program.

Assisi Foundation is an NGO established in 1975 to help the poor and rehabilitate communities affected by armed conflict. Its president, Howard Dee, former ambassador to the Holy See, also serves as overall manager and technical consultant of Hapag-Asa. He told the anniversary gathering that 13 of the Pondo Church jurisdictions have supplemental feeding projects in their parishes and centers.

Since January, Hapag-Asa has served 6,000 beneficiaries, Dee said. "Our target is 150,000 children nationwide" by 2007 he announced. Through Pondo donors gave 29 million pesos to cover feeding for children from 85 parishes that applied for the feeding program.

Pondo ng Pinoy contributes 5,000-15,000 pesos monthly to parishes for their Hapag-Asa projects, which typically cover 50-100 children each.

Additionally, Pondo's website reports having released a total of 9.7 million pesos for health, education, housing, and livelihood projects in parishes and organizations from nine of the member Church jurisdictions.

The projects include scholarships, medical clinics and drugstores, a water system for indigenous people, supplemental food for people with leprosy, an ecological waste-management program for a scavengers' organization, and livelihood assistance for women, street children and senior citizens.

Project implementers need the endorsement of the parish priest and bishop of the project site. A diocese-based Pondo desk reviews endorsed proposals seeking funding below 300,000 pesos, while those seeking larger amounts must be approved at the Pondo ng Pinoy central office in Manila.

Beneficiary Angie Lariosa told the afternoon anniversary program how permanent housing in Manila's Malate district helped her. Sidney Quizon and Eduardo Diaz, fishermen from Imus diocese, south of Manila, also shared testimonials. They spoke about seed money from Pondo for mini-fishponds and shrimp farming as alternative livelihood sources. These helped them after traditional fishing sites along Manila Bay were depleted, the men said.

Pondo donors at the gathering included couples from various parishes, students from Catholic schools and small businessmen. In one video presentation, Jose Cacho and his wife told how friends at their 60th wedding anniversary party, whom they asked to donate to Hapag-Asa, gave a total of 1.35 million pesos.

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