By Margaret Claire Layug
A day for for the less fortunate, the vulnerable and the marginalized will be observed by the Catholic Church in the Philippines on Sunday, as globally initiated by Pope Francis.

Caritas Philippines, the social arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), on Saturday called on Filipinos to be more mindful of actions towards the poor during the country's first celebration of the "World Day of the Poor" marked by Pope Francis as a conclusion to the Jubilee Year of Mercy.

Caceres Archbishop and Caritas Philippines national director Rolando Tria Tirona said “with over 1/2 of the world’s population (over 3 billion people) living in extreme poverty, the Pope’s initiative to honor the poor is both a challenge and a celebration.”

"Let us examine how our words and inactions affect those without voice and power,” Tirona added.

Citing a 2017 report by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Caritas Philippines said about 21.9 million Filipinos are considered poor. He said farmers, fishermen and children have consistently made up the poorest sectors.

Caritas Executive Secretary Father Edwin Gariguez advised the public against being "blinded of this injustice" and urged the government and the Church to combine its resources to improve  the situation of the marginalized.

"We can start by establishing better coordination lines during disaster response, and by being more accountable to our people,” Gariguez suggested.

Tirona reminds that World Day of the Poor is essentially a time for "Alay Kapwa," a celebration where the faithful are called to "offer and empty ourselves for the sake of our neighbor."

Caritas Philippines, meanwhile, said it is implementing P14 million in humanitarian aide for 3,000 families affected by the Marawi siege.--GMA News