Today we are featuring another successful bigasan supported by TYF and The Hunger Project of Philippine Business for Social Progress: St Francis Xavier Parish in Quezon City.

The parish bigasan has an unusual sales and distribution model. It doesn’t have a physical store. Instead, residents in 7 areas relay their orders (in kg) to lay leaders, and every Saturday the rice is delivered to the areas where it is repacked and picked up by the households.

Although the price of rice from Nueva Ecija has gone up substantially since last year, the parish raised the price per kilo by just one peso. Parish priest Fr Simone Piccolo, SX is determined to make rice affordable to everyone. For P38/kg, urban poor families benefit from premium Sinandomeng at a price lower than that in public markets. It is no surprise, therefore, that the bigasan sells up to 90 sacks per week. Since opening in February 2022, it has sold 5,230 sacks - more than 13 tons.

Mabuhay kayo, St. Francis Xavier Parish!

Two more groups distributed kalabasa to mothers during Mother’s Day last Sunday, May 14: San Jose Manggagawa Chapel, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan and Sta Elena Chapel Mission Station, Nagtahan, Sta Mesa, Manila.

Parishes, feeding programs, and prison ministries have been sending pictures of kalabasa being distributed or being served during meals. It makes us smile to think thousands of us are sharing the same dish of ginisa o ginataang kalabasa.

We honor all those who helped distribute the kalabasa, and we also honor our dearest mothers.

The word knight conjures images of chivalry and nobility in a bygone age. The Knights of Columbus demonstrate that the spirit of self-giving still exists today.

Members of the Knights of Columbus are among the core volunteers of Balay Igsuonay of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Baclayon, Bohol, which builds houses for the poorest families in each of the parish's chapels. On May 1, Parish Priest Msgr Harold Parilla blessed the newly constructed house for the family of Asteria Dacut in Can-ujao Chapel.

Balay Igsuonay is a partner of TYF's Supertyphoon Odette rehabilitation program.

Sacred Heart Parish in Sta Mesa, Manila put the kalabasa donated by TYF into veggie packs which they distributed after mass yesterday, as part of their celebration of Mother’s Day.  Maraming salamat to parish priest Fr Artemio Fabros and his hardworking parish team!