BACON, Sorsogon City— Important events in the life of presidential frontrunner Grace Poe appear to be intertwined with the serendipitous role of the Catholic Church in her colorful and inspiring narrative.
Abandoned as an infant and found in the altar of Jaro Cathedral, Poe launched her presidential bid on Feb. 8 infront of the Quiapo Church, noted for the miraculous Black Nazarene.
On March 10, when the Supreme Court decided in her favor allowing her to run for the presidency, Poe was near the Quiapo Church on her way to address a women’s forum. She eventually dropped by the Quiapo Church to thank the Black Nazarene for the favorable SC decision that all but upheld the basic rights of all foundlings and the people to choose their servant leaders.
On April 9, the Supreme Court decided with finality her eligibility to run on May 9 for the presidential elections.
Poe and her running mate Francis “Chiz” Escudero signed the Covenant of Support for Project Serendipity hosted by the Diocese of Sorsogon at the Parish Church of Bacon District in Sorsogon City witnessed by thousands of laity who attended the annual Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) assembly.
At 10 in the morning, Grace and Chiz arrived in Bacon Parish and as if on cue from the Master Director, it suddenly rained hard as if blessings kept pouring from heaven that prompted the participants to all get inside the church to witness the covenant signing of the tandem. The rain stopped after Grace and Chiz left, a parishioner said.
Led by its proponent Bishop Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon, the event gathered more than 3,000 thousand BEC members and the youth to manifest their support for the institution of a sovereign fund for better social security system and welfare cover for all Filipinos.
Project Serendipity is the constitutional institution directly by the people themselves of the Sovereign Fund to be sourced from “20R8” that will be used exclusively to address the local security and welfare needs and requirements of our people.
According to Bishop Bastes, the government sources comprising “20R8” include Revenues, Receipts, Receivables, Royalties, Reserves, Resources, Recoveries, Returns, and any and all that refer to monies, funds, incomes, assets, properties, resources of the government, all its offices, branches and corporations. The allocation of 20 percent from these resources is to be determined by the 20R8 Serendipity Amendment to the Constitution.
In supporting Project Serendipity, Team Grace-Chiz stressed that Gobyernong May Puso’s first order of the day is to take care of every individual Filipino sovereign citizen as any government must first invest in its own people.
Hence, the 20 percent of the resources, funds, monies available to government will exclusively be used to directly help address the social security and welfare needs for all of our people that should include such basic areas that will address their basic needs especially focused on H.E.L.P.S. (Health, Education, Livelihood/Jobs/Recovery Assistance, Pension/Retirement and Shelter for decent housing).
“We don’t only promise but we commit to you a caring and compassionate administration ‘na wala po talagang maiiwan sa Gobyernong May Puso,’” said Grace and Chiz.
In the same manner, Project Serendipity is inclusive: all Filipinos regardless of economic status, religious, political and professional affiliations benefit from the sovereign fund.
The signing of the covenant of support steps up the momentum to gather as many petitioners as possible to meet the required number for a direct petition by the people to the Supreme Court for the establishment of the Philippine Sovereign Fund for Better Social Security and Welfare Cover for All, or the proposed Serendipity Fund.
From Sorsogon, the campaign for Project Serendipity will go on a nationwide and global campaign to gather support and momentum for the genuine people empowerment program.