Church launches ‘Yakapin ang Bagong Bukas’ advocacy

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has embarked on a new advocacy that promotes “holistic approach” to the Church’s responses on the coronavirus pandemic.

Dubbed as “Yakapin ang Bagong Bukas (Embrace the New Tomorrow)”, the campaign was launched online at various church-based Facebook pages on National Heroes Day.

Acting CBCP president Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan the advocacy aims to promote a “positive mindset” instead of just focusing on the usual health protocols.

“[It] will give flesh to the values of love, compassion, prudence, patience, and a call to action that is motivated by holiness and heroism,” David said.

He invited the faithful to support the initiative and turn the health crisis as “an opportunity that will bring out the best in us”.

This, the bishop added, if the people “can respond together heroically, rise above our personal interests, and transcend our differences for the common good”.

Spearheaded by at least three CBCP Commissions: Health Care, Social Communication, and Youth, the campaign calls on Filipinos to hold on to their faith amid the crisis “and make it their primary guiding force as they ’embrace the new tomorrow’”.

As the Church celebrates the Year of Ecumenism, Interreligious Dialogue and Indigenous Peoples, the advocacy also took the path of inter-Christian, interfaith, and intercultural collaboration.

During the virtual launching, among the highlights were an interfaith prayer service and a simultaneous one-minute tolling of church bells nationwide to symbolize the call for faith and unity.

The faith-based leaders who participated in the community prayer include Bishop Reuben Abante of the Lighthouse Bible Baptist Church; Elder Taniela Wakolo of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Timuey Lito Palma, Tribal Chieftain of the Langkat, IP Traditional Worship in Cotabato, Mindanao; Imam Ebra Moxsir, AL-HAJ, President of the Imam Council of the Philippines and Venerable Miao Jing Shih, Head of Abbess of the Fo Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple; prayed as one for the Filipinos’ physical and spiritual healing.

An audio-visual production for the YBB advocacy was also presented for the first time by Bishop Marcelino Antonio Maralit of Boac, who also shared the concept behind the campaign.

CBCP collaborated with Filipino firms Unilab, Inc. and RiteMed Philippines, Inc. in producing the AVP, which will also be distributed to parishes, schools and civic organizations to help spread the advocacy’s message across the country.

Also in the gathering were government officials from different agencies, leaders of civic organizations, including those representing the medical community, elderly, youth, education, family, and the marginalized sectors.

The virtual gathering is part of CBCP’s ongoing dialogue with the government, private sector and civil society groups to seek better ways to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on Filipinos. (CBCP News)

A version of this article was first published on CBCP News.