10
COMMUNITY
THE MESSAGE. BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA
www.kalatas.com.au | Volume 6 Number 10 | JULY 2016
A Miracle
in Giving
By: Cynthia Argana
A WISE man once said, for miracle to
happen, you must first trust radically. This
year’s ANCOP Ambassador program once
again brought about a lot of realisations for
many of us individually, as well as for us as a
community collectively.
ANCOP helps disadvantaged children to
stay in school. Photo: ANCOP website
First, as the
ANCOP Ambassador
from Canberra said,
we realise that it is so
easy to give. In our
chapter (AuburnBankstown) for
example, we only
had three fundraising
events. Yet, towards
the last days of the
event, there was no
way to reconcile the
amount of money we
raised except it must
be by the number
of the pledges that
people willingly put
in. Through the years,
I think many had also
learned to give not
only until it hurts but
also until it no longer hurts.
Secondly, the ANCOP Ambassador program is a
special gift for the youth. This is not only because our
beneficiaries are young people who dream of better
future for themselves and the people around them. It is
also because this program is providing avenues for those
privileged young people to discover their love for the
poor.
As Consul General Anne Jalando-on Louis addressed
during the proclamation night, “I am very happy that
the youth are involved.” She further said that as they see
generosity at work in the adults, generosity also becomes
ingrained in them. All of this year’s ambassadors qualified
to join the immersion program to take place in January
2017.
Lastly, the work is really beyond us. In this mission of
sharing Christ’s transforming love with the poor, we are
also transformed beyond our human limitations. Despite
being stretched by the demands of work, family life and
service, those who were assigned still put in excellence in
delivering results.
Everything during the proclamation night was
absolutely beautiful from the program, stage design,
exhibits, table décors, etc. Joy exuded everyone in
the room and savouring the spirit of friendship and
community. To top all these, once again, God surprised
us by multiplying all our efforts. This year’s ANCOP
Ambassador program raised another record-breaking
amount of $190k compared to the $135k raised in 2014.
Truly, miracles still happen.
Youth honoured
for charity drive
‘FILIPINOS are wellspring
of generosity. You have
settled here in Australia,
had difficulties but
nevertheless found in your
heart to share.’
This was the message given by Consul
General Anne Jalando-on Louis, keynote
speaker during the ANCOP Ambassador
Proclamation Night held at Greyhound
Social Club, Yagoona on 28 May.
The night was also graced by Consul
General Sumasy Singin of Papua New
Guinea who was amazed by how Filipinos
are showing kindness and concern for the
poor kids of PNG, the beneficiaries of
ANCOP.
ANCOP, short for Answering the
Cry of the Poor, is the social ministry of
Couples for Christ (Australia) Oceania
Mission Ltd. (CFC). The ANCOP
Ambassador program is held every other
year where the entire CFC community
in Australia rally behind their local
ambassadors to raise funds to support the
education of underprivileged children and
youth in the Philippines, PNG, Solomon
Islands and soon in Vanuatu.
This year’s campaign was blessed
by 12 kind-hearted ambassadors from
Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane
and the Northern Territory (see photo).
Together with their respective areas and
Consul General Anne Jalando-on Louis
ministries, ANCOP was abl e to raise close
to $190,000.
“Considering that the campaign only
ran for 15 weeks, this result is beyond our
expectation. This only proves that the work
is beyond us and it is only possible through
the grace of God”, said Goody Maquinad,
ANCOP President. ANCOP currently
supports the education of 303 students in
the Philippines (from primary to tertiary),
202 in pre-school and primary school in
PNG and 60 youths in a technical school in
Solomon Islands.
The Consul General commended
ANCOP for involving the youth. “We
gravitate towards this kind of work not only
because it is Church-based but because they
(the youth) see in the adults how generosity
is ingrained in our culture”.
This year, Patrice Penas, a 21-year old
university student and member of Youths
for Christ from Melbourne got a special
citation for garnering the highest amount of
funds raised.