Catholics From The Philippines

"In the Philippines, there wasn’t much political support or policy or infrastructure that would address the needs of cyclists and pedestrians. It was almost impossible — and to a certain extent unsafe — to walk or cycle alongside national highways. Fortunately, the vision for Philippine infrastructure is fast changing. With the issuance of DPWH Department Order 88, all projects that involve new road and bridge construction will include in their design the provision of bicycle facilities, if feasible."

"If you are in any way part of Build, Build, Build, be strong and steadfast. The truth will not change only because alternate realities are repeated, or that facts are often ignored. The attacks will be more vicious and it will be at a rate that we have never seen before. Do not be disheartened. There is work to be done still. While we are already able to complete 29,264 kilometers of roads, 15,134 kilometers are still ongoing. While we have already built 5,950 bridges, we still have 1,859 bridges to build."

"At the onset, critics pointed out that Boracay beach closure seemed to be a drastic move, an isolated strategy. But the statement was nothing but a myth. When I visited Florida as part of the US Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), I learned that beach closures were part of a standard operating procedure relevant to Algal Bloom Monitoring. Recently, it closed Jupiter Beaches on Palm Beach County, Hobe Sound Beach, and Bathtub Beach in Martin County.In Rhode Island, the moment the concentration of Enterocci bacteria in beach water exceeds 60 colony-forming units per 100 mililiters, they issue a temporary closure. In 2018 alone, there were at least 40 beach closures in Rhode Island. - Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual 2nd Edition"

"Cinderella, Snow White, or Red Riding Hood wasn’t our role models. We were taught from a very young age that girls need not be saved, that they could be heroes, protagonists of their own stories. Girls are not inferior to men, not in this generation or the ones before it.”"

"The United Nations has often defined culture as being created, contested, and recreated within the social praxis of diverse groups in economic, social, and political arenas. There is no point to segregation — to further an invisible line dividing Christians and Muslims. Just as men need to stand up for women in gender rights, Catholics must stand with our Muslim brothers and sisters for sustainable peace. We must be the first to oppose whenever Muslims are branded and discriminated against. As the old Chinese proverb say — Just as a fence has to be built with pegs, an able person needs the help of three others."

"In one of our visits, I met a fourth-year high school student, who was three months shy from graduation. Before Yolanda hit, he was studying for his exams with his girlfriend. It was supposed to be the last Christmas they would be dependent on their allowances. They dreamed of traveling together after college. It was going to be their first time. They never had money to spare before. But in three months, they thought, everything would be all right. They only had to wait a few more months. After all, they had already waited for four years. What he didn’t expect was the fact that the storm [Typhoon Haiyan] would be so strong he would have to choose between saving his girlfriend and her one-year-old niece. For months, he would stare longingly at the sea, at the exact same spot he found his girlfriend, with a piece of galvanized iron that was used for roofing pierced through her stomach. It was a relief that one of the first projects we started under DPWH Secretary Mark Villar was the Leyte Tide Embankment, a storm surge protection structure that would serve as the first line of defense for residents of Tacloban, Palo, and Tanauan in Leyte should another typhoon hit the region."

"Before the six-month closure of Boracay, coliform bacteria in Bolabog reached as high as one million most probable number (MPN) per 100 mililiter (ml). The streets were so narrow and cars could not pass through. Pedestrians competed with pedicabs and tricycles for whatever little space was left on the street. There were no sidewalks. Establishments encroached on the shoreline, with some sections left with barely any sand.Six months later, water quality had significantly improved — with a recorded value of only 19 to 20 MPN/100 ml. This is even lower than the acceptable threshold of 100 MPN/100 ml for swimming areas and 200 MPN/100 ml for areas of non- contact sport."

"Back in 2016, no one knew what Build, Build, Build meant or what it stood for. Critics had very little expectation of the team. They wagered against our success, not knowing that when they did, they gambled against the future of their country. They were certain that the infrastructure projects would never materialize — that blueprints would remain as drawings. They didn’t expect 6.5 million Filipinos to stand and work behind it."

"This is the first time in Philippine history that expressways operated by different concessionaires — as in this case, San Miguel Corporation and Metro Pacific — will interconnect. And who are the biggest victors of this arrangement? The Filipino people.”"

"People would often ask - what is Build, Build, Build? it Is a springboard, a chance to turn a dream of connecting Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao into a reality. It means connecting 81 provinces, 146 cities, and 1,489 municipalities.”"

"What is Build, Build, Build? It is a revolution of Filipinos who want the next generation to see a better Philippines."

"About five years ago, on our first day of office — Build, Build, Build Czar Mark Villar and I were talking — “What can we do to make the Philippines a better place?” His answer was simple —roads to the most rural areas so that children can go to school without risking their lives, bridges to connect farmers and fishermen to their markets and infrastructure that would open up opportunities in the countryside and allow Filipinos to dream and aspire for a better future."

"Many will try to discredit the accomplishments of 6.5 million construction workers. They will say that what we have completed is not enough, that there could have been many things that we could have done still, or that we never really worked at all. Allow me to say — if you are reading this, and you’re part of the Build, Build, Build team - without you, we wouldn’t have been able to build 29,264 kilometers of roads, 5,950 bridges, 11,340 flood control projects, 222 evacuation centers, 150,149 classrooms, 214 airport projects, and 451 seaport projects. Philippines is in a much better place because of your skill, work, and sacrifices."

"Filipinos have built many cities, expressways, subways, railways, and airports elsewhere in the world as OFWs. The pandemic gave us the best talent pool one could ever ask for. Build, Build, Build gave OFWs an opportunity to serve their country if they wanted to. Although we couldn’t match the salaries they received abroad, many stayed to ensure that Filipinos would get to use infrastructure that they only saw in photos before. We are on the right track. The Philippines can be a trillion-dollar economy."

"Prior to World War II, our rail transportation spanned 1,100 kilometers. The Philippine National Railways (PNR) used to run from La Union to Bicol, linking the north and south provinces of Luzon. In 2016, however, we only had about 77 kilometers of rail routes left. What was left would oftentimes be a bane rather than a boon due to frequent technical glitches and other service interruptions. As Asian megacities were developing their rail systems, ours was on the decline"

"Bridging the digital gender divide is crucial to achieving gender equality and promoting economic growth. Through policies, programs, and initiatives that prioritize digital inclusion and gender equality, the Philippine government is committed to ensuring that no one is left behind, that every individual, regardless of gender, has access to and can fully participate in the digital economy"

"While there are barriers that need to be addressed, the Philippines already has the advantage. The Philippines still leads among Asian countries in terms of closing the gender gap, based on the 2022 Global Gender Gap Report, where we placed 19th in the global rankings."

"The Church has adapted herself to local cultures whenever possible in order to evangelize people more effectively. Today we are asking that the Church do in Asia what she did in Europe, to wit, allow the process of inculturation to take place with more freedom on the part of the Local Churches. Guidelines will have to be drawn up, true, to forestall aberrations; but her rich history in handling heresies and schisms should stand her well in the issuance of those guidelines and safeguards."

"Because of the broad cultural diversity among the Asians and Pacific Islanders and their presence so spread out across the nation, with specific needs and issues, it will be very difficult to put up one plan that fits all."

"The Church in Asia continues to be the prophetic voice of our people who suffer on account of this globalization phenomenon but the responsibility of exposing the truth of exploitation by the First World Countries is and should not however be confined only to us Asian Pastors and Asian Christians. There is an equally urgent need also to conscientize our brothers in the Episcopate and Catholic Faithful of First World countries regarding their own social responsibility to speak out on our behalf."

"Mindanao needs stabilisation, which must come about in small steps, gradually, with the contribution of all."

"Gambling makes the poor poorer. How can you uplift the condition of rural areas if the population there engages in gambling, betting whatever little they earn from their farms?"

"Boost the apostolic and evangelical spirit of young people all over the Philippines. There is a need to instill a deep spirituality in the hearts and minds of the youth. Come from the heart, from a deep sense of prayer and the consciousness of being Christians."

"If we can take care of our problems, then we don't need the bases and we won't even need the compensation."

"Social change, if it is to endure and take place on as wide a basis as possible, can only happen when the people who are the target of change participate in the process from start to finish, have a say in the setting of goals, in the decisions taken to accomplish those goals, in the action on the decisions. It is a common sense insight that social anthropologists make much of but which technocrats and governments in a hurry most often ignore."

"Cults usually evolve from what people hear, whether true or not, about a person. You in the media are funny at times, you help create cults and when they emerge, you come back to ask how these cults evolved."

"We teach the faith thanks to who we are as people, thanks to our actions. Our faith is a saving treasure. Transmitting it is both our joy and our responsibility."

"I submit that the reality of communion is squarely founded on the truth of community which in turn is fundamentally rooted in the fact of unity. Thus, in the same way that there is no community in the absence of unity, there is neither communion if there is no community."

"There is a reason for everything: God commands creation and creatures. There is no such thing a good and bad luck, which would mean that God has no control over man, nature and events."

"For peace an effort of sincerity is needed, especially by Islamic groups. One cannot speak of peace when weapons are used. The galaxy of Muslim groups is often indistinct: legal groups and recognized as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and illegal groups and terrorists tend to mix up. Muslim groups have to isolate the terrorists. The law must serve to draw an agreement that is respectful of the Constitution, a peace that guarantees the welfare of all, with an inclusive approach, considering Muslims, Christians and lumads (tribals). This is the path towards good, just and lasting peace in Mindanao"

"Children must come to understand the immense gift and value of each human life. No one has the power to take a life, except God Himself. We cannot teach them to kill others. This would lead to a catastrophe."

"I seriously fear for my life and the lives of the faithful. However, today I went out to encourage the faithful. This is my mission. I have prepared a pastoral letter calling on Catholics to stay in Basilan, which is our home, and asking them to remain calm, not to react to violence, and to pray for peace. Today, a procession of people carrying candles as a sign of peace lit the city. Our hope must not die."

"The Bible, the practice of the Church from its birth, the Social Teachings of the Church, the witness of martyrs and saints, and the constant mission of the Church towards the poor and neglected through the centuries form a chorus and a symphony which we are invited to hear and to join with our voices and the "instruments" that we have, namely our persons, time, talents, treasure."

"Me, the future Pope? That's a joke by journalists."

"Francis does not teach anything new; what he says is already written in the Gospel: Jesus' love for the poor, the call to conversion, and everything else. He told me that he greatly admires Paul VI, especially Evangelii nuntiandi, which for me is perhaps the most important document of the post-conciliar period. However, Francis emphasised joy, gaudium, because there is a tendency in today's world, not only in the Church, to feel tired and sad. Family life, study, work: these are experienced as a burden. But we have the real reason to be joyful: Jesus, who died and rose again, is alive and is our hope."

"I was not totally surprised that the Holy Father would release an encyclical on Jesus’ love for us, symbolized in His Sacred Heart. For me, it was the Holy Father’s way of making the Christological foundation of the social encyclicals Laudato si and Fratelli tutti” more explicit."

"Father Kroeger mentioned you both loved music. Could you tell us a little story about what happened during those years you were studying together? Cardinal Tagle: Father Jim – or “Jim” at that time — was the choir director of the seminary choir. Especially during big events in the seminary, the philosophy seminarians and the theology seminarians would come together to form one big choir. Jim would teach us and conduct the choir. He was a joy to watch because we didn’t know whether he was conducting or dancing. He made music practice quite enjoyable. Of course we did not tell him that at the time. It was fun because some choir directors that followed Jim were quite stern. He made it fun."

"God who comes to us. We will never be alone. Emmanuel: God with us. And other things that are with us will disappear: the investments, the achievements, the gifts, our money… will all disappear. All these things that we have associated with Christmas may disappear. But Jesus who comes as one of us, God with us, will remain with us forever. So that is our hope."

"What the U.N. tries to do and what we preach in Catholic social doctrine are largely the same values. We may have differences sometimes in reaching the objectives, but we are convinced that we are working towards the same objectives listed in the U.N. Charter: sparing us from the scourge of war, having international treaties observed, promoting and respecting fundamental human rights, and observing and fostering the development of all in larger freedom."

"I have a heavy heart, and this heart is bleeding for my people who perished in the Jolo cathedral bombings. I have known those regular churchgoers who died in the blast. They have become my family, my brothers and sisters, my heart is really bleeding for them. It's a big emotional upheaval inside and yet my faith tells me to continue extending a hand of friendship, in inter-religious dialogue."

"Our mission today is to live, preach, witness the Gospel in a social and cultural environment with a Muslim majority. Let us put our lives in the hands of God every day and abandon ourselves to his will, carrying out a mission of dialogue and peaceful coexistence with the faithful of other religions. This peace mission becomes a visible sign of a Gospel that announces and witnesses peace, reconciliation and mercy."

"As a bishop, I will not stop in making moves to reach the consciences of people, despite my own shortcomings as a person and as a bishop, despite our shortcomings too as an institution."

"They say you should be happy the government is controlling criminality and getting rid of drug addicts. That shocks me because we are supposed to be a predominantly Catholic country. So when I deal with this kind of mentality, which is so contrary to the values of being a Christian, I say we are also to blame for not having communicated Christian values, the Christian faith very well."

"It is different when you meet the families of victims up close, when you see the faces, when you get to know the names. On television, they are just statistics. Numbers don't move people. It is faces and real identities that move us."

"Olympian Hidilyn Diaz Talks About Rock Bottom And Her Battle To Win The Gold (23 July 2020)"

"Hidilyn Diaz: Trailblazer, Olympic Medalist, and Paragon of Grace. esquiremag.ph Retrieved December 14, 2025."

"Hidilyn Diaz Is Looking To the Next Chapter of Her Life. Vogue.ph Retrieved December 14, 2025."

"Hidilyn Diaz' powerful message to the Philippines. Olympic.com. Retrieved December 14, 2025."

"Exclusive: Hidilyn Diaz on eating her way to Olympic weightlifting glory (6 November 2020)"

"I want to reflect on one question: What are you doing to shape the minds and consciences of our young people today."