700 poor families in Batangas City to receive copies of Ilaw sa Tahanan Bible

MANILA, Philippines – At least 700 poor families in Balete, Batangas City will receive a copy of the Ilaw sa Tahanan (Light to the Home) Bible on August 9, 2003. The Philippine Bible Society (PBS) and church-affiliates of the Elders of the City Ministerial fellowship will spearhead the distribution activity. Balete is home to poor families relocated from Sta. Clara, Batangas by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).

Another distribution activity will take place in the afternoon, this time in Barangay Puyo, another relocation site near the Batangas port. Puyo is an interesting relocation community. Five hundred families pooled the P35,000 relocation assistance each family received from PPA and bought a 3.3 hectare undeveloped commercial property near the pier site. The families are working on a “subdivision plan” to develop the area into a “residential community.” To date 150 families have moved into Puyo.

The Ilaw sa Tahanan project emerged as PBS’ response to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s first State of the Nation Address. In her SONA delivered two years ago, President Arroyo disclosed her program to provide 150,000 housing units to poor families. As its part in helping build a godly nation, PBS promised to provide each beneficiary family of this program with a copy of the Bible. Distribution of the Bible is joint endeavor of PBS and local churches with the cooperation of government agencies in charge of the relocation program (National Housing Authority, Department of Public Works and Highways, etc.).

Please pray for this program