Death
To someone who is not ready to hear the truth, certainly the truth will appear to hurt. But the hurt is short lived and once the person adjust to the truth, as he or she should, then there is acceptance.
STORY ORIGIN
This story started few years ago when my father and I had an argument after Yolanda. Yolanda was tragedy. My family did a little helping by sponsoring some of them mula food and also sa pag aaral nila. I won’t go into details about it kasi I don’t believe na dapat mo ipagmalaki ang pagtulong. It should just be between you at ng tinulungan mo para pure ang intention. After Yolanda me and my father got into an argument. He was asking sa dinner table kung saan dapat manatili ang mga victims na plan namin iluwas ng Manila. I made a joke na “of course sa simbahan” and yun ang pinagmulan ng mahabang argument. I keep asking him kung ano mali sa sinabe ko but since humaba na usapan nag end up yun sa tampuhan. We did not speak to each other for three days din yata. I’m the apple of my father’s eyes kasi bunso so naging ok din kami. Apple naman ng mother’s eyes yung ate ko.
FAST FORWARD TO PANDEMIC
Hahaha. Here we go again. Nagtanong na naman father ko kung ano maitutulong namin sa mga sobrang affected ng Pandemic. I should have kept my mouth shut learning from our “tampuhan” few years back but I’m not so sure what happened kasi next thing I know I’m saying things like “Bakit di muna gamitin na treatment facility ng mga nag positive ang mga churches at kumbento since bawal naman magkaroon ng mass since social distancing at lockdown instead mapuno hospitals.” As you have guessed it was followed by an arguement. My father is a lawyer. He is a businessman but he is a lawyer by profession so I really enjoy pushing his buttons. My mom and sister left us at the dinner table kasi hindi talaga kami tumigil. Umabot siguro three hours but unlike last time, mas malambing na ako sa father ko now kasi nagkasakit siya noong April. I did not apologize this time but I made him some fries at burger at tumabi ako sa kanya while he was watching “the last dance” ni Michael Jordan. Uhmmm…. I find the show funny kasi It was about a documentary of Michael Jordan and he was also involved in creating that documentary. If anybody made a documentary about a person and that person is involved in making that documentary, truths told sa documentary will always favor the person involved in making it.
GET BACK TO THE POINT
Sorry at medyo lumayo. Let me get back to the point. You and me will take another journey. We will enter a zone/realm na most are afraid to enter. Let me caution you though. You might not be the same after this.
If you want to stop reading my blog post now is the time. Beyond this point wala ng atrasan.
IMAGINE
Imagine a boy named Kaloy. Kaloy was a poor boy. He sells candies sa street. Every Sunday Kaloy goes to church. Whatever extra he made sa pagbebenta ng candy less all his expenses ay dinodonate niya sa church.
What do you think about Kaloy? He is a good kid di ba? A good kid with great values.
THE IRONY
What if I told you that Kaloy is actually donating money to Billionaires, would you believe me?
” Of course not! How dare me! “
Okay, let me change my approach. What if I will show you facts that Kaloy is donating to Billionaires, would you believe me?
“Depende. Show me!”
Depende?Well, that’s fair enough.
WEALTH
Church’s has a multi-billion peso investments in several Philippine companies. In fact, reports submitted to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) show that the Church and affiliate Catholic groups are top stockholders in companies such as the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), Philex Mining Corporation (PX), San Miguel Corporation (SMC), Ayala Corporation (AC), and Phinma Corporation (PHN), among others.
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Manila, for example, owns more than 300 million shares of BPI and is the bank’s 4th largest owner. That is Billions in pesos. That’s RCAM pa lang.
KAYO NA MAG COMPUTE
- Roman Catholic Bishop of Tuguegarao, Cagayan – owns 856,639 shares of SMC.
- Roman Catholic Bishop of Nueva Segovia de Vigan – owns 428,067 shares of SMC
- Roman Catholic Archbishop of Jaro, Iloilo – owns 491,385 shares of BPI.
- Roman Catholic Bishop of Tuguegarao, Cagayan – owns 24,015 shares of Ayala Corp.
- El Superior de la Corporacion Filipina de Padres Agustinos Recoletos – 2.37 million shares of SMC.
- Superior de la Corporacion Archicofradia de N.P.J.N de Recoletos – 1.23 million shares of SMC.
- Carmel of the Divine Infant Jesus of Prague, Inc. – 957,000 shares of SMC
- SMC stands for San Miguel Corporation. SMC sells alcohol/liquor among other things.
In Cagayan, the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao asked PCSO for money to pay for the operational expenses of a retirement home for priests. The PCSO gave them P200,000 plus an unknown amount for “finishing touches” on the renovation of the said retirement home.
TAXES
Under Section 28, Article VI of the Constitution, charitable institutions, churches and parsonages or convents appurtenant thereto, mosques, nonprofit cemeteries, and all lands, buildings, and improvements, actually, directly, and exclusively used for religious, charitable, or educational purposes shall be exempt from taxation.
The Church operates so many educational institutions where students mostly from the upper class of society are enrolled. They represent the biggest and most lucrative of all their businesses. Educational institutions are not only exempt from the payment of income tax, but also from the payment of real estate tax. The Church has vast landholdings classified as seminaries, convents, retreat houses, retirement houses for the retired members of the Church, orphanages, hospitals, charitable houses and cemeteries. They have numerous non-stock and non-profit corporations which are also tax-free. However, this exemption equally applies to other religious organizations under the principle of equal protection clause.
Dioceses, as corporation soles, are supposed to be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission to acquire a juridical personality. They are supposed to be filing financial statements yearly, but the RCAM has been delinquent, submitting its last statement in 1985. Church higher-ups have a tendency to resist financial scrutiny, traced to a mindset that they are not accountable to anyone, except the Pope.
I tried to get a financial statement from our church’s treasurer but It was not allowed despite the fact na kaibigan ko siya.
MANILA, Philippines – On January 16, Pope Francis will say Mass before some 2,000 bishops, priests and select people at the newly renovated Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica. It will be the third time that a Pope will make an apostolic visit to the church property that has been the resting place of former archbishops of Manila. The papal Mass is a fitting highlight to the freshly earthquake-retrofitted cathedral. In February 2012, then newly-appointed Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle ordered its closure and renovation after issues were raised about its structural integrity. At the time, in a press conference announcing the closure of the structure in Intramuros, the charismatic church leader appealed for donations for the cathedral’s repair. Repair and construction cost was initially pegged at P40 million-P50 million. y the time it reopened in April 2014 attended by who’s who in politics and Church circles, the running cost had reached P136 million, former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, who is also president of the Manila Cathedral Foundation, said in a news report. Before the year ended, the total cost had ballooned to around P200 million to include additional improvements like central air-conditioning and installation of new carillon bells from The Netherlands, Panganiban said in a separate interview. The reconstruction and renovation of the “Mother church” in the Philippines is arguably among the most expensive ventures of the Archdiocese of Manila to date.
Like any corporation, dioceses, as corporation soles, are supposed to be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission to acquire a juridical personality. But a majority of them are not registered with the SEC and thus fail to comply with reportorial requirements such as the submission of financial statements. The yearly submission of financial statements would have been a reliable gauge of how the dioceses are faring financially. But in the case of RCAM, it has been delinquent in submitting statements, with no records available for scrutiny. The RCAM last submitted its FS in 1985, before the downfall of President Marcos. Under the Corporation Code, its SEC registration should have been revoked by now.
SOUP KITCHEN
Church collects hundreds of millions in total every week from the mass they are doing.
In other countries they have soup kitchen that offers food to the poor on a regular basis as well as shelter. In our country you will seldom see a church doing such. There are of course some that do but what most churches do is magpagawa buildings. The Ateneo de Manilais probably one of the richest universities in Asia, with a vast campus on now prime land.They never run soup kitchens, even during the worst floods that hit the metropolis, even when in 2013 typhoon Ondoy flooded its neighboring villages in Marikina. Yet it has built in the past decades’ new buildings, even a new athletic center, worth P1 billion.
Setting up soup kitchens on Sundays has also been a practice of many Catholic and Protestant churches in the US. The biggest are those of the Catholic Charities USA, which routinely operates such soup kitchens in the poorest urban areas in that country that feed 4,000 people
OTHER INVESTMENTS
I mainly covered their stock investments. There are far more money they have invested in other forms of investments such as schools, hospitals and buildings. I tried to actually get a real data but my efforts failed kasi sobrang secretive pala ang mga churches sa pera nila. I normally back most of my blog post with hard evidence but I was only able to get a few including this cute one.
AGAIN WITH THE TAXES
The Church operates so many educational institutions where students mostly from the upper class of society are enrolled. They represent the biggest and most lucrative of all their businesses. Educational institutions are not only exempt from the payment of income tax, but also from the payment of real estate tax. The Church has vast landholdings classified as seminaries, convents, retreat houses, retirement houses for the retired members of the Church, orphanages, hospitals, charitable houses and cemeteries. They have numerous non-stock and non-profit corporations which are also tax-free. However, this exemption equally applies to other religious organizations under the principle of equal protection clause.
Generally, there are several taxes that the Church and other religious organizations are exempt from. First is individual income tax. Priests, nuns, ministers, imams, rabbis are exempt for reasons that they do not receive salary for their vocation. Only allowance is given them although many enjoy their basic needs well above that enjoyed of ordinary wage earners.
Second, since all corporations owned by the religious organizations are placed under the category of non-stock and non-profit corporations, automatically they are exempted from the payment of income tax.
Third, even if many of their properties are not used directly, actually and exclusively used for their religious rites, they can still avail of tax exemption by converting them to foundations or charitable institutions, provided under Section 30 (E) of the National Internal Revenue Code, to quote: “Non-stock corporation or association organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, athletic, or cultural purposes, or for the rehabilitation of veterans, no part of its net income or asset shall belong to or inure to the benefit of any member, organizer, officer or any specific person.”
Fourth, they are also exempted from the payment of excise tax on imported educational materials such as books and scientific instruments for their educational institutions.
Sixth, non-profit and non-stock corporations or NGOs have been used to stash public funds appropriated for public use. The NGOs created by Janet Napoles were used to funnel developmental projects to members of Congress. Note that NGOs can avail of tax exemption if engaged in charitable and welfare assistance program, but not when acting as broker or facilitator for the release of public funds.
CHURCHES ALSO HELP PINOYS
Yes! That is true. I will give you some examples.
Lahat ng nakasulat dito ay pwede ninyong ma double check. I always try to stick with the truth. Pag truth kasi kahit pa ano eh react ng nagbabasa as long as truth eh mahihirapan siyang e dispute doon.
IDEA
I normally present ideas and leave it to people reading by blog to form their own.
Every night, millions of poor Filipinos pray that when they wake up, they’d no longer be poor. Answering these prayers would take nothing short of a miracle. And a miracle, by definition, is highly improbable; just witnessing one is considered a blessing by many. Now, kung bawasan ng konti ng simbahan ang Billions of investments nila at itulong ito sa economy/goverment or directly na mismo sa mga most affected ng Pandemic mas magiging maganda ang estadong ng bans natin. Will they? NOPE!
DEATH
Simula nung nalaman ko ang mga bagay bagay na to. The idea of giving donations sa church died sa mind ko. Instead of adding to their riches yung ginagawa ko na lang is directly tumulong sa kapwa ko. Sa mundo ng stock trading instead magdonate ako ng pera sa mga traders I resort in helping them for free. From time to time nagbibigay kami sa Trader’s Lounge ng cash prize sa mga contests but that money comes from our little earning sa youtube at sa mga sadyang gusto eh support ang pa contests at nag sosponsor ng prizes.
I don’t believe being smart with your money is bad. Therefore, I don’t believe that the church having investments is bad. I just can’t and won’t support the idea of taking money from the poor to become wealthy.
IMAGINE AGAIN
Imagine a boy named Kaloy. Kaloy was a poor boy. He sells candies sa street. Every Sunday Kaloy goes to church. Whatever extra he made sa pagbebenta ng candy less all his expenses ay dinodonate niya sa church.
61 Comments
I Fashion Styles
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KALOY THE TRUTH
BIBLICAL FACTS:
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44, NIV)
First and foremost, God wants us to give because it shows that we recognize he is truly the Lord of our lives.
Hindi ko alam kung anong paniniwala nyo maam ganda ko but i totally DISAGREE YOUR BELIEFS. wag mo lahatin
Ganda Koh, Do you really believed in God? if hindi eh magkalimutan na tayo.
* Sure kaba na si kaloy ay nag bibigay para sa billionaire lamang? kasi yon ang sinabi mo bakit nababasa muba isipan nya?
* sa tingin muba ang inisip ni kaloy ay mapupunta lang sa billionaire yong ibibigay nyang Ikapo? Syempre hindi, Yong pressence ni kaloy para yon kay God. Paniniwala nya yon kagaya ko sa simpling pamamaraan makaka bahagi sya ng kanyang blessing. wag mo lahatin lahat ng simbahan kasi yong simbahan namin yong donation napupunta sa orphanage at sa mga mahihirap napupunta. Yong isip nyo outside the box at judgemental masyado, Iniisip mo kung saan napupunta yong pera pero sana alam mo yong pinagkaiba ng tao at ang may pananampalataya sa Panginoon. may pagkakaiba tayo ng pananampalataya gandah ko hindi lahat nadadaan mo sa facts mo…
Totz
Wala po ko nakita mali ms. Gandah tagal na din inexposed yan ng mga preachers namin marami ganyan..
I Believe facts yan so ke may tamaan or wala di nati mababago ang facts.. may tatangap at may hindi matutuwa feeling nila inaatake relihiyon nila . But for me truth really hurts nasa pag tangap lang yan.. This blog actually all your blogs is basically for all of us to be aware walang masamang intensyon yun mga panatiks wag po kayo magalit ke ganda lawakan nyo isip nyo po kung ayaw nyo matawag na mangmang.
Kawikaan 9:8
Sabi ng kasulatan Huwag mong sawayin ang manglilibak, baka ipagtanim ka niya: sawayin mo ang pantas, at kaniyang iibigin ka.
Kawikaan 9:9
Turuan mo ang pantas, at siya’y magiging lalong pantas pa: iyong turuan ang matuwid, at siya’y lalago sa pagkatuto.
R.A. Cri*****
tanong ko din to dati pa. Kanino ba ako nag bibigay sa panginoon o sa mga pari? Bakit mahal ang tuition fees nila? Bakit wla man lng program para sa community if they really reflect written on the bible. Kala ko mali ang magtanong kasi feeling ko binabangga ko buong catholic religion. They always suggesting that the government should be do this, do that but none of them (religious group) initiate the first move or action. Never silang gumalaw nang wlang money involve. Mag pa bless, binyag, kasal at kahit sa pdasal sa mga patay may bayad. Prang lahat may bayad pag dudulog ka sa diyos thru them. I can pray with god with my own and they think na mas powerful ata ang prayer if sila ang gagawa para sa akin but with fees. Once meron isang matanda sa quiapo, babayaran mo sila para ipagdasal ka nairita kasama ko kasi binbayran ang dasal anung sense, but the thing is, same lng ang church at matanda. Its all about business. A business that covering up as a CHURCH using people that giving money to them is a gods will. btw, im catholic too and im too aware to this before this blog.
Ian
I have always asked myself this question: “Saan napupunta monetary donations ko?” because, the sad truth is – we can never follow where they (money) go. And this is yet another reason why I firmly believe that the best way to give back is when you practice Random Act of Kindness. Mas maganda yung unexpected. Yung alam mo sa loob mong nakakatulong ka. Iba kasi yung nagbigay ka lang, dahil hindi mo naman alam kung saan napupunta yun.
I’m not against giving out donations per se, what I’m saying is – dapat alam mo kung saan napupunta yung perang itinutulong mo, afterall pinaghirapan mong ipunin at kitain yun. Hindi ko ikinakampanyang, huwag kang magbigay – what I’m pointing out, is that you should be wise on how you do it.
Mikka Serance
This is true! I also have the same perception. Same thoughts. 2 years ago, I decided not to put “money” sa basket every mass. I realize na yung 1K na binibigay ko is malaking tulong na sa ordinaryong Filipino. Mas malaking impact ang perang ito especially sa mga maralita kaysa simbahan. Sa guards, sa maintenance worker, sa janitor, sa fastfood crew…. 🙂
Ellen Almacin
I started my journey in trading because i know a priest before that everytime he gives a homily he always says that he have a lots of money in stocks. Kaya it intensify my curiosity about stocks but what i understand is that is his own money not come from donation. This is something that hard to swallow because i also trying my best to give tithes
Totz
Makinig kayo ng Bible Study sa Dating Daan may sagot lahat Bible itanung nyo kay bro Bro Eli may sagot sya sa bible sa ganyan matagal na din nya exposed lahat ng relihiyon namemera eh well sa bible meron abuluyan talaga si Judas Escariote pa nga naging treasurer nuon pero masama talaga sya eh kya un sinapit nya masyado mahaba iexplain.
Pero sabi talaga ng Panginoon magbigay ang bawat isa ng naayon sa pinasya ng kanyang puso huwag mabigat sa loob. para san ba donations sa pagpapalaganap salita ng Dios how? Ung mga satellite broadcast ung mga pagpapakain libre education meron free school as in free Laverdad Christian School check nyo free bus ride ung free medical mission d2 lang samin may free consultation kmi d2 eh dyan naman napupunta ewan ko lang sa ibang Iglesia ha..kya nga sinabi pag magbigay ayon sa pasya ng puso di lang 10% cguro or baka nga barya lang eh ksi mahirap ka or baka mayaman ka 1 milyon pa pero tanung galing ba sa puso? sabi naman ayon sa pasya ng puso ung magiging masaya ka pag nagdonate ka..saka di lahat ng nagpakita nagdonate masama lage ang Dios sa puso tumitingin sa intensyon mo.kng nagdonate ka pra magyabang alam nya un pero nagdonate ka or gumawa ka mabuti pinakita mo sa iba to encourage sila sa gawang mabuti paniwala ko di naman masama un.
Just sharing lang po nabasa ko mga comments sa baba eh.. for me si Gandah sya ang teacher ko sa trading for free tas si Bro. Eli Soriano at Bro Daniel Razon teacher ko naman sa Faith na madalas sinisiraan gaya ni Gandah at pinasasama sa mga advocasies nila.
Simple Man
Lumaki ako sa simbahan bilang sakristan. I partially agree na meron talagang mga pari na corrupt at nagtatago sa sarili nilang balahibo. Pero wag lahatin. Merong mga pari na dedicated sa kanilang trabaho. Tumutulong pero hindi dini display sa kung ano anong social media platforms. Yan ang mga ‘truths’ na hindi makikita sa internet.
Jose Sevilla
Let us not be fast on judging the Roman Catholic Church. I strongly believe that Ms. GK’s claims are true however I am saddened that the Roman Catholic Church is singled out. There’s a lot of religious organizations doing the same thing which should have been mentioned. The case for Roman Catholic church is that it is costly to maintain the organization. Imagine a religious official who is not entitled to any earthly pleasures. Who would like to one? Priests are human. They have weaknesses, especially in this modern age where there’s just too much temptations. We hear of priests being involved in sex scandals, addiction (internet, social media, gambling). Maybe, religion will have insignificant influence in the coming generation. So now, let’s imagine a world without religion. No faith. How do you think it will look like? I don’t justify the corruption of religious organizations but we have to support their existence for the common good.
Gandakoh
Please highlight anything that is false on the blog so it can be corrected.
This is not a religious issue. Provide me with any verified information about investments of other religious sector and I will update the blog.
Brandolf C. Benedicto
Kaloy is not giving money to the church.,it is his faith in the word of God (biblical narrative of a poor widow)
ramy
https://kutv.com/news/local/mormonleaks-says-new-documents-link-lds-church-to-companies-worth-over-32-billion
ramy
https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/mormon-church-billions-investment-fund-top-stocks-ensign-apple-google-2020-2-1028920228?op=1
Rank Merida
“So now, let’s imagine a world without religion. No faith. How do you think it will look like? ”
Very simple. Just sing John Lennon’s Imagine. You will have your answer.
At any rate, I think the financial setup/process of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) exemplifies those of the other churches/religions. In which case this blog is on point.
Nevertheless, a RCC member (as I was once) is better situated than members of newly established churches/religions. The RCC does not anymore conduct crusades or burn heretics at the stake. Catholics are not forced to give money to the church. But in other churches (as I was once also after leaving RCC) you get the feeling that you will be burned at the stake if you do not give tithes, offerings, donations, etc., while the pastors move around in fleet cars, live in church-owned homes.
Sadly it took me 30 years to see the obvious. Finally I’m out and singing Imagine with fervor.
Praise the … never mind. 🙂
Totz
Wala po ko nakita mali ms. Gandah tagal na din inexposed yan ng mga preachers namin marami ganyan..
I Believe facts yan so ke may tamaan or wala di nati mababago ang facts.. may tatangap at may hindi matutuwa feeling nila inaatake relihiyon nila . But for me truth really hurts nasa pag tangap lang yan.. This blog actually of your blogs is basically for all of us to be aware walang masamang intensyon yun mga panatiks wag po kayo magalit ke ganda lawakan nyo isip nyo po kung ayaw nyo matawag na mangmang.
Kawikaan 9:8
Sabi ng kasulatan Huwag mong sawayin ang manglilibak, baka ipagtanim ka niya: sawayin mo ang pantas, at kaniyang iibigin ka.
Kawikaan 9:9
Turuan mo ang pantas, at siya’y magiging lalong pantas pa: iyong turuan ang matuwid, at siya’y lalago sa pagkatuto.
Maan
Same tayo ng naisip. Where is the church during this time of crisis? Nkakalungkot tlga.
Gelo Dadivas
I remember when I was an auditor, I can see the financial statements of different churches. Naisip ko Churches yung pinakamagandang business kasi sobrang dami nila income from public and donations from big companies plus wala sila tax. Thats why some of CPA’s I know become pastor. 🙂
Ken C
Saludo ako sakanila. My middle finger salutes them!
Maam GK ang ganda nito! Eye opener! Maraming maraming salamat!
Emmacz
I already knows this secret of RC priests few years ago from another blogger, but this is another explosive again from Ms, Gandakoh is more reliable, thanks for ur effort and keep it up, cheerssss,,,
Gary
Well, trading is a zero-sum game and good traders do earn money from lots of people, many of them not rich. Maganda lang sa trading is the anonymity of the whose money were lost..
JEGSY
This is a sensitive matter to talk about as this involves one’s belief and principle in terms of practice of religion and finances. Giving donations to church is one of those beliefs that has been long practice in the Philippines. Some religious organizations may have stricter implementation specifically for this type of church exercise.
As usual, this write-up was still based from facts. I find this post helpful and mind-opening.
Joes
Nagulat talaga ako nong time na naging 2 na ang collection nila althought sinasabi nila na para sa mga madre o pari na mga magreretire/ scholarship. Ang tanong don ba talaga napupunta yon.
Kaya mas maganda gawin yong ginagawa ni mam
Benjamin Delos Santos
Sa totoo lang, ang yayaman ng catholic church, at ilang beses ng naging topic sa news ang pera nila sa stocks.
Ang nakakalungkot, pagdating sa mga ganitong sakuna, hindi mo sila makita.
Dahil nanghihinayang sila na baka mabawasan ang pera nila? Bakit yung ibang religion? MCGI? INC? Napabalita na nagdonate sa maynila. Bakit sila wala akong nabalitaan?
Ang gusto nga nila e magkamisa na e.
Tama kayo. Napakalalaki at maraming mga simbahan na di nagagamit ngayon. Bakit di yun ang gamitin sa mga may covid. Since wala namang gumagamit? At the same time, sa tingin ko ay lalong titibay pa ang pananampalataya nung may sakit kasi nasa simbahan sya.
Clyde
It’s not a belief per se, but a tradition or practice. The bible never mentioned anything about giving money, but being mapagbigay; from your hard-earned work. Even Jesus, when asked “Should we pay taxes to Caesar?” That is a very sensitive topic sa kanila mga Jewish people during their time. He said “Give to Caesar’s what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s.”
Dee
I totally agree with this. May mga Pari sa parokya na corrupt at meron din namang hindi. Sa barrio namin dati hindi corrupt ang pari, napakasimple, paulit-ulit yung damit, pati sasakyan maliit pako ‘yun na sasakyan nya eh tapos nung college na siguro ako tsaka sya bumili ng bago. (yes, nakakasakay ako sa sasakyan ni father) ang mga donasyon, binabalik sa simbahan–renovation, building facility, charity works, etc. Pero nung nagretire
yung pari, nag-iba bigla sistema tapos DALAWANG BESES HUMIHINGI NG ABULOY lahat ng parokya–BINAGO NA. I was like, REALLY?! Dalawang abuloy sa isang misa. PAANO NA LANG ‘YUNG MGA 8-10 MISA sa ISANG ARAW?
Laging sinasabi ng nanay ko, marami raw pera ang mga pari. Ewan ko lang pero yung kapitbahay namin na may anak na nagpari, NABILI YUNG MALAKING LUPA SA HARAP NG BAHAY NAMIN tapos anlaki ng bahay nila. Dun nakatira pamilya ng mga kapatid nung pari at mga apo, etc.
RELIGION is the best business for me. Charities or non-profit organizations are tax-exempted. NAPAKAWAIS! So kung gusto mo magbusiness, gawa ka ng religion like mga Rizalista, Monalista, Tiktokista…’yung pa-kulto na.
Clyde
I am a devout Catholic. This is amazing. Truer than true. However, I wouldn’t think na “for the church” itong investments nila, these particular people. Not following their “Vow to poverty”, I don’t like it. Sana po basahin niyo ang buong comment ko.
On donations
Ewan ko talaga bakit di pinakita sayo ang financial statement, ipinakita naman sa akin dito sa parish namin. May breakdown of donations received and expenses pa nga after every mass. Not all expenses, just the major ones.
Ang parish priest po namin worked on the transparency (he was a businessman before he became a priest) pra at least maibsan ng konti ang financial doubts ng iba.
I don’t know po if may nag explain na, but the total donations are divided and distributed, to the parish, for everyday expenses (food, water, electricity, allowance for the parish workers, and even scholars nila na seminarians), then a portion is sent to the main diocese pra magamit rin for technicals, then a portion that was summed is sent to the higher ranks until it reaches the vatican with the same technical expenses. And priests are also allowed only a very small percentage of money as allowance, I know that the churches I’ve served as an altar server before nung high school pa ako, they pay the priests 2000, some priests won’t even accept. Plus with the present times they’ve been auditing and presenting the donation amounts in total after every mass. So we know where the money goes. Anyway, I can confirm this since my mother works as a staff there.
ewan ko bakit ayaw ipakita ang financial statement sayo, ipinakita naman sa akin.
On Ateneo
Ateneo is probably the most overrated school. Yes, it is expensive, but you can actually go to school there for free! If you have a scholarship, that is. Ewan ko sa ibang campus, pero ganun sa Ateneo Davao. (I particularly don’t like Jesuit priests, the ones that run Ateneo schools. Modernist sila eh, traditional ako, pero I follow St. Ignatius’ teachings which is their patron saint since maganda ang mental exercises niya, aaaanywaaay…). So yun, I have a friend electrical engineer na ngayon, only paid the miscellaneous fees, using the allowance he saved while working as a student labor, part time working in the library. He was valedictorian in our high school kaya may scholarship siya. Smart siya haha
Plus, I was diagnosed with anxiety last year, their psychological services are free. I was recommended by a friend i knew.
Also if officer ka ng isang student organization, or club, or an athlete, or a competitor in tournaments (sports/e-sports), may discount/free ka sa tuition (need to confirm this first from my friend, she was a student org president back then)
On charity
Your view is valid, I understand, and I agree 100%.
I’d like you to know that our parish has helped in calamities(hugas kamay HAHAHA). In yolanda, we donated relief goods, clothes, even money right from the treasury. When the earthquakes hit davao region, we went there to help set up the tents, gave them food and clothes, necessities for hygiene, that were bought by our parish’s donation money. Even when the volcano hit. Plus, I’m also a member of Couples for Christ – Youth for Christ, even the donation of my parents to that organization was used for the same reasons. So, point ko lang po, which you also pointed out sa blog mo, di naman lahat. If there are the wicked, surely there are the righteous. Yin and Yang kumbaga.
On these investments
I personally believe that these investments are not for the church, (parang ginamit lang ang pangalan ng church) which I don’t like. I understand that these priests still have allowances or sabihin na natin kung ano, sweldo, but these are not supposed to be relevant to their service. I know some priests that are so poor that if they were left outside with no one knowing them and if you strip them of their title, they’d be begging on the streets. I also know some priests that were from rich families so they are able to have their own investments. There’s this particular priest that I like, has scholars all over davao, ang mga bata/teenager na iniwan sa simbahan or naliligaw sa simbahan namin dati, pinaaral niya at binigyan niya ng tahanan doon sa simbahan. May nagraduate na nga ng college, pero di na si father nagpaaral sa kanya college, siya na sumikap.
But one thing is certain: priests and all other clergymen and women (especially the Ignatian/Jesuit priests) have a vow to service to God and the community, kung nilabag nila ang vow na yun, by action or heart, si San Pedro rin haharapin nila pagdating ng panahon.
I love your blogs. No BS and straight to the point.
Clyde
And Kaloy shouldn’t be doing that. He should he saving it. The church is receiving a lot already. Kaloy needs to receive from the church instead.
I finally got your point Ms GK.
Giving is not bad. Keeping is also not bad. But you have to give in abundance, if Kaloy is as poor as he is portrayed in my imagination, then he shouldn’t be giving anything. He should be keeping and saving.