Couples for Christ

Mayor Frank Scarpitti of Markham, Ontario, Canada visited the CFC ANCOP Markham Village in Las Piñas City on January 17, 2012. His delegation included Andy Taylor, Chief Administrative Officer; Councilor Alex Chiu and wife Alicia, with Christopher and Cherrie- Marie, their son and daughter. Susan Yao-Arkilander and Liang Tang of the Royal Bank of Canada were also part of the delegation.


Also joining the celebration were Pedro Chan, the Philippine Consul General in Toronto; Clemencio Montesa, Former Consul of Toronto; Jose Brilliantes, Undersecretary for the Department of Foreign Affairs; Brgy. Captain Manny Ochoa; CFC Chairman Ricky Cuenca; CFC ANCOP Chairman Joe Yamamoto; CFC ANCOP President Eric de los Reyes; and CFC Metro Manila South B Sector Head Romy Alfaro.

Rev. Fr. Glenn Infiesto blessed five finished houses that were then turned over t o the beneficiaries after a simple ribbon cutting ceremony. Thirty-one families are now living decently in Markham Village, with twenty more houses under construction. This is being made possible through the generosity and fund-raising drives of Markham Councilor Chiu and his wife Alice, and the committed efforts of local CFC members, the ANCOP team and the local government unit (LGU).

During the event, Alex and Alice issued a $10,000 check for the construction of a Multipurpose and Educational Center, much to the delight and gratitude of the residents. In his closing remarks, Eric de los Reyes, quoting Isaiah 25:4, thanked the visitors and all partners for being a “defense for the helpless and the needy in distress.”

For the Mayor of Markham, the visit was made more meaningful by the signing of sisterhood agreements with Paranaque City and Las Pinas City. The agreements were forged to foster cultural and economic exchange and cooperation between the cities.

The agreement with Paranaque was signed on January 17 between Paranaque City Mayor Florencio Bernabe and Mayor Scarpitti at the Paranaque City Hall while the agreement with Las Pinas City was signed on the same day with Vice Mayor Louie Bustamante. The sisterhood agreements were facilitated by Couples for Christ and ANCOP in Canada and the Philippines.  By Romy Medina

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