Since the community lockdown in March 2020, around 40-50 leaders of the Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs) of the Ina ng Lupang Pangako Parish In Payatas, most of whom are women and mothers, go around everyday to distribute pandesal, or every week to bring rice for PWDs or milk to small babies and elderly people.

For us to have documentation of our work, they ask permission if they can take pictures and post it to thank our donors and benefactors. They gladly agreed. There are now thousands of photos in our care.

While Brandon Stanton of the HUMANS OF NEW YORK Project went around and take the photos himself first in New York then in other places, our photos here were taken by the mothers or their assistants with the most basic of cell phones which they may own or may have borrowed. No one is professional among them. Just a simple photo to capture the moment, a smile, a word of joy, even a silence of deep gratitude.

And like the Humans of New York, each picture is lovely in its natural beauty and simplicity. Each has a story, each shot has a comment that went with it. Soon, when this is all over, we will account for all these pictures and tell the story behind them.

For today, we just would like to thank the institutions and persons who have supported us in the Payatas project all the way. I could not finish all names if I mention them all here. But you know your names appear in God's eyes. Without you, Payatas could not have survived this pandemic.

When we bring the goods, these people keep saying, please tell our donors, "thank you". "We have nothing else but our thank you. God will reward you for your kindness."

Follow us and support us @ #VincentHelps. We are deeply grateful.

Daniel Franklin E. Pilario, C.M.
St. Vincent School of Theology
Adamson University
danielfranklinpilario@yahoo.com
08.20.2020