National Council of Churches in the Philippines

02/05/2026

“Honoring The Toiling Workers, Upholding Dignity”
A Pastoral Statement of the UCCP Council of Bishops

“Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. 15 Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:14-15 - NIV)

This Labor Day, we stand alongside Filipino workers who endure unjust systems—laboring under insecure employment, unsafe environments, and wages too small to provide for their families. As the cost of living rises, many are driven further into hardship, even as they toll to sustain the whole nation.

Scripture teaches that God hears the cries of those who are wronged “Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you.” (James 5:4). To disregard the suffering of workers is to turn away from God’s righteousness. Genuine faith calls us not only to pray, but to act—standing with the poor, the oppressed, and those whose voices are ignored.

We uphold the call for just wages, stable employment, safe working conditions, and the full protection of workers’ rights.
Will we remain silent, or will we seek justice in the name of God?
May this day renew our resolve to walk with workers, honor their dignity, and live out a faith that pursues justice. For in God’s kingdom, every worker has worth, and every plea for justice is heard.

The UCCP Council of Bishops
May 1, 202

02/05/2026

THEIR WAGES CRY OUT
Pastoral Letter | International Labor Day 2026

"The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you."
James 5:4

Each Labor Day, we pause to honor the sacred dignity of work and those who perform it. Across our nation, Filipino workers — in the fields, the factories, the streets, and far from home — continue to ask a question that demands an answer: Does this government see us? As a Church born from the cry of a people for freedom and justice, we are bound to answer with them.

From the beginning, Scripture tells us that God placed the human person in creation to cultivate and care for it. Work is not merely economic activity; it is participation in God's ongoing act of creation. Yet under the present administration, this dignity is under assault. Contractualization persists. Wages remain a sentence to poverty. Workers who organize are tagged, surveilled, and in too many cases, harmed. When the state treats its laborers as threats rather than treasures, it has turned away from its own people.

We are particularly mindful of those most vulnerable: farm workers dispossessed of land promised by agrarian reform, workers' advocates subjected to red-tagging, indigenous communities displaced in the name of development, and the urban poor who bear the heaviest cost of rising prices while wages stay frozen. The concentration of power and wealth in the hands of the few, while the many are left to survive on the margins, is a moral scandal that our faith compels us to name.

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente calls upon the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to govern with righteousness. We urge the end of contractualization, the protection of the right to organize, and the immediate cessation of red-tagging, which has cost advocates their freedom and their lives. We call, clearly and strongly, for a nationwide minimum wage of ₱1,200 per day. We add our voice clearly and without reservation: justice for workers is a right to be upheld — and it is the government's obligation to uphold it.

As we mark this Labor Day, let us commit ourselves through prayer and action. Let us stand beside every worker who fights for their rights, amplify every voice that has been silenced, and refuse to call peace what the powerful have merely imposed as silence. The cry of unpaid wages, stolen dignity, and silenced voices rises to heaven. The Iglesia Filipina Independiente will not be silent while it goes unanswered.
In Christ,

The Most Revd. Joel O. Porlares
Obispo Maximo
Iglesia Filipina Independiente

May 1, 2026 | International Labor Day
Obispado Maximo, Manila, Philippines

30/04/2026

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 | 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐝: 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬

“The worker deserves his wages.” – 1 Timothy 5:18, NIV

The workers deserve fair compensation—not just any wage, but a living wage that enables them to support and protect their families under the roof of a decent home. Through their hard work and dedication, workers create the products and services that businesses turn into commodities and profit. While those at the top reap the rewards and enjoy luxuries, workers continue to struggle to make ends meet despite their essential role in the production process.

Our Scripture teaches us to value workers not as commodities for profit, but as persons with dignity, and to treat them with fairness, for we do not work only for ourselves but also for the good of others.

Today, we continue to feel the impact of the aggressive war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran. Fuel prices have surged by as much as 150%, along with the rising costs of other basic commodities, while workers’ wages remain stagnant and incredibly insufficient. Meanwhile, businesses, especially oil corporations are reaping greater profits, and the government is collecting higher tax revenues from these increases.

The government has flaunted its transport subsidy, or “ayuda,” as a solution, yet it has been widely criticized for being insufficient and for ultimately flowing straight to oil companies as payment for rising fuel costs. A more comprehensive approach could be considered, such as suspending excise taxes on essential commodities and implementing measures to curb surging oil prices. Wouldn’t this offer a more sustainable solution that benefits a broader segment of the population?

While the President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been granted emergency powers, yet his actions do not reflect a sense of urgency. The public’s clamor is for the suspension of the doubled taxes on oil, yet what he has done is suspend taxes only on kerosene and liquified petroleum gas (LPG), from which only a fraction of users will benefit from--a move that benefits only a limited segment of users and provides minimal, short-term relief. This approach is widely perceived either as a reluctance to heed the people’s demands or as an attempt to sidestep the broader concerns of the Filipino public.

The National Council of Churches in the Philippines supports the call to increase the wages of our workers, who have long been suffering from economic hardship even before the recent oil shock. Afford them of necessary compensations or better yet repeal the Oil Deregulation Law which effectively ceded the government’s regulatory authority over oil pricing and the oil industry to private corporations.

At the same time, the Philippine government should pursue a more independent people-centered path, one that is not constrained by the lopsided neoliberal policies long associated with the United States, but instead prioritize reforms that directly address the enduring economic challenges faced by the Filipino people. #

Signed and issued on this day, 30th of April 2026.

The Most Rev. Brent Harry W. Alawas
Chairperson

Bishop Joseph G. Agpaoa
Vice Chairperson for Men

Ms. Jennifer Ferariza-Meneses
Vice-Chairperson for Women

Rev. Jon Dave A. Angeles
Vice Chairperson for Youth

Rev. Leonardo R. Morada
Corporate Treasurer

Ms. Minnie Anne M. Calub
General Secretary

30/04/2026

𝐏𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐆 𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐂𝐂𝐏 | 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐠𝐨𝐝-𝐥𝐮𝐠𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐲𝐨𝐬: 𝐍𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐛𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐬𝐚 𝐦𝐠𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐚

Ang mga manggagawa ay may karapatang tumanggap ng makatarungang sahod—hindi lamang karaniwang sahod, kundi isang nakabubuhay at nagbibigay dangal na sahod, na nakakatitiyak na maitaguyod at maprotektahan ang kanilang pamilya sa isang ligtas at disenteng tahanan. Sa kanilang sipag, tiyaga, at dedikasyon sa paggawa, nalilikha ang mga serbisyo at produkto, kalakal na bumubuhay sa ekonomiya, at nagbibigay kita sa mga negosyo. Ngunit sa kabila ng kanilang mahalagang ambag at papel sa lipunan, nanatiling mahirap ang nakararami. Habang ang mga nasa tuktok ay patuloy na umaani ng malaking tubo at nagpapasasa sa luho, ang mga manggagawa ay nahihirapang makaagapay at nakikipagbuno sa tumataas na presyo ng bilihin. Panahon na kilalanin natin ang kanilang napakahalagang ambag at tunay na halaga sa produksyon sa pamamagitan ng makatarungang at nakakabuhay na sahod.

Itinuturo sa atin ng Banal na Kasulatan na dapat pahalagahan ang mga manggagawa—hindi lamang bilang kasangkapan sa pagkita, kundi bilang mga taong may dignidad at karapat-dapat tratuhin nang may katarungan at paggalang. Sapagkat ang bawat isa sa atin ay tinatawag na gumawa hindi lamang para sa sarili, kundi para sa kapakanan ng nakararami.

Sa kasalukuyan, patuloy nating nararamdaman ang epekto ng agresibong digmaang inilunsad ng Estados Unidos at Israel laban sa Iran. Dahil dito, sumirit ang presyo ng langis nang halos 150%, kasabay ng pagtaas ng halaga ng mga pangunahing bilihin, samantalang nananatiling mababa at hindi sapat ang sahod ng mga manggagawa. Samantala, ang malalaking negosyo—lalo na ang mga korporasyon sa langis—ay kumikita nang labis-labis, at maging ang pamahalaan ay nakalilikom ng malaking halaga mula sa buwis sa gitna ng krisis na ito.

Ipinagmamalaki ng pamahalaan ang pagbibigay ng subsidyo o “ayuda” sa sektor ng transportasyon bilang solusyon. Subalit ito ay malawakang kinukuwestiyon dahil sa kakulangan nito at dahil sa direktang pag-agos lamang ng pondong ito sa mga kompanya ng langis bilang kabayaran. Higit sanang makabuluhan at komprehensibo kung sususpendihin ang mga buwis sa langis, sapagkat ito’y makapagbibigay ng mas pangmatagalang solusyon at mas malawak na benepisyo sa mamamayan.

Bagama’t binigyan ng agarang kapangyarihan si Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. upang tugunan ang krisis, ang kanyang mga naging hakbang ay hindi tumutugma sa pangangailangan ng mabilis at epektibong aksyon para sa mga Pilipino. Ang malinaw na panawagan ng mamamayan ay ang pagsuspinde sa dobleng buwis sa langis, isang hakbang na magpapagaan sana sa buhay ng mga mamamayan. Ngunit ang kaniyang naging tugon ay ang pagsuspinde lamang ng buwis sa liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), na ilang sektor lamang ang makikinabang. Ang hinihingi ng bayan ay hindi bahagyang solusyon, kundi konkretong hakbang na tunay na makatarungan, inklusibo, at tumutugon sa pangangailangan ng nakararami.

Ang Sangguniang Pambansa ng mga Simbahan sa Pilipinas ay nakikiisa sa panawagang itaas ang sahod ng mga manggagawa na matagal nang nagtitiis sa kahirapan bago pa man sumiklab ang kasalukuyang krisis sa langis. Kasabay nito, mariing isulong ang makatarungang kompensasyon, at tuluyang ibasura ang Oil Deregulation Law, sapagkat ang batas na ito ay nagsisilbing pag-atras ng pamahalaan sa kanyang tungkuling pangalagaan ang kapakanan ng mamamayan sa pamamagitan ng pagsuko sa pagkontrol o i-regula ang presyo ng langis, at sa halip ay ipinauubaya nito sa mga pribadong kumpanya at sa industriya ng langis.

Higit pa rito, nararapat na tahakin ng pamahalaan ang isang landas na tunay na nakatuon sa kapakanan ng nakakararami—isang landas na nakasandig sa pagsisilbi sa mga mamamayan, at hindi nakagapos sa mga neoliberal na polisiya na matagal nang umaayon sa interes ng Estados Unidos. Panahon na upang ituon ang pansin sa konkretong mga hakbangin—mga hakbang na magbibigay ginhawa, katarungan, at tunay na pagbabago sa mga manggagawa at sa sambayanang Pilipino. #

Nilagdaan at iginawad ngayong araw na ito, ika-30 ng Abril, 2026.

The Most Rev. Brent Harry W. Alawas
Chairperson

Bishop Joseph G. Agpaoa
Vice Chairperson for Men

Ms. Jennifer Ferariza-Meneses
Vice-Chairperson for Women

Rev. Jon Dave A. Angeles
Vice Chairperson for Youth

Rev. Leonardo R. Morada
Corporate Treasurer

Ms. Minnie Anne M. Calub
General Secretary

29/04/2026

29/04/2026

The Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants, Asia Pacific Interfaith Network for the Rights of Migrants, and Churches Witnessing with Migrants invites you to join their webinar: "Solidarity with Migrants in Times of War of Aggression: Faith responses to the crisis" on 29 April at 7pm (HKT)/ 3pm (GST)/ 7am (EDT).

The webinar will highlight the situation of millions of migrants affected by the war of aggression and faith responses to the crisis. Building solidarity uplifting the rights and well-being of the most vulnerable sectors of society and calling for the immediate stop of war.

Register here: https://hubs.ly/Q04bDSGw0

29/04/2026

Statement from our partner, Cal-Nev Philippine Solidarity Task Force. Justice for Negros 19!!

JUSTICE FOR ALL THE VICTIMS OF TOBOSO MASSACRE!
End US Military Aid! Stop the Killings!

Justice for Lyle! Justice for the Negros 19! End U.S. military aid to the Philippines! Stop the killings!

28/04/2026

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗮:

[𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡]

23 April 2026
Executive Committee
National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK)

𝗡𝗼𝘄, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗱.

We, representing the churches in Korea, express our deepest condolences before all lives lost to war. We remember our neighbors who, even at this moment, are losing their homes and enduring suffering amid violence.

“They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4)

Today, humanity once again stands at the edge of a dangerous precipice. The invasion of Iran by the United States and Israel is expanding the war in the Middle East (West Asia), and violence toward Lebanon is also intensifying. These military confrontations and rising tensions have already taken countless lives and are driving innumerable people into despair.

Now, the war must stop. No war that destroys life can ever be justified. In particular, the sacrifice of civilians and children cannot be tolerated under any pretext. In the face of this suffering, we are not observers. We are neighbors who suffer together, and at the same time, a community bearing responsibility in this age. When we think of the lives lost without name, those who have lost their homes, and the children driven to death without any choice, we cannot remain silent.

The Korean Peninsula also stands upon the wounds of war. We know what war leaves behind. War never resolves problems; it only creates further pain and hatred.

𝗪𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗿:
Immediately cease all armed conflict. Return to the table of dialogue and negotiation. For the survival of humanity and our common future, make responsible decisions now, without delay.

𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵:
Reject the language that justifies war. Choose not the logic that fuels fear and hatred, but the path of life, reconciliation, and coexistence. The Church must speak not with the logic of power, but with the language of life.

𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹:
Stop the violence now. Choose the way of life now. We once again hold fast to the hope of the life God intends for all, where swords are beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. From death to life, from hostility to solidarity, from destruction to restoration - this is the path we must walk.

Together with churches around the world, we will pray and act for a world without war. So that no more lives are lost to war, and that all may live not in fear but in peace, we will not remain silent and will continue to open the way toward just peace.

Once again, we mourn and remember all lives lost to war. #

[성명] 한국기독교교회협의회 실행위원회, 전쟁중단 촉구 성명서

한국기독교교회협의회(NCCK, 총무 박승렬)는 NCCK의 주요 정책과 입장을 결의하는 기구인 실행위원회 명의로 중동(서아시아) 지역 전쟁 확산에 깊은 우려를 표하며 즉각적인 전쟁 중단을 촉구하는 공식 성명을 발표하였습니다.

[성명전문]

지금, 전쟁을 멈춰야 합니다

우리는 한국교회를 대표하여, 전쟁으로 희생된 모든 생명 앞에 깊은 애도를 표합니다. 지금 이 순간에도 폭력 속에서 삶의 터전을 잃고 고통을 견디고 있는 이웃들을 기억합니다.

“칼을 쳐서 보습을 만들고 창을 쳐서 낫을 만들 것이며 이 나라와 저 나라가 다시는
칼을 들고 서로 치지 아니하며 다시는 전쟁을 연습하지 아니하리라” (이사야 2:4)

오늘 인류는 다시금 위험한 벼랑 끝에 서 있습니다. 미국과 이스라엘의 이란 침공으로 중동 지역의 전쟁이 확산되고 있으며, 레바논을 향한 폭력 또한 거세지고 있습니다. 이 군사적 충돌과 긴장은 이미 수많은 생명을 앗아갔고, 셀 수 없는 이들을 절망 속으로 내몰고 있습니다.

지금, 전쟁을 멈춰야 합니다. 생명을 파괴하는 어떤 전쟁도 정당화될 수 없습니다. 특히 민간인과 어린이의 희생은 어떤 명분으로도 용납될 수 없습니다. 이 고통 앞에서 우리는 관찰자가 아닙니다. 우리는 함께 아파하는 이웃이며, 동시에 이 시대의 책임을 지닌 공동체입니다. 이름 없이 사라져간 생명들, 삶의 터전을 잃은 이들, 그리고 아무런 선택권 없이 죽음으로 내몰린 어린이들을 생각할 때, 우리는 침묵할 수 없습니다.

한반도 또한 전쟁의 상처 위에 서 있는 땅입니다. 우리는 전쟁이 무엇을 남기는지 알고 있습니다. 전쟁은 결코 문제를 해결하지 않습니다. 오히려 또 다른 아픔과 증오를 낳을 뿐입니다.

우리는 전쟁을 지속시키는 모든 주체들에게 엄중히 촉구합니다.
지금 즉시 무력 충돌을 중단하십시오. 대화와 협상의 자리로 돌아가십시오. 인류의 생존과 공동의 미래를 위해 지금, 지체 없이 책임 있는 결단을 내리십시오.

우리는 교회와 모든 신앙 공동체에 요청합니다.
전쟁을 정당화하는 언어를 거부하십시오. 두려움과 혐오를 부추기는 논리가 아니라, 생명과 화해, 공존의 길을 선택하십시오. 교회는 권력의 논리가 아니라 생명의 언어로 말해야 합니다.

우리는 선의를 가진 모든 이들과 함께 호소합니다.
지금, 폭력을 멈추십시오. 지금, 생명의 길을 선택하십시오. 우리는 칼을 쳐서 보습을 만들고, 창을 쳐서 낫을 만드는 하나님 나라의 소망을 다시 붙듭니다. 죽음에서 생명으로, 적대에서 연대로, 파괴에서 회복으로 나아가는 길, 그 길이 우리가 걸어가야 할 길입니다.

우리는 전 세계 교회와 함께 전쟁 없는 세상을 향해 기도하며 행동할 것입니다. 더 이상 어떤 생명도 전쟁으로 희생되지 않도록, 모든 이가 두려움이 아닌 평화 속에서 살아갈 수 있도록, 우리는 침묵하지 않고 정의로운 평화의 여정을 열어갈 것입니다. 우리는 다시 한번, 전쟁으로 희생된 모든 생명을 애도하며 기억합니다.

2026년 4월 23일

한국기독교교회협의회 실행위원회

#한국기독교교회협의회 #실행위원회 #지금전쟁을멈춰야합니다
#전쟁중단촉구

28/04/2026

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 The United Church of Canada: "We are gravely concerned about these alleged violations of international human rights. Together with the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), we strongly support the call to launch an immediate, independent, and impartial investigation into this incident."

The United Church of Canada calls for justice, resumption of peace talks, and to re-examine Canada’s military relationship with the Philippines

28/04/2026

𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗞𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: "[We], who have been closely monitoring the human rights situation in the Philippines and maintaining ties of international solidarity, cannot contain our shock and outrage upon hearing the news of the civilian massacre that took place on the 19th in the village of Salamanca, Toboso, Negros Occidental Province."

We, Korean human rights, religious, and civil society organizations, who have been closely monitoring the human rights situation in the Philippines and maintaining ties of international solidarity, cannot contain our shock and outrage upon hearing the news of the civilian massacre that took place on...

28/04/2026

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform: "The PEPP beseeches the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) to walk the extra mile explore creative and sincere ways to resume the formal peace negotiations. These negotiations should seriously consider the very root causes of why there is ongoing armed conflict in our country. The PEPP maintains that principled negotiations, not the surrender of one party to the other, is what makes for genuine peace."

23/04/2026

: Mr. Mervin Sol Toquero, NCCP Deputy General Secretary, will be speaking at .

Will you be at Women Deliver 2026? Come and join us for a special event!
"Mobilizing support for gender equality across religious and cultural contexts" 🌍✨

This interactive session brings together faith leaders, feminists, youth advocates, and cultural actors to co-create a shared vision for gender equality and build sustainable alliances.

Organized by Musawah with the support of ACT Alliance and Act Church of Sweden.

We look forward to seeing you there!