Feed the hungry: Bukas Palad Concert helps feed Davao’s malnourished kids

Singing the tunes played during Holy Mass, the Bukas Palad Ministry together with Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ have delighted the people of the Archdiocese of Davao during their prayer concert recently.

Held at the RSM Events Center of Philippine Women’s College of Davao and organized by the Archdiocesan Nourishment Center and the Archdiocesan Council of Lay Apostolate and Integrated Movements (ACLAIM) the concert was staged November 23.

O Hesus Hilumin, I Will Sing, Anima Christi, Gandang Sinauna at Sariwa, In Him Alone, Amare et Servire are some of the songs included in their repertoire during the night.

Fr. Francisco also gave an input about how Bukas Palad Ministry began in 1986 and how they grew as a ministry.

Stories of some of their members were also told including one of their members, Nestor Kilian Tabada from Davao who is the eldest son of the Irene Tabada, of the Archdiocesan Commission on Prison Welfare (ACPW).

Msgr. Paul Cuison, who initiated the nourishment center five years ago said he is glad to see the people who helped in making the daily feeding of almost 100 children everyday possible.

He added that he cannot imagine if they stop giving and how their daily feeding would go on.

He added that the concert is their initiative to bring the music of Bukas Palad to the faithful of the archdiocese but to also raise funds for the continuing of the feeding and scholarship program of ANC.

Msgr. Cuison also announced that aside from the Pope Francis House of Mercy in Bucana, where they currently feed malnourished children including Bajau children in the area, they have also started the 3rd ANC site in New Carmen near the Davao City dump site.

He said that this will be named as St. Francis of Assisi Domos Caritatis (House of Love) and will cater to the children of almost 100 families near the dump site who are mostly scavengers.

Though the center’s main building has not yet began, Msgr. Cuison is optimistic that this will be completed as soon as possible for the benefit of the surrounding community.

At the end of the show when the performers sang Amare et Servire, Fr. Manoling Francisco, together with the priests present and Archbishop Emeritus Fernando R. Capalla gave the final blessing to the audience.