On Palm Sunday, April 13, the Catholic Church in the Philippines will mark Alay Kapwa Sunday— which is also celebrating 50 years of service.
“For half a century, Alay Kapwa has exemplified solidarity and hope by reaching out to our most vulnerable brothers and sisters. More than a fundraising campaign, it is a call to live out the Gospel through concrete acts of compassion and responsibility,” said Fr. Edwin Gariguez, director of the Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan’s social action arm, in a social media post.
His parish in Victoria town, Oriental Mindoro island province, joins all parishes across the country in hosting a second collection.
The funds will support Caritas Philippines’ continuing mission, with 20% allocated as a Standby Fund for emergencies and disasters, 48% designated for local diocesan social programs, and 32% directed to aid dioceses impacted by calamities.
Caritas Philippines is the social development arm of the Catholic Bishops' Confrence of the Philippines.
This funding helps ensure both immediate relief and a long-term impact.
Themed “Kapwa Ko, Pananagutan Ko: Limampung Taon ng Pag-asa,” the initiative delivers hope across Filipino communities through its seven legacy programs.
These are education, livelihood, capacity building, health and nutrition, ecology, humanitarian response and rehabilitation, justice, peace, and good governance.
Over the years, millions of lives have been transformed—families have been rebuilt after disasters, communities empowered through sustainable livelihoods, and children provided with essential rights and education, said Gariguez.
As part of its 50th-year celebration, Alay Kapwa will launch “Pilgrimage of Hope” in selected dioceses. Booths will also be set up in parishes and key diocesan centers, inviting individuals to join as Alay Kapwa Partners and contribute to the Expanded Fund Campaign.
This effort is aimed at building a more sustainable fund to enable quicker, more effective responses to emergencies and support long-term community initiatives.
Let this Palm Sunday be a moment of transformation, not merely tradition.
"We invite all Filipinos to answer the call: 'Kapwa Ko, Pananagutan Ko'—for our shared humanity is a shared responsibility," said Gariguez.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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