Fr. Eduardo “Pon-pon” Vasquez, OMI, a religious catholic priest assigned in the Shrine of our Lady of Grace parish in Caloocan City took the advantage of this dire situation. As parish priest, he initiated the “GRACE” program. The program aims to help families for an easy access for food on their tables through backyard gardening. Also, it provides food for the hungry and poor people living on the streets.
Fr. Pon-Pon is from Bicol before he entered the OMI congregation. He was assigned in different ministries of the OMI congregation as parish priest of San Isidro Labrador in Nuro, Upi, Maguindanao and St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish in Datu Piang, Maguindanao, Director of OMI Bugwak Mission in Antipas, North Cotabato, Director of Oblate Media Communication known as I-Watch for several years, to mention a few.
Together with Fr. Pon-pon is Fr. Rey Amancio, OMI from Cotabato City who is currently assigned as a missionary in Beijing, China but due to the pandemic, he temporarily resides in Caloocan City and Fr. Denz Basada, OMI also from Bicol and presently assigned as the OMI Vocation Director in Luzon and Visayas.
Backyard Gardening
Instead of buying their food, people are encouraged by Fr. Pon-pon to grow their own especially during this pandemic. The project began as a simple vision to help the poor families who are directly affected by the pandemic and to heed to the call of Pope Francis on the “Laudatu Si” or Care for Home.
Fr. Pon-pon enthusiastically encouraged his parishioners to join in his mission. He started giving orientations and seminars on the present situation, of nature and care for the ecology. This includes the importance of having vegetables in every home and how to economically and practically address the ill effects of COVID-19. He uses used plastic bottles, eggshells, and other used materials to grow his vegetables.
Using a small area in their parish, he started to create garden areas where he grow vegetables like alugabati, lettuce, kangkong, malunggay, ampalaya, and other vegetables suited for the garden. He also introduced the solar panel system and hydroponics to maximize the production of the vegetables, especially in growing lettuce.
Feeding the poor
Aside from encouraging people to grow their own food, another objective of the GRACE program is to provide food for the poor and the hungry. The harvest from the garden were then cooked by the volunteers and then distributed to the poor.
Every evening, since the start of pandemic in the country, Fr. Pon-pon, Fr. Rey, Fr. Denz and some church leaders and volunteers would distribute food packs to street children, tricycle drivers, beggars, and homeless poor people on the streets. From Mondays to Saturdays, they would look for poor people on the streets who have nothing to fill their hungry stomachs. Even if it rains, the team continues to drive and walk along the streets searching for poor and hungry people.
For Fr. Pon-pon, it is our social responsibility as well as our responsibility to God to care for these poor people. Especially during the pandemic where more people are in dire need, we have to do something out of our simple generosity, kindness and goodness. Some generous parishioners, family and friends of Fr. Pon-pon including the LGU of Caloocan City have been working and helping the GRACE program.
Several Media companies have also made interviews with Fr. Pon-pon on his inspiring work and mission of growing food and feeding the poor Filipinos. With the continues threat of COVID-19, the GRACE program continues in promoting backyard gardening and providing food for the hungry which is being sustained by generous individuals, families and even companies who share their kindness through various means of support and donations for the said program.
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