Senate commemorates 104th founding anniversary of Iglesia ni Cristo

The Senate adopted today a resolution commemorating the 104th founding anniversary of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) and commending the religious group's leadership and contributions to society.

Voting unanimously, the Senate adopted proposed Senate Resolution No. 806, which was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri. All senators were made co-authors of the resolution.

According to Zubiri, every July 27th of the year, the Iglesia ni Cristo, a global Christian church, commemorates its establishment in 1914 with founder Ka Felix Manalo as first executive minister.

"With nearly 7,000 congregations in more than 143 nations and territories subscribing to the teachings of the INC, the Iglesia ni Cristo commands a strong influence in strengthening the country's moral and spiritual integrity," Zubiri said in the resolution.

Under the resolution, the Senate also commended and leadership of INC Executive Minister, Ka Eduardo Manalo, under whose guidance the INC "continues to constantly expand in number."

Zubiri said the Senate recognized the INC's role in "extending assistance through outreach missions which provide aid and services such as the Lingap sa Mamamayan or Aid for Humanity Program and Worldwide Walk To Fight Poverty, to name a few."

The Lingap sa Mamamayan or Aid for Humanity Program is an integrated socio- civic service which extended medical and dental services and other forms of assistance to the needy, calamity victims and indigenous peoples, while the Worldwide Walk to Fight Poverty is the INC's Guinness World Record charity walk among multiple venues which benefited Typhoon Haiyan victims, indigenous folk from Visayas and Mindanao, and impoverished communities in South Africa, the resolution noted. (JDC)