By CBCP News

Caritas Philippines executive secretary Fr. Antonio Labiao and Claire Papa, Unilab Assistant Vice President and Head of External Affairs and Social Partnerships Division, sign a Memorandum Understanding with the aim to strengthen partnerships between the two parties, May 25, 2023. CBCP NEWS

Caritas Philippines and local pharmaceutical company Unilab signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday, renewing their partnerships to charitable causes and outreach work.

The memorandum reaffirmed the close ties between the national Caritas and Unilab, and committed to further collaboration to help communities especially the most vulnerable.

“We hope that this partnership will continue to grow… and carry out health care services to the most vulnerable communities,” Caritas Philippines head Bishop Colin Bagaforo said in his video message.

“May we continue to work together to help the people, especially those in the peripheries of society,” he said.

Caritas and Unilab’s partnership have been ongoing since 2019. Among the highlights of the collaboration is the distribution of paediatric vitamins to boost the immunity of children, especially those in poor and remote areas.

During the pandemic, they also helped in implementing several awareness-raising campaigns to promote vaccination against Covid-19.

The MOU was signed by Caritas Philippines executive secretary Fr. Antonio Labiao and Claire Papa, Unilab Assistant Vice President and Head of External Affairs and Social Partnerships Division, during a ceremony at the CBCP headquarters in Manila.

Papa said they partnered with Caritas “because they carry the values that are very important to us”.

“Caritas has paved the way for our many projects in the communities, no matter how far away they are,” she said.

Papa added that part of the partnership is to look at other ways for empowering communities that lack access to health care.

“May this partnership also open the doors for other companies and groups who want to join this collaboration,” she said.