By Leslie Ann G. Aquino It was in June 2004 when then Manila Archbishop Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales initiated "Pondo ng Pinoy" (PnP) program, which encourages Filipinos to save "crumbs" or 25 centavos every day as their expression of love for the poor. Years after, the project continues to grow thanks to individuals, parishes, academic institutions, and corporations that consistently give their crumbs. On its 16th anniversary, PnP revealed that since 2004, the total collection for the project has now reached P427,286,253. "Our crumbs collection has amounted to more than Php 400 million that are translated into projects and aid for the empowerment of poor communities through projects on health and nutrition, livelihood, education, housing, and occasionally, emergency relief," said PnP in a Facebook post. From July 2019 to May 2020 alone, the crumbs collection has amounted to P9.6 million. The program was also able to help those affected by community quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "For COVID-19, Pondo was able to help more than 30 dioceses to augment their outreaches that included food packages, face masks, even cash distribution to hard hit communities, with special packages to frontliners," Pondo ng Pinoy Community Foundation Inc. (PnPCFI) Board of Trustee Member and Chairman of the Promotions Sub-Committee, Amb. Henrietta "Tita" De Villa said in an interview. She added that PnP's biggest grant was for Caritas Manila. "The Pondo ng Pinoy assistance to the poor to combat this pandemic continues even now... it has priority over projects for funding applications currently filed with PnPCFI," said De Villa. PnP said it will continue to encourage every person, “no matter how poor, no matter how humble, the freedom to give, to help and live fully.” This is because Pondo ng Pinoy aims to cultivate the culture of giving and helping another, through saving as little as 25 centavos a day as an act of love for the poor and as symbol of one’s good works. Retired Cardinal Rosales earlier explained that the money would be meaningless without the love that is generated from saving it. He summed up the Pondo ng Pinoy principle in this motto, “Anumang magaling kahit maliit basta’t malimit ay patungong langit.” That is, small ordinary acts can accomplish great things if done or given by many, frequently and consistently pooled together for a common vision.