Bishop Broderick Pabillo distributes food vouchers in Sto. Niño, Tondo, Manila.

Caritas Manila’s Youth Servant Leadership and Education Program (Yslep) produced 488 graduates for school year 2019-2020 even in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The graduates of college and vocational-technical courses hail from the poorest provinces and urban poor communities in Metro Manila.

Of the 488 graduates, 28 received academic awards, with five magna cum laudes, two cum laudes, 11 dean’s listers and 12 receiving special awards.

Currently, there are 4,200 active scholars.

Over 10,000 scholars have benefitted from Caritas Manila’s education program for the past 66 years. In 2019, 98 percent of Yslep scholars found employment six months after graduation.

All Yslep graduates automatically become members of the Caritas Manila Scholars Association (Camasa). Last year, Camasa gave P1.6 million worth of donation in cash and kind in support of Caritas Manila’s projects.

“Education is the best social equalizer,” said Caritas Manila executive director Fr. Anton Pascual. “The future servant leaders of the country will come from the poor.”

Caritas Manila executive director Fr. Anton Pascual and Fr. Anz Balilo, OSA, hand out food vouchers in Baseco Compound, Tondo.

Project Damayan

Caritas Manila’s Project Damayan helped distribute P1.37 billion worth of food vouchers to 1.37 million families in Greater Metro Manila during the quarantine.

A P1,000 food voucher per household was given to 1,371,855 families in 650 parishes and 10 dioceses in Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Cavite.

The project was made possible by Project Ugnayan, a fundraising initiative of the country’s top businessmen led by Fernando Zobel de Ayala, with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation.

Caritas Manila tapped into its immense network of Diocesan Social Action Centers, thousands of priests and volunteers to help identify the recipients and distribute the vouchers.

Donate to Caritas Manila: Banco de Oro savings account no. 5600-45905 or Bank of the Philippine Islands savings account no. 3063-5357-01. Donations are also accepted via Paypal, Ushare and all Cebuana Lhuillier branches.

Caritas Manila, tel. 85620020 to 25, 0929-8343857, 0905-4285001; email [email protected]; visit www.caritasmanila.org.ph.