(L-R) Jason Ong, Buhay Board Member; Von Valdepeñas, Buhay First Nominee; Beng Atienza; Cong. Lito Atienza; Bro. Frank Padilla, MFC Sevant General; and Gerry Padilla)
Manila, Rizal Park Hotel | John David Dacut, Correspondent, YoManila.com| Buhay Party List gets overwhelming support from key Catholic religious and civic groups in a dinner it hosted for 700 guests at the grand ballroom of the Rizal Park Hotel in Manila. Usually accommodating 1,500 people, the Rizal Park Hotel’s ballroom was opened to seat 700 people to comply with IATF standards, at Alert Level 2.
In the launch event, Buhay Party List welcomed the support of Missionary Families of Christ, a Catholic lay organization that has chapters worldwide. Bro. Frank Padilla, MFC’s servant general, met with Deputy Speaker and Congressman Lito Atienza, who founded Buhay Party List and is its current representative in Congress.
Also in attendance was the Live Christ Share Christ (LCSC) Movement, headed by Bro. Narcing Eguia, the Catholic movement’s National Coordinator. LCSC is involved in Parish-based programs and campus-based programs which is led by the Live Pure Movement which has pastored hundreds of thousands of youth in the Philippines and other countries.
Leaders and members from various Rotary Club chapters were also at the event to give support to Buhay Party List first nominee, Von Valdepeñas, a prominent Rotarian. Also in attendance were Friends of Divine Mercy servant leader, Rene Tumang and their community leaders, Goodwill Industries President Jun Bermas and Secretary-General Al Bermas and representatives from the PWD sector, Laguna De Bay FARMC representatives led by its Vice President Francisco Carandang, representatives from the General Parents and Teachers Association (GTPA), who all expressed support for Buhay Party List.
Also in attendance were the Buhay Party List Board Members, Jason Ong of CDO Foodshpere, Jaeger Tanco of STI schools and Edric Mendoza of CCF and spouse of Joy Tanchi-Mendoza. They are all staunch supporters of Buhay’s advocacies on being pro-life and pro-family.
Leaders from various organizations came to support the first nominee Valdepeñas from JCI and from the Ateneo alumni. Valdepeñas is an alumnus from Harvard and Ateneo De Manila, a prominent member of JCI and Rotary, a former laguna councilor, and has been engaged in non-profit endeavors for many years.
Friends and supporters of second nominee Mark Brian Paz were on the guest list. Paz is a prominent young businessman, debater, and philanthropist. His advocacies on supporting employee rights and benefits plus his philanthropic endeavors are aligned with Buhay.
Third nominee Xavy Padilla, an active leader of MFC and LCSC, was supported by his family and friends from the Catholic lay community. He is a staunch advocate of pro-life causes.
The support by these key Catholic lay organizations and civic groups is in line with Buhay’s advocacies on acknowledging the sanctity and value of human life as the most fundamental element of society and recognizes the rights of individuals disadvantaged by age, sickness and disability. It believes that every child has the right to be born, the right to live. Therefore, the party-list professes to protect and support the unborn, the sick, the disabled and others not capable of protecting themselves alone, through observance of their basic right to live in the Philippines.
These advocacies are summarized as “Maka-Diyos. Maka-Pamilya. Maka-Tao. Maka-Pilipino.” The three nominees of Buhay Party List for the 2022 elections are: Von Valdepeñas, Mark Brian Paz and Xavy Padilla.
For more information on Buhay Party List and its programs, visit https://buhaypartylistph.com.
