Sagip-Kapwa: A Faith Inspired Path of Charity and Development
Helping others is not a sacrifice but an investment
eUGenio PUlcini
«Faith begins where money ends, where money knows or experiences its impotence…».1 Perhaps the logic behind this statement is that, when you have nothing, you begin to give of yourself, share what you believe in and learn to trust in God’s ways.
How relevant or true is this logic for me as a missionary? As followers of Jesus Christ, we should be well aware that all care, ministry and mission is a sharing based on the richness of faith and the poverty of our human condition. The messenger’s poverty is a necessary requisite of the message itself. Indeed, nothing must disturb the proclamation of the Kingdom. It cannot be presented from the perspective of the power and security which money or social position gives. We have to allow the Gospel to appear in all its power. Therefore, only a profound sense of God, the rejection of every social or economic privilege and business mentality, and an authentic personal poverty, will enable us to become credible witness of the Gospel.
Nevertheless, as the same paragraph states, «faith could be seen as money…», with-out missing «that form of gratuitousness that offers withwith-out compensation and gives without thinking of what it can get in return… We must strive for a clear understanding of riches as something that serves spiritual goods and goals.»2 Truly, we invest in «things»
in the hope that they will generate «income» in the future. We invest in order to have wealth, yet not all investments are of a material nature. Have we ever tried making an investment for eternal life in heaven…?
I would like to present a project action which — from the very beginning — claimed to be undertaken and accomplished out of faith, in a Gospel-like manner (vs. business-like manner). This is by no means «a model» or pattern for every project, but it could be an example of how faith and money «could agree» in a very practical way and become a
1. Targa S., Tosolini F., Tosolini T., Faith & Money. Osaka: Asian Study Centre, 2006, p. 67.
2. Ibid.
path that others could follow.
The project concept is known as Sagip-Kapwa, a small-scale project of social de-velopment carried out in Sitio Militar, one of the many slums that can be seen in Metro Manila (and under Metro Manila Bridges). About 10,000 people are living in harsh con-ditions, trying to cope with life and their basic human needs.
All statistics agree that an increasing number of Filipinos are afflicted by hunger. It is well known that the economic wealth of the Philippines is badly distributed: on the one hand, it enjoys a significant growth in its GNP yet, on the other hand, there is unabated hunger and poverty and reduced economic opportunities for the poor, who are forced to tighten their belts more and more in order to survive.
I recently heard from a Born-Again pastor that God must love the poor because He made so many of them! But poverty need not be a permanent condition. The continuing impoverishment of so many people, the criminal disparities in wealth and power that exist in this society, are an affront to our Christian faith and moral values. The passion of the poor continues to haunt us.
Sagip-Kapwa (Sagip means «to save from any danger, to rescue» as Kapwa means
«neighbor, brother, fellow human being») was initiated two years ago by a Christian com-munity, which is also the motivator and steward of this project. Accordingly, Sagip-Ka-pwa was inspired and born out of faith and a sense of justice. Therefore, it is clear to us that Sagip-Kapwa is not only an attractive project (because money is involved) but, first and foremost, an instrument of evangelization and a human and development process.
What Is the Sagip-Kapwa Project and How Does It Work?
Sagip-Kapwa (SK) is a simple micro-lending project initiated by the community of the Ina ng Laging Saklolo Chapel, located in Sitio Militar, Quezon City, under the guidance of the Xaverian Missionaries. The project is managed by a team of volunteers from Sitio Militar, who are themselves members of SK and also residents of Sitio. Membership in the group is open to all the residents of the community. However, priority is given to those who are especially needy.
Briefly, a simple screening process is carried out to ascertain the financial capability
— if any — and «business attitude» of the potential beneficiaries. In order to qualify for a loan, a person must be either poor or very poor. A small loan (between Php 1,000 and Php 4,000, from $20 to $80) with minimal interest is given and it must be paid back within a period ranging from 30 to 100 days, depending on the member’s choice. This is done by
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amortization, either on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. It is our strong desire to enable human development, to lighten the social-economic conditions of poor families within the community with the hope that, in fostering their means of livelihood, such families can live a more decent life.
All members are required to pay a minimum daily saving deposit of Php 5. As we shall explain later, this small sum has an educative purpose and it may be withdrawn at anytime. The project maintains a very simple but adequate accounting system to manage its operations effectively and with transparency. A financial report is given to the mem-bers during the monthly general assembly.
Where Does the Project Acquire Its Funds?
Currently, SK has a revolving fund of about Php 400,000. This fund is made up mostly by small donations from several sponsors, mainly from abroad. We try to be careful about how money is raised. We don’t look for large donations, preferring to seek just what is necessary to maintain the project with its goals and methods. All the donors have a sort of «personal» relationship with some of us and with the project. They are Parish groups, couples, families, simple people and the like. As a matter of fact, one doesn’t need to be materially rich in order to share generously!
On the other hand, the sense of responsibility and commitment of the SK members has made it possible to collect almost half of the «principal capital», which also represents a great support for the project’s solidity and stability. The SK project is increasingly be-coming a project that belongs to the people!
What Has Been Achieved So Far?
The project was formally launched on 19 December 2004. From the beginning until 30 June 2006, 320 members have benefited from the project through the distribution of more than two million pesos. This was made possible by the sense of responsibility of the members who faithfully paid back their loans, thereby allowing many others families to join the project and receive support. This is the technique of a revolving fund.
As an offshoot of the project, Sagip-Kapwa Kiddie Savings Club, a savings deposit scheme for children, was launched in July 2005. As of June 30, 2006, 170 children have joined the program and were able to generate a total savings of more than 60,000.00 pesos. The aim of the saving scheme is to teach children the value of saving and to make
their own contribution to the family budget. We are involving the children in this forma-tion/education process which — we hope — will have a stronger impact on their family-life.
Thinking ahead, the project’s impact, in a community like Sitio M, is merely a drop in the ocean. In the light of God’s favour for the poor, through the help of kindhearted people, we would like to reach out to more poor families and increase the basic loan, even just a little, in order to support their livelihood activities.
What Is the Goal of Sagip-Kapwa Project?
The aim of the project is consonant with the goal of the evangelization process, ie. the formation of Christian communities, the development of human beings, disseminating as many Gospel values as possible. There has been an explicit effort to ensure that this mi-cro-lending project is carried out in the most compassionate way, namely, in a «Gospel-like» (as opposed to «business-«Gospel-like») manner, always striving to understand the reasons of the poorest of the poor, to support their struggles, choosing Jesus’ criteria. But what do we mean by a «Gospel-like» manner?
Gospel-like means that the main governing principle of SK is not the pursuit of greater profits, but to strengthen the service to the neediest and to reach as many people as we can, according to the project’s financial capability. During our preparatory meet-ings at the beginning of the project, often the words of Jesus were quoted: «Watch and be on your guard against greed of any kind». As Mahatma Gandhi said, there is «enough in this world for all men’s need, but not for one man’s greed». The SK project is an attempt to combine compassion and rectitude, concern and discipline.
Gospel-like because SK is attended by volunteers who are destitute people, carrying out a daily service without any compensation other than a very small monthly allow-ance (the financial capability of SK cannot afford more). In their everyday service and assistance to the people of SK, these volunteers are a living example of how to become a channel of grace and eternal love. Indeed, they look upon their service to others not as a sacrifice, but as an investment!
Gospel-like means that the endeavor’s main assumption is the Christian principle of sharing and multiplying God’s blessings through love and charity. SK is about the love of God lived by each one of us. Our slogans have been, among others: «Pagtutulungan» (the act of helping one another) and «Tumutulong ang Diyos sa iyo upang matulungan mo ang ibang pamilya!» (God is helping you so that you may be able to help another family).
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Gospel-like because «marunong ang tao tumanaw ng utang na loob» (people know how to be grateful)! This is a beautiful way of living out Christian solidarity as gratitude!
This is so because Filipino people have a very deep regard for «utang-na-loob». The un-grateful are never blessed. «Kung hindi ka marunong magpasalamat, hindi ka marunong tumanggap. Kung hindi ka marunong tumanggap, sino ang magbibigay sa iyo? Sino ang tutulong sa iyo?» (If you don’t know how — if you are not able — to give thanks, you don’t know how to receive. If you don’t know how to receive, who will give to you? Who will help you?) In these past two years, the Xaverians have tried to build strong foundations for the SK project, through the sensitive and conscious use of some of the Filipinos’ most dominant cultural categories, such as utang na loob (debt of gratitude), pakikisama (be-longingness), or hiya (shame), perhaps the strongest motivation of Filipino behavior. SK Members very often use the expression utang na loob, indicating their debt and sense of gratitude, which goes well beyond the material meaning of the loan they received from SK. Reciprocity, or debt of gratitude or honor (emphasis should be more on «gratitude»
than on «debt»), is of primary importance in the Filipino value-system and we encounter it every day in SK.
I would like to expand on it a little more. Propaganda use of utang na loob has cre-ated the impression that this Filipino attitude or value is something bad in itself and it has been blamed for almost all the evils of Philippines society! Utang na loob permeates and influences all facets of the Filipino way of life — family, business, education, politics, morality and religion.3 Within the family, for instance, it has come to mean that children are expected to provide for their parents in their old age since they owe, not only their life, but also their entire education to their parents. Employers are sometimes seen as ex-tensions of one’s family to whom loyalty, obedience and debts of gratitude are owed. The worst thing that can be said to somebody who does not pay his debt of gratitude is that he is an «ingrate» (walang utang na loob) or that he is without shame (walang hiya). But on the other hand, it must be said that the Filipino’s own experience of utang na loob is a very human and very positive experience — which has hitherto been neglected — and can be the basis of the Christian value of gratitude, loyalty and fidelity.4 In SK we are perhaps
ex-3. For example, it is accepted that Marcos took advantage of the whole system of Filipino values — bahala na, utang na loob, hiya, pakikisama — to keep himself in power. He made sure that the people believed in him alone as their sole patron, as a father who knew what was best for his children. In Marcos’ case, Filipino paternalism was an extreme abuse of personal power and authority, which led to the rule of one man who manipulated the people’s utang na loob to keep them in a state of dependency, out of a false sense of grati-tude. Cf. Gorospe V., Filipino Values Revisited. Manila: National Bookstore, 1988, p. 402.
4. Gorospe V., Filipino Values Revisited. Manila: National Bookstore, cit., p. 32
periencing a more phenomenological and existential approach to this Filipino value and its positive relevance: people talk of Christian charity and solidarity as gratitude! Hence, in a larger community, such as SK, utang na loob becomes a virtue! It can mean loyalty to community interests, a commitment in return for a debt that can never be paid. «A financial debt paid is paid; a debt of gratitude paid remains a debt.» Utang na loob is no longer offered to one party, or to one person, but to the whole community!
Gospel-like means that we can show to others God’s love for them through simple assets and resources. The pattern of the miracle of the multiplications of loaves and fish is very eloquent and it is one of the more powerful inspirational texts of our undertaking.
When we said to each other: «We have to learn how to feed the many as Jesus did…!». The people reacted just like the disciples: «Paano kaya?»: How shall we feed them?... We have nothing but five loaves and two fish! (Mark 6:35-44).
The disciples called the five loaves and two fish nothing because it was such a meager amount. They meant: because we have so little, we have nothing for so many people. This penchant for calling «nothing» what is «meager» is an attitude Jesus wanted to change in his disciples because a miracle would have never happened as long as the little was con-sidered «nothing». This is actually a common mentality among the Filipinos. The poor would just say: We are poor. We have not finished college. We are squatters. This is tanta-mount to saying: We have nothing to give because we are nobody, because we are poor.
This is what we call the «poor-mentality». This is a mental attitude which Jesus wanted to correct when he took the five loaves and two fish, when he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. And we know what happened next. They pre-sented Jesus with a lot of leftovers. Miracles happen only when the meager is considered valuable, and when the little is shared with others — it miraculously becomes plenty.
In a Gospel-like manner, we try to use only the simple means and true ways available to us who believe in God’s goodness and love, as He shared this with us in Jesus. Ultimately, this is also a clear lesson about the Eucharist, the sharing of oneself as life-giving food for others; the way of generous and dedicated service to all, no matter how poor, unimpor-tant or destitute they are.
Conclusion
Needless to say, there are some risks in this project. When dealing with money, the Gos-pel-like manner can never be taken for granted. We run our risks, however, inspired by faith and a sense of justice, trusting God’s providence and the people’s goodness,
com-5. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Filipino way to Holiness. Pastoral letter on Filipino Spirituality. Makati: Word & Life Publications, 1999, pp. 55-6.
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mitment and reliability to make the project work. In our monthly planning meeting with the volunteers’ committee, as we assess the «bad» performance of some of the SK mem-bers in their repayment, we often examine ourselves: «If Jesus were here now, what would He say or do? What would God do?». Patience, rather than punishment, is encouraged.
In SK, there is a tangible educational component which consists in accompany-ing the members’ everyday journey towards the values of SK, gradually clarifyaccompany-ing the person’s vision and strengthening his/her aim in life. We see it as a community of believ-ing citizens who are bebeliev-ing slowly transformed into a community of people who are the privileged ones of the Father’s Kingdom. Some Filipinos would describe this process from
«bahala na» attitude to «tayong lahat bahala», where the people are no longer fatalistic and dependent on the whims of kapalaran (destiny), but become part of the community and get involved with the community interests! Consequently, the Gospel-like remarkable spirit of sharing (bukas-palad) transcends the narrow circle of one’s family and friends and extends itself to everybody without discrimination.
One of the best results of SK is the growth of the sense of belonging (pakikisama) in its most positive connotation, which demands a spirit of cooperation, an attitude of give and take and sensitivity to the needs of others. It makes the individual realize his oneness with the community, and his personal commitment and loyalty to the community, in return for «a debt» that he can never repay. It is an attempt at «community development», namely, that the individual does not come as an outsider to improve the community but, rather, becomes a valuable part of the community!6
Filipinos are known for their strong religiosity. Dependence on the benevolence of a Tran-scendent Being is a deeply held belief among them and it often provides a moral anchor to individuals when they are confronted by a personal crisis, or when they are tempted to choose worldly values.
Time and again, Filipinos say: «Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa» (In God is mercy, but in the human person is the action. Or, it is God’s prerogative to show compas-sion, it is man’s to act). Though this proverb is not a literal Gospel quotation, we believe nonetheless that it powerfully conveys the Gospel-like inspiration and dream of SK. It was mentioned on the very first foundation day of SK, and in some way it makes the
Time and again, Filipinos say: «Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa» (In God is mercy, but in the human person is the action. Or, it is God’s prerogative to show compas-sion, it is man’s to act). Though this proverb is not a literal Gospel quotation, we believe nonetheless that it powerfully conveys the Gospel-like inspiration and dream of SK. It was mentioned on the very first foundation day of SK, and in some way it makes the