International Aid for Humanity in Oklahoma, USA for May 2013 tornado relief

In May 2013, two EF5 Tornadoes struck and devastated Moore and El Reno, Oklahoma, USA. Upon hearing this unfortunate news, The FYM Foundation, being the charitable arm of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ), was instructed by the current Executive Minister of the Church, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, to provide immediate relief to the victims of the said tornadoes. 

On the 22nd of June 2013, at West Moore High School, the FYM Foundation donated at least two thousand (2,000) relief bags to the victims still residing in the area; as well as donated a total of three hundred seventy-five (375) “Apple iPad 2’s” which were distributed evenly to the following schools: Briarwood Elementary School, Plaza Towers School, and Highland East Junior High School. 

In addition, sixty thousand dollars ($60,000.00) was donated to the Office of The Governor, Oklahoma, and another one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000.00) to the City of Moore, in order to aid in the city’s recovery.

source: felixymanalofoundation.org

Kabayan ko, Kapatid ko (My Countrymen, my Brethren)

 

Kabayan Ko, Kapatid Ko (My Countrymen, My Brethren) is a reinvigorated initiative of the present Church Administration to carry out the Church’s two-fold mission of edifying its flock and evangelizing the world. Laying emphasis on the importance of genuine brotherly love in fulfilling the Lord’s work of salvation, it advocates finding commonalities and harnessing them to create opportunities for true spiritual renewal and upliftment.

A salient part of the Kabayan Ko, Kapatid Ko project is conducting humanitarian outreach services, such as relief and health-care missions, through which the members of the Church are able to express love and compassion to their fellowmen by extending help especially in time of need. True love, after all, is best shown in action: “My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action … This is how we know what love is: Christ gave his life for us. We too, then, ought to give our lives for others! If we are rich and see others in need, yet close our hearts against them, how can we claim that we love God?” (I John 3:18, 16-17, TEV).

Helping others has always been a priority of the Iglesia Ni Cristo. Not to be excluded, then, in the Countdown to the Centennial is the Kabayan Ko, Kapatid Ko outreach mission, wherein free medical and dental services will be offered and free medicines and other goodwill items will be distributed to all those in need. 

source: kabayankokapatidko.org  

Kabayan ko, Kapatid ko is a project of the Iglesia ni Cristo (Lingap sa Mamamayan + Grand Evangelical Mission) that offers free medical and dental check up, free medicines, goods and shares the message of salvation. The first KKKK was held last April 2013. Here are the list of Kabayan ko Kapatid ko activities:


April 13  Binondo, Manila -18,500
April 30  Quezon City - 25,000
May 11   Caloocan City - 35,000
May 14   Pampanga - 600,000
May 24   Marikina - 500,000
May 28   Pasay City - 150,000
July 2     Tondo, Manila - 24,000
July 11    Agusan del Sur - 6,000
July 6     Marikina - 500,000
July 26   Cebu City - 600,000
June 28 Tarlac - 1 million
Aug. 3    General Trias, Cavite - 1.1 million
Aug. 10  Sta. Rosa, Laguna - 1.5 million
Aug. 16  Albay - 1.65 million
Aug. 30  Batangas - 1.4 million   
Sep. 14  Bulacan - 2.1 million  
Sep. 21  Davao - 2.5 million
Sep. 27  Quezon - 1.1 million  
Oct. 5    La Union - 


references: inquirer1, inquirer2, inquirer3 , philstar1, philstar2

 
The achievement of this newest project of the church not only helps our kababayans through their health needs but also help them in their spiritual needs. KKKK became the instrument so that millions of people can know the true teachings of God. And because of this, with no exaggeration, a million people decided to join the church. I will not tell you the exact figures because you may say we are exaggerating.

For updates and photos, you can visit the official fan page.
Official facebook fanpage: KabayankoKapatidko 

International Aid for humanity in Bundaberg, Queensland for tropical cyclone Oswald relief

The church hosted "International Aid for humanity" in Bundaberg, Queensland in Australia on February 17, 2013.

Almost 1,000 church volunteers from all over east coast of Australia filled Bundaberg led by District Minister for Australia-Oceania Bro. Ranniel Serreno and Church's General Auditor Bro. Glicerio Santos Jr.. Bundaberg Mayor Mal Forman also help in distributing relief bags to the residents.

2,000 relief bags containing personal hygiene items such as soap, toothpaste, insect repellant and a monetary gift card to the local mall were handed to flood victims.

The church donated AU$20,000 each to Bundaberg Regional Council, North Bundaberg Primary School and Bundaberg East State School. Over AU$5,000 worth of sporting equipment was also provided to North Bundaberg Primary School and Bundaberg East State School.

After the event, Church members formed groups and headed out into the community to deliver relief bags house to house. They also helped cleaning up cluttered streets of Bundaberg North and East and also within the damaged apartment units in the Liberty Villas Retirement Village. 

 

International Aid for humanity in Times Square, New York for Superstorm Sandy relief

The church hosted "International Aid for humanity" in Times Square New York through Felix Y. Manalo foundation on Novermber 20, 2012. This is where the church launched the program abroad.

More than 3,000 church volunteers distributed "goodwill bags" that contains survival essentials-blankets, canned goods, water, etc. 

FYM foundation also made a total donation of $ 150,000 to the New York City Police Foundation, the Fire Department Foundation, Bellevue Hospital, and Coney Island Hospital. 

Several dignitaries including Commissioner Fatima Shama, Department of Immigrant Affairs, representing the Office of the Mayor; Susan Birnbaum, NYC Police Foundation President; Ambassador Libran Cabactulan of the Phillipine Mission to the United Nations; Ambassador Mario De Leon of the Philippine Consulate General in NY, among others - came to witness the event.

The Church had also conducted separate relief missions in other places in USA.

The FYM Foundation, Inc. is now registered in the United States as a non-profit Public Benefit Corporation. It is also registered in the United Kingdom, Spain Russia, South Korea, and Japan. 

Iglesia ni Cristo bought a town in South Dakota

The church bought a town in Scenic, South Dakota for $ 700,000 a 19 hectares land on August 2011.

It includes two restaurants, three gas stations, two bulk filling stations, a hotel, a school, a bank and a post office. It is inhabited by 9 people.

The Iglesia ni Cristo is just one of the several buyers, but the owner gave the deal to the church.

This news was circulated in newspapers, televisions and even online, worlwide.

Iglesia ni Cristo broke 3 world records

The church held Lingap sa Mamamayan or international aid for humanity on July 7, 2012 at Parola, Tondo that offers FREE medical and dental check-up. It also distributed FREE medicines and a total of 50,000 relief bags that includes rice, noodles and canned goods.

Some 200 doctors, 600 paramedics, and hundreds of nurses and other volunteers, led by Bro. Glicerio Santos III helped to make the event successful. 

Close to 100,000 people flocked the event. 

The church also provided X-ray, ultrasound, 2D-echo and laboratory services, and set up 10 hospital beds where minor surgeries could be performed. Several wheelchairs were also given to the needy. 

It broke the world record for the largest dental health check with a record of 4,128 , biggest number of blood pressure (BP) readings with a record of 8, 026 and most numerous blood glucose level (BGL) tests with a record of 5, 217, all within just eight hours.

Vara, the representative of Guinness world records said:

“I have truly not seen anything like this not just as a representative of Guinness world record, but in my life. I’ve never seen an organization so dedicated to helping other people free of charge all day from 10 past 10 in the morning to 10 past nine at night,” 

“I would like to say that I was extremely pleased (and) moved, and I’m just completely humbled by the fact that you gave your services today. The standards were incredibly high. All of you ensured that you were following the Guinness world record guidelines which I was adamant you had to. So, thank you for listening to me. You are now, officially amazing!”

The distribution of relief  started at around 8 a.m. Medical and dental services opened at 10:10 a.m. and were conducted for eight hours straight. At 6:10 p.m., the counting was officially stopped, although the checkup continued for hundreds still in line.

Ang Sugo (The Last Messeger) Movie

The Iglesia ni Cristo is producing the biggest movie in the history of local movie industry. It will feature the life of Brother Felix Manalo, God's messenger in these last days. It will be shown in July 2014 coinciding the centennial celebration of the church. 

Director Tikoy Aguiluz has been chosen to direct this epic movie. It will star Philippine famous actors and actresses like Richard Gomez, Albert Martinez, Bong Revilla Jr., among others. The cast are nonmembers and some members of the church.

Iglesia ni Cristo builds World's largest Dome Arena

The church is building the will be-World's Largest Dome Arena named "Philippine Arena" that is expected to be completed before the centennial celebration on July 2014.

The said Arena is located at Ciudad de Victoria in Bocaue, Bulacan. The construction also includes "Philippine Stadium" and "Philippine Sports Complex" and will also be completed before centennial.

The Philippine Arena will have a seating capacity of 50,000 to 55,000 with a floor area of 74,000 square meters and a domed roof which is nearly 36,000 square meters. The Arena itself costs $212 million or P9 billion. It will be used for church gatherings but can also be used by public in general like local and international concerts, etc.. and it can also host regional sporting events like SEA games or Asian games.

The architectural design was provided by Populous, the construction of arena was awarded to Hanwha Engineering and Construction Corporation of Korea and the audio & video broadcast consultant is Engineering Harmonics.

There will be more construction in Ciudad de Victoria in the following years like the planned EGM Medical Center, just among many.