Since cardinal can also mean “noteworthy”, “significant” and “momentous”, I feel this is an appropriate title for this week’s blog. Indeed it was the most memorable part of our week. On Wednesday, we went to the Manila Cathedral to get the MOA signed for our Cardinal Sin Project. This is the project where we plan to have someone manufacture 3 huge water tanks to replace rusted out ones that are on top of a large tenement building. It is named Cardinal Sin after the Cardinal whose name was Jaime Sin. I know…it’s ironic. I won’t go into the long and drawn out issues as to why it has taken so long to get the MOA signed, but it was momentous! It was almost two weeks ago, after a long day in Manila and Tondo, we decided to drop by the cathedral to see if the Rector was there. He is also the president of the Servium organization who is ultimately responsible for this housing project. We could never get his contact information and barely were able to get his name, but we did have that little nugget. Unfortunately, when I went to the office, it was already closed. The guard, bless his soul, gave me the number of the Monsignor’s secretary. Once we contacted her, things really started to move along and a week later, we are going to a mass that is being presided over by the Cardinal Archbishop. It was very interesting to attend a full mass, especially since it was intended for all the teachers and some students from the parochial schools. They paraded in in the beginning and it was quite the pomp and circumstance. I did think it was great that they were asking the Holy Spirit to attend the school students and teachers this year. We enjoyed meeting these two Catholic leaders. They genuinely want to help their people and they were very cordial. Now we just have to hope the project can really get going! We feel for the people who currently have to scoop up water from an open “pool” and haul it up to their multistory buildings.

PROJECT PEARLS: On Saturday, we had the opportunity to drive up North for an hour or so and be a part of the 13th anniversary celebration, feeding program and brain booster activity for Project PEARLS in Bulacan. In 2013, the government relocated 1 or 2 thousand people from Tondo slums to this area. They provided simple cement housing for them, but when they arrived, there was nothing for them to do to make money. They eventually figured things out and started little businesses, or worked in some factories or continued to commute to the city. Project PEARLS has a wonderful facility up there that includes a livelihood project for the mothers, a scholar program, a preschool and a learning hub. They have 500 “scholars” there, which includes children all the way from preschool to college. It was so heartwarming to see these scholars and to see those who are in high school and even college now giving back to the program and volunteering at the learning center. Their stories were so touching. They came from the part of Tondo where they used to make charcoal for a living. The kids even had to help out. They would collect nails from the old wood that was used to make the charcoal and sell them- but they only received 10 pesos per kilo of nails!!! So from that, to college! Imagine the difference it made in their lives to get assistance so they can afford to go to school. The feeding was nuts! They fed over 600 people, mostly children that morning. We ran out of food toward the end, and the tail enders only got rice. The living situation in Bulacan seems much better than in Tondo. They have space to breathe, have their own separate place to live and it just feels like a community, although it’s still a very poor community. We are hoping to help with the scholarship program. On our way home, we tried to find a nature spot where we could take a walk. We finally found a nature preserve, but by the time we found it, we only had 20 minutes to walk before it closed! Our quest for nature continues!!!