Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of the Diocese of Kidapawan was reelected as president of Caritas Philippines on Saturday, July 8.
(Photo from Caritas Philippines)
In a statement from Caritas Philippines, Kidapawan was reappointed as president of Caritas and chair of the Episcopal Peace and Justice Commission (CEJP) during the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) 126th plenary assembly at the Marzon Hotel in Kalibo, Aklan.
"I am grateful for the trust and confidence that the CBCP has given me to lead Caritas Philippines for another term," said Bishop Bagaforo.
"I am committed to working with our partners to ensure that we can continue to provide much-needed assistance to the poor and marginalized and to promote justice and peace in our country,” he added.
Bishop Bagaforo has been the head of Caritas Philippines since 2019 and was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as Auxiliary Bishop of Cotabato and Titular Bishop of Vazari-Didda in 2006.
Bagafaro even added his three main agendas for his last term.
Full implementation of expanded ‘Alay Kapwa’
The full implementation of the expanded “Alay Kapwa” fund campaign aims to enlist 1,000,000 donors who will commit to giving at least P500 annually to support the seven Alay Kapwa Legacy Programs.
Alay Kapwa, the flagship program of Caritas Philippines, is the evangelization and resource mobilization initiative of the Philippine Catholic Church during Lenten season.
The campaign seeks to increase the number of donations and funds raised to help more individuals in need beyond the cycle of poverty.
Bagaforo asks for donations, stating, "I call on all Filipinos to support Alay Kapwa and to join us in our work for justice, peace, and the common good."
Strengthening justice, peace, integrity of creation programs
The justice, peace, and integrity of the creation programs of Caritas Philippines encourage a culture of peace and sustainable development in the country.
The programs address human rights, environmental protection, and climate change issues.
These also strengthen the social action network comprising 86 diocesan social action centers nationwide. (Rhowen Del Rosario)