MASS BAPTISMS IN TONDO MANILA
MASS BAPTISMS IN TONDO MANILA
Edmund Wong
Vice President, ANAK-Tnk
On 6 December 2025, a remarkable moment of grace unfolded in the Tondo slums in Metro Manila. More than 350 people were baptised at the Cathedral of San Roque in Caloocan, with more than 30 adults also receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.
When I first came to know of this celebration through the accounts of those on the ground, what moved me most was not just the scale of the celebration—it was the quiet faith behind it. Months before this day, the groundwork had already begun. Volunteers and staff from Anak-Tnk carried out house-to-house visits. Weekly catechism sessions were held faithfully, led by Rev. Fr. Mathieu Dauchez (Executive Director of Anak-Tnk). Eucharistic adoration took place outside the Foundation’s four day-care centres. These were not grand gestures, but steady acts of love which culminated in many encountering and accepting Christ.
Testimonies That Evangelise
Three months after the baptisms, I had the opportunity to visit Tondo. Accompanied by Anak-Tnk staff, Rina Paudez (Community Based Programme Manager), Jericho Gajo and Virginia Ybanez (teachers at the Sts Joachim and Anne Day-Care Centre), I was introduced to a group of six mothers and their children. We sat together and I listened as they shared how their lives had changed since encountering Christ.
One mother, Mdm. De Vera, a former Protestant, told me how she had been drawn to the Eucharistic Lord through the weekly Adoration and Bible study which had helped her to come to believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. After years of hesitation, she made the decision to join the Catholic Church. Today, she is constantly sharing her joy, especially in receiving the Holy Communion at every Mass, to her friends and neighbours. She is also encouraging them to be received into–or to lapsed Catholics, to return to–the Catholic Church. She feels it is her duty to evangelise to everyone she is encountering.
Another mother, Mdm. Ferro shared how she continues to attend Bible studies and seminars, determined to grow in her faith so she can be a good role model to her young children.
“I was drawn to the Eucharist.” -Mdm De Vera
“and now I guide my children to reflect His love” -Mdm Ferro
The Heart of Humanitarian Work
Listening to them deepened my understanding of the Church’s call to serve the poor. I have always understood that “[t]hose who are oppressed by poverty are the object of a preferential love on the part of the Church," demanding relief, defence, and liberation (CCC2448). We are called to respond to the least among us and serve Christ in them (Matthew 25). However, after hearing these mothers speak about Jesus with such conviction, I began to realise something more deeply than ever before.
I realised that humanitarian work cannot stop at meeting physical needs alone. What these families received was not only assistance. They encountered Christ and that encounter changed everything. Material help may ease suffering, but the gift of faith transforms lives from within. It gives hope where despair once lived and dignity where poverty has taken hold. I began to see that the greatest act of love we can offer is not only bread for the body, but the Bread of Life. It is not just relief that we offer, but a living relationship with Jesus.
In that moment, my understanding of service deepened. Humanitarian work, at its heart, is not only about charity but about communion. It is about walking with people, sharing their struggles, and ultimately leading them to the One who loves them most: Jesus Christ. This is what I witnessed in Tondo.
Despite their difficult circumstances, their faith is alive and contagious. The mothers I had spoken with, through daily Divine Mercy prayers, Friday Bible studies, and Sunday Masses at the nearby San Pablo Apostol Parish, now aim to lead more neighbours to the next baptism.
I left Tondo with deep gratitude. Their faith reminded me that the Gospel flourishes where humility and openness to God are present. If there is one lesson I carry from Tondo, it is this: True humanitarian work is not only about helping people live better lives. It is about helping them encounter Jesus, because He is the greatest gift we can offer.
A Call to SupportThese transformations invite us to act. The Anak-Tnk Foundation sustains faith formation, day-care, and outreach in Tondo's dire conditions. Your prayers can extend this mercy, paying a debt of justice. As Pope John Paul II urged, exemplary witness through charity is key to evangelisation.If you wish to know more information about the works of Anak-Tnk Foundation, please contact Edmund Wong (anaktnk@charis-singapore.org).