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We Can be Heroes
National Heroes Day 2024
The Filipino Katoliko Church joins the entire Philippines echoing the spirit of national pride as we celebrate National Heroes Day.
The Cry of Pugad Lawin on August 23, 1896, was more than a symbolic gesture but a decision offering the lives of the common Filipinos to claim freedom from the colonizers.
It is also important to remember and celebrate the lives of the Three Martyred Priests (Padre Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora) on this significant occasion whose ideals awakened and ignited the cry for sovereignty and independence, and inspired many heroes and heroines in the Philippine Revolution against Spanish rulers.
Today, let us honor our daily heroes offering sacrifices for all in need of physical, emotional, and spiritual love and care.
We can be heroes for the betterment of our nation, our people, our community, the environment, and the world.
Filipino Katoliko Church
www.filipinokatolikoph.info
August 26, 2024
Filipino Katoliko Church joins the country and all nutrition and health advocates in observing the National Nutrition Month highlighting the Philippines Plan of Action for Nutrition.
A healthy newborn baby comes from a healthy mother and a healthy family living in a healthy community or society with healthy environmental, economic, and political policies and programs.
We believe that the nutrition and well-being of every citizen go beyond dietary indicators. Let us all be reminded that one cannot be healthy living on a sick planet.
Filipino Katoliko Church invites all persons of diverse faiths to actively participate in all advocacy and programs for the nutrition improvement of every child and every member of society.
Let us also work harder to restore ecological balance - a healthy environment. We cannot detach the life of each human from nature because humans are an integral part of it.
Let us free our medical and health programs from the grid of profit and greed and enrich these closer to the people, for the people guided by compassion.
God Bless Us and our efforts.
Filipino Katoliko joins the government and non-government advocates in building resilient communities in the country.
We believe that "Resilience is beyond preparedness, survival, and building up better. It is restoring the relationship of humans with the Creator, the relationship between and among humans, and the relationship of humans with biodiversity. It is good stewardship of the Creation and not profit-making, selfishness, and greed."
Let us not normalize disasters, abuse, and inequalities.
“They who plant and water shall bear the fruit of their labor”
Filipino Katoliko Church International Labor Day 2024 Message
“The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God's service; you are God's field, God's building.”- 1 Corinthians 3:8-9
“If any man's work abides which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.” – 1 Corinthians 3:14
Hunger, chaos, and destruction caused by wars, conflicts, and greed affect the mass children of God globally in varied intensity.
Most of the people in grief and starvation are the many populations that from dawn to dusk have poured their labor. Inequality widened as nearly 700 million people around the world today live in extreme poverty, meaning they live on less than $2.15 per day according to the World Bank.
World Bank 2023 year-in review stated, "If 2022 was a year of uncertainty, 2023 is the year of inequality. For countries hoping to bounce back from the devastating losses of the COVID-19 pandemic, the battle has been made tougher by the compounding threats of climate change, fragility, conflict, violence, or food insecurity, to name a few—that make it difficult for economies across the board to fully recover.”
A ”polycrises” indeed.
According to the World Bank’s data in 2022, a total of 712 million people globally were living in extreme poverty, an increase of 23 million people compared to 2019. And “when looking beyond income to people experiencing deprivations in health, education, and living standards, 1.2 billion people in 111 developing countries are multi-dimensionally poor," the 2022 U.N. Development Programme report said.
Most of these poor populations have been working hard with only their labor-force as the means with a global total labor force of 3.62 billion according to World Bank data. The world economy has been expected to have a gross domestic product (GDP) of $105 trillion, or $5 trillion higher than the year before, according to the latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) projections from 2023 report.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, we have a total population of 110 Million with a 42 Million labor force excluding the more than 10 Million Overseas Filipino Workers. Of the total labor force, majority of them are from service and informal (19% industry, 23% agriculture, 58% services; and Wage and salaried 27.2 M, Self-employed 11.5 M, Unpaid family workers 2.5 M, Employers 1.2 M).
According to OCTA Research in September 2023, an additional 1.9 million Filipino families now consider themselves poor or ‘new poor totaling 50% of Filipino families, or around 13.2 million households, rated themselves as poor. In the same year (mid-2023) the collective wealth of the Philippines' 50 wealthiest individuals experienced a notable increase, reaching $80 billion, up from $72 billion the previous year (2022).
This data implies an increase in the wealth of the rich and an increase in the number of poor working population with low or no increase in wages and opportunities – a glaring wide gap in social and economic status.
As said in 1st Corinthians verse 3: 8-9, they who work should be rewarded according to their own labor.
Filipino Katoliko Church, joins the global community and the Filipino working and poor population in the call for improved and strengthened programs, services, and policies for the workers like living wage increase, lowering of the prices of commodities, and other structural and policy reforms in the utilization and management of the finite natural resources.
As children of God and stewards of creation, we must show compassion and solidarity for the working population and shall cultivate the earth for the world to eat and reproduce and not for profit.
FILIPINO KATOLIKO Church
www.filipinokatolikoph.info
May 2, 2024
Harvest a Healthy Future:
Celebrate and Strengthen the Faith and collective commitment to grow and cultivate a healthy culture
Throughout the world, April 22 has been celebrated (annually) to support environmental advocacies and to help raise awareness for the need to protect and care for our planet. Its importance as celebrated is to strongly warn us to deeply reflect on how we interact with Mother Earth and its finite resources.
(“And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.”– Genesis 2:15, KJV)
Mixed with wars and violent conflicts, global warming intensified and brought the lives on Earth to the edge – long droughts, strong typhoons and cyclones, hunger rise, earthquakes and tremors, north pole melting, and nations sinking.
It is the responsibility of the rational being (human) to be accountable for our actions and rethink our way to begin anew with a deeper understanding of our roles.
We were reminded to live in harmony with nature, with our neighbor, with ourselves and the Creator, and let peace exist inside and outside us. But this must be a collective effort of all denominations and social organizations.
Our faiths should always be understood that as stewards we have a contract with the Creator, and we are called upon now to do our part. Earth Day is always a good opportunity to revitalize and improve our commitment to our common home – the Earth.
(“As every man hath received the gift, even so, minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” – 1 Peter 4:10, KJV)
It should be understood as experienced across the world that this is an Ecological Crisis and we are beyond warming now. The world is boiling if not drowning.
We may do little things in our own little way to mitigate the effects and causes but we must hurry more than ever to save Mother Earth and us all.
Individuals, homes, neighborhoods, schools, churches, and the world can make a big difference on different levels. Let us be an inspiration to many like us.
Here are several ideas we can undertake to protect Earth, our only home:
• Pray and advocate for all of God’s creation.
• Launch discussions, education, and orientations on ways one can make a difference with family members and friends.
• Make a commitment with fellow advocates and as a community organize climate actions
• Engage the policy and decision-making social, economic, and political institutions and push for ecological reforms and programs
• Observe practices and best practices in waste management and sustainable resource utilization
• Help strengthen the local economy and improve the local consumer and producer solidarity.
• Grow native trees in your lawns, farms, streets, school, and church grounds partnering with local groups to take good care of it. Defend the local and traditional seeds, build food forests and parks, and share among neighbors.
• Stop buying and use of single-use containers and start carrying your own container.
• Grow food ethically and practice ecological technologies from ridges to the reefs.
• Revitalize the social contract between the Creator and you as a Steward of the creation.
As a community of God’s children and believers, we are more than required to take actions necessary to save the Earth and the lives on it more than urgent.
FILIPINO KATOLIKO Church
www.filipinokatolikoph.info
April 24, 2022
Morocco and its populations were hit by a deadly 6.8 magnitude earthquake on 8 September. We pray with our brothers and sisters affected by this disaster that has already claimed more than two thousand lives, leaving thousands injured, orphaned, displaced, and in need of medication, food, shelter, and care. As the rescue operation continues, it is feared that the number of deaths will be overwhelming.
Let us offer prayers
✓ For those who lost relatives, friends, neighbors, and companions, we pray they'll be comforted in their grief and emotional recovery.
✓ For rescue frontliners to be protected to reach those difficult to access.
✓ For all nations and social organizations mobilized for humanitarian support for immediate relief of the victims and survivors.
✓ That all faiths pray together in this time and demonstrate the love of each God and the Church and or congregations be the shelter of the people, especially the needy, and the shield from sufferings and pains.
✓ That all nations and races live in harmony with themselves, neighbors, nature, and God and promote fraternity and solidarity to all communities and nations suffering from pains and injustices.
Let us Pray.
</ #prayformorocco #prayforhumanity #prayforeverysoul #prayerworks #prayfortheworld
The Filipino Katoliko Community gathers in San Antonio de Padua Parish, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur to witness the Bestowal of the Holy Apostolic Succession to Bishop Pedro P. Fenis, Jr the Filipino Katoliko Head Bishop in celebration of faith and love to God and the creators on April 16, 2023.
"Apostolic Succession, in Christianity, is the teaching that bishops represent a direct, uninterrupted line of continuity from the first Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to this teaching, bishops possess certain special powers handed down to them from the Apostles; these consist primarily of the right to confirm church members, ordain priests, consecrate other bishops, and rule over the clergy and church members in their diocese (an area made up of several congregations).
The origins of the doctrine are obscure, and the New Testament records are variously interpreted. Those who accept apostolic succession as necessary for a valid ministry argue that it was necessary for Christ to establish a ministry to carry out his work and that he commissioned his Apostles to do this (Matthew 28:19–20). The Apostles in turn consecrated others to assist them and to carry on the work."
Let us celebrate our differences and mutually please God and fulfill our duties and responsibilities as Stewards and believers.
The Consecration is officiated by Bishop Vicente Dayagbil III of the Philippine International Catholic Church which has a concordat with the Anglican Communion of Chile, a member of the global Anglican Communion community.
April 20, 2023
Dear Friends in the Islamic Faith and all believers,
The Filipino Katoliko wishes all of the observers and those who celebrate, Ramadan Kareem!
We acknowledge that in Islam faith, Ramadan is a time to revisit one's faith and spiritual, social, and personal life as a member of the Ummah. And we pray that you have had a meaningful contemplation, and joy within your community.
As we are about to end the observance of the Holy month, we must have learned a lot from our reflections and deeper self-evaluation of our collective responsibility toward creating a better world for all. Congratulations on the successful observance and sacrifice, Happy Eid al-Fitr!
To all God believers in the world, let us continue to celebrate and recognize our differences and make our faiths a celebration for peace, the people, and the planet.
Nowadays, the global community and even the country are faced with challenges and there seems to be continued conflicts around the world using religions and differences. May we strengthen our commitment to the Creator we believe in and to our responsibilities as Stewards and children of God. Let us continue working for positive footprints whenever and wherever we are.
Let us keep building and strengthening solidarity and collective efforts for peace, our people, and the planet.
Please circulate this message to our fellows, to your friends, family members, colleagues, and networks and spread the message.
For the Lord, the People, and the Nations,
Bishop Pedro P. Fenis, Jr
Filipino Katoliko Church
Head Bishop
Praise the Lord and Promote the well-being of humanity and the Earth.
Dear Esteemed Bishops, Reverend Fathers, Sisters, Brothers, Parishioners, Members, and Friends,
Happy Earth Day to all of us Stewards of the creations!
We celebrate Earth Day to celebrate the beauty, blessings, and bounty of our planet and the life it offers to humanity.
As we are told to be at peace with each other, we must make peace with nature as we also make peace with the Creator. Our morals and teachings should always be our guide as we live each day, nurturing our relationship with ourselves, our neighbors, God, and all creations. Let us keep on understanding and learning, for example, we have much to learn from the practices of the old agricultural and communal civilizations and from the Indigenous People's way of life.
Let us make this day a day to honor Earth's valuable contribution in sustaining our needs all these days. Let us reflect on the hardships and devastations suffered by the Earth due to the massive accumulation of material profits and greed.
We are faced with challenges of intensifying climate crisis and degradation of our spiritual relationship with nature, it is necessary more than ever now to revisit this relationship and duties and together work to restore the life of our common home and the common goods in it. Let us make this an opportunity to reflect on our impact on the environment and in fulfilling our duty as children of God.
Through the wisdom of our experiences and beliefs let us contribute to protecting our common home, building a sustainable future, and promoting the well-being of all humanity and the Earth.
Together let us promote the well-being of humanity and our common home - Earth.
Let us also offer prayers and celebrate the life and memories of the Late Most Rev Sotero F. Fenis, Sr as we remember him on his birthday today.
Celebrate Our Faith as good stewards and children of the Lord.
Bishop Pedro P. Fenis, Jr.
Filipino Katoliko
Head Bishop
April 22, 2023