SOME 900 children from Christian urban poor families in Dagupan City benefited from the city government’s “Binyagang Bayan” held December 22.

Apart from being given the opportunity to be christened in a solemn event organized by the city government for them, Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. and Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, stood as their ninong and ninang in the ceremony held at the CSI Stadia.

The baptism was officiated by six priests led by Monsignor Rafael Magno Jr., vicar general of the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese.

Mayor Fernandez was represented in the rite by his son, Councilor Alfie Fernandez, hermano mayor of the Dagupan City Fiesta, as he was then presiding over the election of new set of officers of the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (Patafa), as the incumbent president.

Vice Mayor Fernandez said the project, the second under the Fernandez administration, is for the poor who would like to have their children baptized but do not have the means.

Last year, some 700children were baptized. The project has been made a permanent activity of the Dagupan City Fiesta.

“As we went around the city, we saw many kids running around or just being cuddled by their mothers in their arms, and we wondered about their spiritual development,” she recalled. “True to our suspicion, these children have not been baptized nor given any chance (by their parents) to be baptized,” Fernandez said.

She said she consulted the Church about the plan to hold mass baptism for the children as part of the program of the city to promote family welfare, and the city Church readily provided the guidance.

As baptismal sponsors, the mayor and vice mayor paid all the baptismal fees and gifted the families with food items to bring home for their celebration.

Fernandez said a separate mass baptism has been scheduled for children seven years old and above during the Dagupan Bangus Festival in April next year owing to a requirement of the Church that children who are seven years old and above should first undergo lessons on catechism.

“So, lay catechists from the Church will lecture the children to prepare them in time for their baptism in April,” said Fernandez who was again designated by Mayor Fernandez as chair of the 2009 Dagupan Bangus Festival.—LM

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