Bishops urge faithful to support Catholic Church's 'Alay Kapwa' program
Several bishops have called on the faithful to support the Church’s “Alay Kapwa “ program, which provides assistance to the poor and the needy.

Caritas Philippines released a video message from Church leaders urging the faithful to support the Church’s fundraising campaign. The bishops include Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Bangued Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian, Novaliches Bishop Roberto Gaa, Digos Bishop Guillermo Afable, Daet Bishop Rex Andrew Alarcon and San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza.
“This Christmas, let’s bring the love of Christ to many Filipino families by sharing whatever we can to Alay-Kapwa. Whatever the amount that we give will be a blessing to others. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,” the prelates said.
Caritas Philippines launched the “Alay Kapwa” extended campaign for its legacy programs in order to respond to local realities that require immediate support.
The Church’s social action arm expanded its Lenten fund drive to year-round, hoping to raise at least ₱500 million a year to fund its humanitarian and social projects.
The movement aims to enlist at least one million donors by 2025, who will commit to give at least ₱500 annually for its programs on disaster response, health; education, livelihood and food security, ecology, and training to empower and capacitate social action teams.
Alay Kapwa was launched in 1975 by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to raise social consciousness about the plight of the poor and build networks of compassion.