PBS to distribute family Bibles with PBSP
Ilaw sa Tahanan Update
The Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), one of the country’s largest business-led social development foundations, has joined the Philippine Bible Society’s Bible distribution program, Ilaw sa Tahanan (Light to the Home). The partnership was sealed in a formal signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on December 16 at Brgy. Catmon in Malabon City. The signing was attended by Vice Mayor Arnold Vicencio, PBS Board Member Dante Lanorio, and PBS General Secretary Nora Lucero.
Malabon Vice Mayor Villavicencio hands over a copy of the family Bible to a family during the ceremonial turn-over of Bibles and MOA signing of PBS and PBSP in Malabon. Witnessing the ceremony is PBS General Secretary Nora Lucero (center background).
PBSP is a private and non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting business sector commitment to social development. One of its major programs is the Strategic Private Sector Partnerships for Urban Poverty Reduction in Metro Manila (STEP-UP) which aims to help improve the lives of 5,823 urban poor households from 23 selected communities in nine cities within Metro Manila. In Catmon, PBSP working with the city government and the homeowners’ associations, have provided housing loans, improved roads and drainage systems, as well as put up lighting and water facilities for the community. Beneficiaries of this program shall be awarded with a copy of the Ilaw sa Tahanan Bible provided by PBS. The MOA signing was followed by Bible distribution, where 700 copies of the Bible were given to the STEP-UP beneficiaries in Catmon. The community leaders considered themselves blessed by having PBS and PBSP wprking in their community – with PBSP providing material assistance and PBS thru the Ilaw Bibles, much-needed spiritual guidance.
The Ilaw sa Tahanan program emerged as a response to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s first State of the Nation Address in 2002 when poor families were promised 150,000 housing units. The Ilaw sa Tahanan family Bible contains the Magandang Balita Biblia text and guide articles addressing everyday family issues such as money matters, sibling rivalry, discipline of children, and handling marital conflicts.
To widely and meaningfully reach poor families with God’s Word, PBS has also partnered with Gawad Kalinga and Habitat for Humanity, two major private housing agencies in the country. Presently, over 40,000 copies of Ilaw sa Tahanan Bibles were distributed in 94 relocation sites in coordination with the government housing agencies and churches.