Caritas Philippines salutes Pinoy frontline workers
AS the country joins the world in celebrating Labor Day, the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines exulted the heroism of all Filipino workers, as the Catholic Church celebrates the national consecration to St. Joseph, the Worker.
Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, national director of Caritas Philippines, said they celebrate the bravery, courage and selflessness especially of the Filipino frontline workers who devoted even their lives in the service of those in need.
“We owe it to our workers and frontliners even the minimum thread of comfort and safety that we have at a time of the pandemic. You so much deserve our salutation and gratitude,” he said in a statement.
For his part, Fr. Antonio Labiao Jr., Caritas Philippines executive secretary, said Caritas Philippines also committed to be the voice of the labor sector, and everyone who needs defense against oppression and injustice.
“We not only come with a huge debt of gratitude for your dedication to service, but with a promise to always be the voice of the labor sector, and everyone who needed defense against oppression and injustice,” he said.
On April 30, 2021, during one of its online programs called Alay Kapwa sa Caritas Philippines, the national social action announced the airing of a two-hour, once a month virtual legal counselling via its Facebook page www.Facebook.com/WeAreCaritas.
The program aims to make accessible to workers legal assistance, counselling and support.
The COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Department of Labor and Employment, resulted in an estimate of 7.3 million unemployed Filipinos.
Bagaforo said this is the reason why Caritas Philippines is pushing for dialogues between the Department of Labor and Employment and other government agencies, to tap state resources and technical support not only for job generation but to create community social enterprises which are more sustainable and empowering.
Over the last decade, Caritas Philippines, in collaboration with the Social Action Network, was able to establish and support more than 200 community social enterprises in the Philippines using the self-help group approach to community organizing and savings mobilization, which now generate a combined income and savings of over P40 million.
Caritas Philippines is the CBCP’s humanitarian, development and advocacy arm and the country’s representative to the global confederation of Catholic charities, Caritas Internationalis.
