Pondo ng Pinoy marks 4th year; fund proceeds hits P161-M mark

The “Pondo ng Pinoy” (Fund for Filipinos) movement, a community foundation organized by Manila Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales, is marking its fourth anniversary on June 14 withthe Archdiocese of Manila, principal project base, and its suffragan dioceses holding simultaneous but separate celebrations prefaced with Masses and highlighted with fund inflow updates.

Pondo ng Pinoy (PnP) encourage people to save at least 25 centavos a day and donate it to the movement’s funds, which, when gathered in aggregate, are earmarked for livelihood or social service support to the poor.

In Manila, the anniversary celebration was held at Paco Catholic School, with the Cardinal
presiding at a Mass and where each parish was represented. PnP director and former Ambassador to Vatican Henriette De Villa said that as of December 2007, the foundation’s funds stood at P161,305,060.28, representing contributions from different parishes, corporate entities, the international community, and anonymous individuals.

Already, an estimated year-to-date collection of P8 million was added to the fund coffer, suggesting a remittance benchmark of over P1 million a month which, De Villa pointed out, indicates a sustained support from devoted donors even amid a perceived crunch in the country’s economic condition.

In his message, Cardinal Rosales reiterated once more the educative and catechetical
foundation of the movement,stressing that “Pondo ng Pinoy is teaching and living God’s love.”

“Once you love, you have to give. Hindi lang pera. Hindi lang bigas ang pwedeng ibigay. Kahit buhay puwedeng ibigay basta’t may pag-ibig. (It is not the money. Rice is not the only thing one can give. Life can be given as long as there is love,” he said.

Notably, MMCB is among the churches where the PnP project is seriously supported by churchgoers, lay volunteers, and the institutions and offices