Bukas Palad Cebu Foundation, Inc. | Focolare Movement Philippines

Bukas Palad Cebu
Foundation, Inc.

Vision

To be a family united in building universal brotherhood.

Mission

To build relationships based on mutual love where “no one is so poor that he cannot give, and no one is so rich that he cannot receive.

Bukas Palad Cebu

Bukas Palad Cebu or BPCFI is a social initiative of the Focolare Movement, founded in 1987 by a group of young people who wanted to put into practice the challenge lunched by Chiara Lubich “to die for our own people” during her visit to the Philippines. Believing in the phrase of the Gospel “Freely you receive, freely you give” (Mt. 24:40) and living this as its motto, they decided to name it Bukas Palad – a Filipino term that means “open palms.”

BPCFI is active in serving poor communities of Cebu City and nearby areas. It offers a comprehensive program in the fields of education, housing, health care, livelihood, and community development.

From a simple rapport built with the people, they are helped to rediscover their dignity, and so they become partners and not just mere recipients. Majority of BPCFI workers come from the community itself. To this date, BPCFI has catered more than 1,500 families.

The Focolare Movement, present everywhere in the world, is like a vast and varied family. It began in 1943 during the Second World War as a current of spiritual and social renewal.

‘A people born from the Gospel,’ is how it was defined by its founder Chiara Lubich (1920-2008), a charismatic and significant woman of the 20th century.

Its purpose: to work cooperatively to build a more united world, following the inspiration of Jesus’ prayer to the Father ‘May they all be one’ (Jn 17:21), respecting and valuing diversity. It focuses on dialogue as a method, has a constant commitment to building bridges and relationships of fraternity among individuals, peoples and cultural worlds.

Persons of every age, vocation, religion, conviction and culture belong to the Focolare.