“Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.”—Proverbs 22:9
MY dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we prepare ourselves for the celebration of the 500 years of Christianity in our country, we are also challenged to raise the bar of our social commitment as Christians. We must give back to the Lord in gratitude a portion of the gifts from the Almighty Father, and share them lovingly with others, especially for the poor.
To recognize our social commitment as Christians, Caritas Manila, the leading social development arm of the Archdiocese of Manila, is set to launch its new program “Tithing for the Poor” through its annual Back-to-School Telethon, which is set to happen this year on June 18 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., over Radio Veritas846.
The word “tithe” originally meant 10 percent. It is, however, just a guideline to help determine one’s sacrificial giving. Some can offer more than a 10 percent tithe; others may have circumstances that warrant them to give less than a 10 percent tithe.
With the theme “Tithing for the Poor: A Planned Spiritual Giving for YSLEP,” the program aims to raise funds to support 5,000 youth scholars under Caritas Manila’s flagship program—the Youth Servant Leadership and Education Program (YSLEP).
YSLEP is one of the Church’s responses to poverty reduction. It extends financial assistance to poor but deserving youth, trains and hones them not only for academic excellence but also to become servant leaders and good members of the community. Through tithing for the poor, YSLEP will be able to empower and enrich the lives of the scholars to become leaders in their community imbued with self-discipline, moral integrity and social responsibility.
This year a total of 1,697 scholars from Luzon to Mindanao have graduated through the help of YSLEP, Caritas Manila’s biggest batch of graduates since the program started.
To start tithing for the poor, you can fill up the form at the Caritas Manila web site https://caritasmanila.org.ph/tithingforthepoor/.
Your tithes can be offered online through https://ushare.unionbankph.com/caritas/, via any branch of Cebuana Lhuillier (free of charge), or by bank deposit:
Account Name: Caritas Manila, Inc.
Bank of the Philippine Islands—Savings Account: 3063-5357-01
Banco de Oro—Savings Account: 5600-45905
Metrobank—Savings Account: 175-3-17506954-3
For proper acknowledgment of your tithes and donations, kindly fax copy of deposit slip to 563-9306, or e-mail a scanned copy to caritas_manila@yahoo.com. Please indicate your name and complete address.
Donors can also call Caritas Manila landline 563-9311, 562-0020 up to 25 or drop off donations at the Caritas Manila head office at 2002 Jesus Street, Pandacan, Manila, or at Radio Veritas in West Avenue corner Edsa, Quezon City.
To know more about Caritas Manila, visit or follow us on Facebook: CaritasManilaInc. For your donations, please call our DonorCare lines 563-9311, 564-0205, 0999-7943455, 09054285001, and 0929-8343857. Make a habit to listen to Radio Veritas 946 in the AM band, or through live streaming at www.veritas846.ph and follow its Twitter and Instagram accounts @veritasph and YouTube at veritas846.ph. For your comments, e-mail veritas846pr@gmail.com.