A Sunday to Eradicate Extreme Poverty for the Indigenous Peoples

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) declares every second Sunday of October as Extreme Poverty Sunday. The observance stems from the global movement to end poverty, rooted in a 1987 gathering in Paris and adapted in the Philippines through church and government declarations. This led the United Nations to declare October 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty in 1992. The declaration was signed to honor victims of extreme poverty, violence, and hunger.

This year, the second Sunday is dedicated for the observance of Indigenous People’s Sunday and Extreme Poverty Sunday. The world knows that the indigenous people are sometimes if not always the victims of hunger, violence, and extreme poverty. Only few in the history of the world would we see a millionaire who comes from the IP group.

Is the adjective indigent referring to the indigenous people? After all, indigents are synonymous to hunger and poverty. Therefore, the indigenous peoples deserve to be honored every second Sunday of October as the reason for the eradication of extreme poverty not only in the Philippines but also in the whole world.