Friday, August 22, 2008

THE PONDO NG PINOY MOVEMENT SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION THROUGH INTEGRAL EVANGELIZATION

Rationale:
The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II) presents a vision for the Filipino nation.

We shall have to create a free nation:
where human dignity and solidarity
are respected and promoted;
where moral principles prevail in socio-economic
life and structures;
where justice, love, and solidarity are the inner
driving forces of the development.

We shall have to built a sovereign nation:
where every tribe and faith are respected;
where diverse tongues and traditions work
together for the good of all;
where membership is a call
to participation and involvement
and leadership a summons to generous service.

Ours will have to be a people:
in harmony with one another
through unity in diversity;
in harmony with creation,
and in harmony with God.

Ours shall be a civilization of life and love.


Pondo ng Pinoy is a movement to develop a Filipino culture rooted more deeply in love of God and neighbor, especially the poor, through little but repeated acts of compassion, solidarity and sharing. Pondo ng Pinoy is also a community foundation born out of the daily contributions of concerned people that will support programs benefiting the poor. As a movement and as a community foundation, Pondo ng Pinoy calls on all Filipinos to care for others so as to attain fullness of life in God.

Pondo ng Pinoy (PnP) was launched on June 11-12, 2004. Its agenda is Integral Evangelization, bringing the Good News of salvation and liberation to the totality of life, no different from that of PCP II. Its objective is to penetrate all the strata of human life with the vision of the Kingdom of God. The formula is to make effective or operational the love of Jesus in our daily lives. When actions promote moral values, they become good operative habits that are considered virtues. Virtues build character, and character produces morally upright action. PnP aims at reversing society’s neglect of the poor by bringing them to the center of the consciousness of Filipinos and attending to their needs especially in the areas of livelihood, housing, education and health care.

The education component of PnP is its distinctive and hopefully, best feature. PnP promotes the formative dimension of social transformation. It is catechetical in nature – direct proclamation of the gospel values of Jesus Christ. The sharing of twenty-five centavos (0.25) becomes the integrating moment in the catechetical framework. It is the concrete expression of love, of a life lived for others. Thus education is coupled with action on behalf of neighbors.







PnP education focuses primarily on the evangelization and empowerment of the family, without neglecting other sectors and institutions. The family is meant by God to be the first school of discipleship where the parents are the first catechists of their children, and where all the members mutually evangelize each other. (PCP II 576) The family is where concern for neighbor, honesty and the sense of justice, truthfulness and caring for creation should be inculcated.

PnP is a way of bringing to people the social doctrine of the Church as a means for integral evangelization. The Church’s social doctrine presents principles of reflection, criteria of judgment and directives for action oriented towards moral conduct. We need to proclaim these components, “whether convenient or inconvenient – correcting, reproving, appealing – constantly teaching and never losing patience’ (II Tim 4:2).” (PCP II, 292)

The basic tenets of the Church’s Social doctrine are:

1. Integral Development – Human Dignity & Solidarity
2. Respect for Human Life
3. The Social Nature of the Human Person and Human Equality
4. The Universal Purpose of Earthy Goods and Private Property
5. Social Justice and Love (Solidarity and Subsidiarity)
6. Association and Participation (Family Life)
7. Preferential Protection of the Poor and Vulnerable
8. Peace and Active Non-violence
9. The Value of Human work
10. Integrity of Creation
11. People Empowerment
12. The Common Good Inseparable from the Good of Persons

The sectors that PnP education and catechesis want to reach are:

1. Families
2. Educational Institutions –
• Public Schools through the Diocese/Parish Catechists
• Catholic Schools through the Religious Education Department and Campus Ministry
• Non-Sectarian Schools through the Archdiocesan or Diocesan Campus Ministry of the Ministry for Youth Affairs
3. Parishes and Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs)
4. Movements of Renewal: the Cursillos de Cristianidad, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Lay Covenant Communities, the Neo-catechumenal Way, the Christian Family Movement, Marriage Encounter, Focolare, the Movement for a Better World, the Parish Renewal Experience (PREX), etc.
5. Catholic Hospitals and Community-Based Health Care Workers
6. Practitioners of the Media of Social Communication
7. Corporate and Business Communities
8. Tribal Filipinos
9. Peasants
10. Urban Poor
11. Fisherfolk
12. The Disabled
13. Prisoners and other Special Sectors
14. Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)

The objectives of PnP education and catechesis are:

1. To cultivate a spirituality of social transformation through the formation of social conscience;






2. To build up a participatory church and caring community through a life long process of learning and self-giving to the poor; and

3. To imbue the culture with the values of the gospel in the spirit of ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue.


PnP AS A COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Although initiated by the Church, Pondo ng Pinoy (PnP) is not a Church foundation but a community foundation. The community owns the fund it generates. PnP intends to help needy Filipinos, within and beyond the Catholic Church.

1. The Church is the initiator, promoter and steward of PnP. The Church took the first steps in launching the movement and the foundation. The Church undertakes the education of people so as to promote the vision of PnP. The Church takes care of the fund and monitors its disbursement. The Church maintains the focus on the spiritual and cultural values of the movement so as to avoid reducing PnP to raising money only.

2. Although PnP is a community foundation it does not follow that any person can just intrude in the dispensation of the fund. As an alternative to bad governance, PnP should exercise care in the handling and disbursement of the donated money. We learn from history how some groups with political or ideological agenda and narrow interests have manipulated the use of community funds. The renewed culture of compassion and integrity that the PnP movement wants to generate should be mirrored in the operations of the community foundation.

3. The Church is the primary steward of the foundation. For the purpose of ensuring the proper handling and disposal of the fund, the foundation will be headed by a Board of Trustees composed of distinguished lay leaders, religious, priests and bishops. The lay leaders or pastoral workers who will be part of PnP leadership may come from any economic stratum of society, provided they share the orientation of the Church, are committed to and involved in community service, and have shown competence in leadership and management. The empowerment of the poor communities will happen primarily in the management of the actual projects in their midst, of which they are both investors and beneficiaries. The involvement of laypeople, NGO’s, PO’s and other organized groups with a track record of genuine service to the poor is a necessary component of the operations of PnP.


THE ORGANIZATION OF PnP

Since the establishment of the community foundation was the initiative of bishops, the dioceses and parishes will provide the basic framework for the organization of PnP. The spirit of communion and solidarity should be reflected in the organizational structure of PnP. Both as a movement and a community foundation, PnP has a Central Office with dioceses and parishes as local implementing arms. But while PnP uses diocesan and parish offices, PnP is an entity distinct from the Dioceses and Parishes. Hence, PnP will not supplant, but support and enhance diocesan or parochial initiatives or activities, especially those directed towards the well being of the poor.

1. The Priority Areas of Concern of PnP in relation to Diocesan/Parochial Pastoral Plans

a. Since PCP-II, the Church in the Philippines has been pursuing a mission of renewed integral evangelization. PnP can be a tool for evangelization, especially of the “un-churched” who make up 85% of the Catholic population. PnP could serve as initial evangelization and entry point for their participation in the life and mission of the Church. It could also be a venue for ecumenical and inter-religious programs of


dioceses and parishes. Some sectors and establishments that could be targeted are the following: offices, factories, commercial establishments, markets, government institutions, schools, transport sectors, and informal sectors.

b. The PnP orientation should be creatively integrated and adapted to the components of diocesan/parochial pastoral plans, e.g. family life, BEC’s, advocacy, catechesis, ministry to sectors, youth, education, ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue, etc. Local realities must be considered in the adaptation.

c. Priority areas of concern of PnP, i.e. livelihood, housing, education and health care, are the same priority areas of any social action desk or BEC. The evangelization, education, formation and catechetical ministries can integrate elements of PnP wherever possible. Ultimately the various diocesan/parochial groups and structures should work together in promoting the various components of PnP.

d. Fund generating activities and traditional sources of funds of the diocese/parish, especially the newly established ones, will be respected by PnP. If the donors prefer to give directly to diocesan/parochial projects, they are free to do so, while being encouraged to undergo the evangelization program of PnP.

2. Central and Local Organization and Operation

The Diocesan PnP Desk

a. Participating dioceses or apostolic vicariates will set up their own PnP Desk headed by the Bishop, with the Diocesan Chancery as its base. Serving as an arm of the community foundation, the Diocesan/Vicariate PnP Desk will operate within the existing diocesan structure, e.g. the Social Action Center. The diocesan office within which the PnP Desk operates shall assume the operational expenses of the Desk. The PnP Desk will rely, therefore, on the staff of the diocese and parishes, parish pastoral councils, church organizations and ministries for human resource. Consistent with the culture of sharing that PnP is cultivating, volunteerism is to be encouraged in the running of the PnP Desk.

Where possible and needed, the PnP Desk may set up local committees that correspond to the subcommittees of the Central Program Committee (Organizational Development, Education, Promotion, and Projects Review and Screening). Parishes, schools and other participating local bodies must designate a person who will serve as a link to the PnP Desk.

b. The Bishop will appoint a PnP Diocesan/Vicariate Coordinator from among the lay, religious or clergy. The Coordinator oversees the operations of the PnP and the various subcommittees, links with the participating parishes and institutions in the diocese/vicariate and the central office, monitors the collection, submission and distribution of money, keeps records, inspects projects funded by the PnP and regularly reports to the Bishop on the state of the PnP in the diocese/vicariate. The Coordinator must be of good moral standing in the community, must have a record of community involvement, and must be skilled in financial management.

c. The PnP Central Office will prepare the initial programs of PnP. The Diocesan PnP Desk can adapt the materials and programs to fit their local contexts. The central office also acts as the monitoring body of the various initiatives from the dioceses/vicariates and of the total inflow of resources.
Education

The basic operational need is to promote and deepen the understanding of people on the vision, the spiritual, theological and social dimensions of PnP and the principles and values it aims to uphold.





a. There should be a local education committee to be composed of diocesan/vicariate catechetical coordinators and heads of religious education of catholic schools and other groups that the dioceses/vicariates would designate. It shall be responsible for the writing of modules for the sectors and the dissemination of materials through the speakers’ bureau.

b. Formation for capacity building will be offered to people who will help implement the vision and programs of PnP, especially those in the Diocesan/Vicariate PnP Desk, speakers and training facilitators. Skills and technical training will be provided.
Promotion

a. Brochures will be circulated to orient people on PnP. A primer will go with the brochure to further clarify the vision and mechanics of PnP as a movement and a community foundation. It will include guidelines for conducting launchings of PnP.

b. The Central Office of PnP will provide the initial brochures and promotional materials. The PnP Desks will assume responsibility for them when their fund resource begins to stabilize.

c. Promotional activities will be programmed according to the stages of implementation. Since education is the prerequisite for a genuine participation in the giving and collection of the “crumbs”, promotional materials will focus first on education regarding the vision of PnP.

d. Plug-ins will be solicited from Radio Veritas and local radio stations run by the church. Other available radio stations whose owners and/or top management share the vision of PnP will be requested to regularly feature PnP, especially through jingles and ad lines. These will make PnP a household byword. Talk shows and news clips over the radio and television can help promote PnP. Tri-media exposure will optimize awareness.

Gathering of the “Crumbs”

a. All parishes, schools, universities, organizations, etc. are enjoined to deposit their contributions to PnP depository banks and furnish the PnP Central Office and their respective Diocesan Chancery with a copy of the deposit slip. Contributions may also be forwarded to the PnP Desk in the Chancery; the PnP Desk will in turn forward the funds to the PnP Central Office through designated banks. Through the centralization of funds we hope PnP will have a stronger impact on the national scene. It is also a way of giving poorer dioceses access to funds that they could not raise by themselves.

b. The Coordinator will keep separate records of the contributions of parishes, schools and organizations or institutions and submit a quarterly report on the participation of these various conduits in his/her Diocese. The Central Office will track the contributions of the dioceses to the central fund.

Distribution of the “Crumbs”

a. Non-profit organizations, like the diocesan and parochial social action offices, NGO’s, religious organizations and other sectors, can submit to the PnP Desk project proposals for programs that will directly benefit the poor. The proponents must meet the criteria set by the Central Projects Review and Screening Committee to qualify for consideration. The PnP Desk will constitute a Diocesan Review and Screening Committee to recommend to the Coordinator and the Bishop which projects merit support. Projects not exceeding three hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00) need only the approval of the PnP Desk while those beyond the said amount need to be submitted to the Central Projects Review and Screening Committee for final approval.






b. Projects must have the approval of the bishop to qualify for funding. Projects needing only Diocesan approval must have the endorsement of the parish priest where the project will be carried out. Projects to be submitted to the Central Projects Review and Screening Committee for final approval must be endorsed by the bishop of the place where the project will be implemented. The Diocesan and Central Projects Review and Screening committees will issue a list of priority programs that PnP will support as well as the guidelines in processing and approving proposals.

c. Funds for diocese-approved projects will be released to the PnP Desk. For this purpose, the PnP Desk will open a bank account to which the Central Office could remit funds directly. The PnP Desk must have a separate book of accounts. For projects approved by the Central Projects Review and Screening Committee, funds will be released to the project proponents through the PnP Desk. Memoranda of agreement will be signed between the project proponents and the PnP Desk or the Central Office.

d. The Coordinator is responsible for monitoring supported projects and reporting to the Central Projects Review and Screening Committee. All projects shall be subject to periodic and annual external financial, compliance, management and project-end social audit. The community foundation can withdraw or terminate its assistance at any time should the project proponent, after due process, is proven to have violated the terms and conditions of the assistance and to have failed to act on monitoring and audit findings.

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