RESOURCE-Handumanan Foundation, Inc.

04/09/2026

🌿💙 MOTHER OF CONSOLATION: TEACH US TO BUILD HOPE AND CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME

September 4, 2026 | Feast of Our Lady of Consolation

Today, the RESOURCE-Handumanan Foundation, Inc. (RHFI) joins the entire Augustinian Recollect Family in celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Consolation and beginning the spiritual journey toward the Centenary of the Consecration of the Order to the Blessed Virgin Mary (1926–2026).

For RHFI, the word “consolation” has a very concrete meaning.

It is found in a child who is given the opportunity to learn.
It is present in a family that finds a safe and dignified home.
It is experienced by the sick who receive care, by a struggling family given another opportunity, and by a community that discovers that it does not have to face its difficulties alone.

This is the mission we have been entrusted with: Building Hope, Empowering Lives.

And during this Season of Creation, Mary invites us to see that caring for people also means caring for the home we all share.

The poor are often the first to suffer when water becomes scarce or polluted, when extreme weather destroys homes and livelihoods, when waste overwhelms communities, and when the environment upon which families depend is neglected.

Therefore, building hope also means caring for creation.

At RHFI, our homes, school, health services, livelihood initiatives, water programs and community activities are not separate from our responsibility toward creation. They are opportunities to teach stewardship, conserve resources, keep our surroundings clean, protect water, reduce waste, plant and nurture life, and form children and families who understand that the Earth is God’s gift entrusted to all.

As Mary stands before us today, she does not ask us merely to look at her. She points the way.

She leads us to Jesus.
She leads us toward one another.
She leads us toward the poor.
And she leads us toward responsible care for the home God has entrusted to us.

May every Ezekilian child, parent, teacher, staff member, beneficiary, volunteer and friend of RHFI become an instrument of consolation—not only through words, but through the way we treat one another and care for our community and environment.

As we journey with the Recollect family toward the centenary, may this prayer become our commitment:

“Mother of Consolation, make us instruments of God’s consolation.”

Mary, walk with our RHFI community.
Teach us to build hope where there is discouragement,
to empower where there is vulnerability,
to protect where creation is wounded,
and to love especially those who have the least.

🌱 One community. One common home. One mission of hope.

RESOURCE-HANDUMANAN FOUNDATION, INC.
Building Hope, Empowering Lives.

23/08/2026

Who Is Jesus for You?

Reflection on Matthew 16:13–20
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
EMPOWER YOUR FAITH

Many people can tell us who Jesus is.

Books can describe Him.
Teachers can explain Him.
The Church can proclaim Him.

But eventually, each one of us must answer personally:

“Who is Jesus for me?”

Peter answered:

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

For us in Resource-Handumanan Foundation, Inc. (RHFI), this question becomes very concrete.

If Jesus is truly the Christ for us, then we must recognize Him in the people entrusted to our care—in children who need opportunities, in families who struggle, in the sick who seek healing, in the poor who need support, and in communities longing for dignity and hope.

Our faith must go beyond words.

It must be seen in the way we educate, serve, accompany, feed, heal, protect, and empower.

Every child we help, every family we assist, every patient we care for, every livelihood we support, and every community we accompany becomes an opportunity to encounter Christ Himself.

At RHFI, our mission is not simply to provide programs or services. It is to help build lives with dignity, hope, and faith.

To say “You are the Christ” means allowing Jesus to remain at the center of all that we do.

May our work always reflect His compassion.
May our service always protect human dignity.
May our programs always lead people toward hope.
And may our presence always remind others that they are seen, valued, and loved by God.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Help us at RHFI to recognize You in every person we serve. Strengthen us to build hope, empower lives, and remain faithful to our mission with compassion, humility, and love. May everything we do bring glory to Your name and become a witness of Your Kingdom among us. Amen.

19/08/2026

https://fb.watch/J5tYX4jVr7/?fs=e

19/08/2026

FEAST OF ST. EZEKIEL MORENO 2026

A Celebration of Faith, Healing, Gratitude and Hope at RHFI

August 19, 2026 | St. Ezekiel Moreno Chapel, Handumanan, Bacolod City

With hearts filled with gratitude and joy, the RESOURCE–Handumanan Foundation, Inc. (RHFI) community celebrated the Solemn Feast of St. Ezekiel Moreno, OAR, Patron of Cancer Patients, on August 19, 2026, bringing to a meaningful conclusion nine days of prayer, fellowship and community celebration.

The 9:30 a.m. Feast Day Mass at the St. Ezekiel Moreno Chapel was presided over by Fr. Randy Castillo, OAR, together with concelebrating Augustinian Recollect priests Fr. Albert Pellazar, OAR, Fr. Joel Alve, OAR, Fr. Glynn Ortega, OAR, and Fr. Fernando Fornillos, OAR.

The chapel was filled with members of the wider RHFI family: beneficiaries and their families, parents and pupils of St. Ezekiel Academy–Recoletos (SEA-R), children of the St. Ezekiel Moreno Child Development Center, members of ForSOAR, benefactors and sponsors, friends of RHFI, visitors, and residents from neighboring communities and subdivisions.

A Saint Who Once Walked the Philippine Soil

In his homily, Fr. Randy recalled the remarkable missionary life of St. Ezekiel Moreno and his deep connection with the Philippines.

St. Ezekiel spent approximately 15 years of his missionary life in the Philippines, serving in different assignments and sharing the Gospel among the Filipino people. His ministry was characterized by simplicity, missionary zeal, compassion and closeness to those entrusted to his pastoral care.

His life reminds the RHFI community that holiness is not separated from service. Faith becomes visible when it draws us toward those who are poor, sick, vulnerable, forgotten or in need of accompaniment.

For RHFI, therefore, celebrating St. Ezekiel is more than remembering a saint of the past. It is a renewed invitation to continue his missionary spirit today—in educating children, accompanying families, caring for the sick, building communities and restoring hope to people experiencing difficult circumstances.

A Celebration of Healing

The Feast Day carried particular significance because St. Ezekiel Moreno is honored throughout the Church as the Patron of Cancer Patients.

Following the Eucharistic celebration, the priests administered the Anointing of the Sick, offering a deeply prayerful moment for members of the community seeking God’s strength, consolation and healing.

Young and old approached the priests in faith. It was a fitting conclusion to the celebration of a saint who himself experienced serious illness and suffering.

The moment reminded everyone that RHFI’s mission is concerned not only with material needs. At the heart of its service is the dignity of the whole human person—body, mind, family, community and spirit.

Gratitude Made Visible

The celebration was also an occasion to recognize the many people and organizations whose generosity made the nine-day observance and Feast Day possible.

A Certificate of Appreciation was presented to Ma. Theresa Foundation, Inc. in grateful recognition of its generous support for the Feast Day celebration. The Foundation sponsored the catered lunch, including lechon and food packs, sufficient for approximately 400 persons.

The sharing of food after the Eucharist became another expression of communion. Beneficiaries, children, families, religious, benefactors, staff, volunteers and visitors gathered not simply as recipients and donors, but as one community celebrating together.

RHFI likewise extends its heartfelt gratitude to all the Mass sponsors, benefactors, OAR communities, priests, staff, volunteers, youth, ForSOAR members, SEA-R community, RHFI families, partner organizations and friends who shared their time, talents, resources and prayers from the first day of the novena until the Feast Day itself.

Behind every flower arranged, every song sung, every chair prepared, every meal shared, every liturgical assignment fulfilled and every visitor welcomed were people willing to serve.

The success of the celebration belonged to the entire community.

A New Chapter: RHFI Launches Its Website

The Feast Day also marked an important milestone in the institutional journey of RESOURCE–Handumanan Foundation, Inc.

Following the Mass, RHFI officially launched its new website, recoletosoutreach.org⁠.

Launching the website on the Feast of St. Ezekiel Moreno was particularly meaningful. It connects RHFI’s continuing development as an institution with the missionary heritage that inspires its work.

The new digital platform will help RHFI communicate its programs, stories, partnerships and impact to a wider community. More importantly, it will provide another means of connecting people who wish to participate in the Foundation’s mission of serving children, families and communities.

Technology thus becomes another instrument of mission—a way of allowing stories of hope from Handumanan to reach people far beyond its physical boundaries.

Nine Days, One Community, One Mission

The Feast Day was the culmination of a journey that began with the Novena Masses from August 10 to 18.

Night after night, different communities, sponsors, priests, volunteers and organizations gathered around the altar. The novena became more than preparation for a fiesta; it became an experience of community.

On the ninth day of the novena, August 18, the Eucharistic celebration was followed by a solemn procession through Barangay Handumanan. Carrying lights and accompanying the image of St. Ezekiel Moreno through the community, children, families, religious and lay faithful publicly expressed their devotion and faith.

Then came August 19.

After nine days of prayer and preparation, the community gathered once more—not simply to conclude an activity, but to give thanks.

What emerged was a celebration filled with faith, hope, generosity, friendship and joy.

For RHFI, this year’s fiesta offers an important reminder: the greatest measure of a successful celebration is not the decorations, attendance or festivities alone. Its deeper measure is whether the celebration brings people closer to God and closer to one another, especially to those most in need.

That was the missionary path of St. Ezekiel Moreno.

And that remains the invitation before the RHFI community today:

to allow faith to become service, compassion to become action, and hope to become something that can be shared.

As the celebration came to its conclusion, one joyful acclamation captured the gratitude of the entire community:

Viva San Ezekiel Moreno!
Patron of Cancer Patients, pray for us!

RESOURCE–Handumanan Foundation, Inc.
Building Hope, Empowering Lives.

19/08/2026

🎶 Thank You, ForSOAR Bacolod! 🙏

Our heartfelt gratitude to ForSOAR Bacolod for serving as our choir during the 8th Day of the Novena in honor of St. Ezekiel Moreno.

Thank you not only for sharing your voices and musical talents, but especially for the gift of your presence. Your joyful singing added life, warmth, and color to our Eucharistic celebration and helped lead our community into deeper prayer.

It is always beautiful to see our ForSOAR brothers continuing to live the Recollect spirit beyond the seminary—remaining connected through friendship, faith, service, and mission. Once a Recollect at heart, the call to serve continues wherever life brings us.

To each one who came, sang, played, and simply made time to be with our RHFI community: madamo gid nga salamat! Your presence itself was already a blessing.

May St. Ezekiel Moreno continue to accompany you and your families, and may the Lord bless the talents you so generously share with His people.

Viva San Ezekiel Moreno! ❤️🙏
Viva ForSOAR Bacolod!

Formed in Spirit. United in Mission.

- fr. Albert,oar

19/08/2026

🕯️ NINTH DAY OF NOVENA: CHRIST, OUR TRUE TREASURE

August 18, 2026 | RESOURCE–Handumanan Foundation, Inc.

On the evening of August 18, the RHFI community gathered for the ninth and final day of the Novena Mass in honor of St. Ezekiel Moreno, bringing nine days of prayer and preparation to a beautiful conclusion.

The Holy Eucharist was presided over by Fr. Albert Pellazar, OAR, together with Fr. Glynn Ortega, OAR.

The homily centered on a simple but demanding invitation of the Gospel: detachment from the things of this world and deeper attachment to Christ.

Our possessions, achievements, positions, comforts, and even our plans are temporary. They can be blessings when received with gratitude, but they should never become the center of our lives. The Christian is called to possess things without allowing things to possess the heart.

Christ alone is the treasure that does not pass away.

This message finds a powerful witness in St. Ezekiel Moreno. He left the familiarity of his homeland and spent many years serving the Church in the Philippines. His missionary life reminds us that following Christ often means leaving behind comfort and security so that we may become more available to God and to others.

After the Eucharistic celebration, the community brought its devotion beyond the walls of the chapel through a solemn procession around Barangay Handumanan.

The illuminated image of St. Ezekiel Moreno was accompanied by families, children, youth, religious sisters, RHFI personnel and members of the community. With candles in their hands and prayers in their hearts, the faithful walked together through the streets—not simply carrying an image, but publicly expressing a faith that desires to be lived in the community.

As our nine-day novena comes to an end, may its fruits remain.

May we learn from St. Ezekiel to hold the things of this world lightly, cling to Christ more firmly, and give ourselves more generously in service to others.

Tomorrow, as we celebrate his feast, may our cry of “Viva San Ezekiel Moreno!” be more than a festive greeting. May it become a commitment to imitate the saint whom we honor—a missionary, a servant of the poor and suffering, and a man whose greatest treasure was Christ.

St. Ezekiel Moreno, Patron of Cancer Patients, pray for us.
Viva San Ezekiel Moreno! ❤️🙏

19/08/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18zXMmTQU5/?mibextid=wwXIfr

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄?

Today, August 19, we celebrate the feast of Saint Ezekiel Moreno, OAR, patron saint of cancer patients and an Augustinian Recollect missionary to the Philippines.

But here’s a beautiful connection to our own island: In 1873, St. Ezekiel Moreno came to Talisay, Negros Occidental, after suffering from malaria and anemia during his mission in Palawan. He stayed at the Recollect convent in Talisay and underwent the hydrotherapeutic treatment administered by his brother, Fr. Fernando Cuenca, OAR.

Saint Ezekiel Moreno was not only a missionary to the Philippines—he was also a visitor to Negros! His stay in Talisay is part of the rich Recollect history of our island and reminds us that the footsteps of the saints have truly touched our own soil.

St. Ezekiel Moreno, pray for us!
St. Ezekiel Moreno, patron of the sick and cancer patients, pray for us!

𝘕𝘖𝘛𝘌: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘐-𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺. 𝘐𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘌𝘻𝘦𝘬𝘪𝘦𝘭 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘰 𝘪𝘯 𝘕𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘴.

19/08/2026

🌐 A NEW WINDOW OF HOPE IS NOW OPEN! ❤️

On this blessed Feast of St. Ezekiel Moreno, RESOURCE–Handumanan Foundation, Inc. joyfully marks another milestone with the official launch of our website.

Our website is more than a place to read about RHFI. It is a window into our mission—the families we journey with, the programs we undertake, the lives touched by generosity, and the community of people who continue to make this mission possible.

Through this new platform, we hope to strengthen our commitment to transparency, accountability, partnership, and service, while allowing more people to discover how they can journey with us.

From a community built through compassion, we now open our doors wider to the world.

To our benefactors, partners, volunteers, OAR communities, RHFI families, friends, and everyone who has become part of our story—this website is also your story.

May St. Ezekiel Moreno continue to inspire us to bring healing, hope, and compassionate presence wherever they are needed most.

🌐 Welcome to the online home of RESOURCE–Handumanan Foundation, Inc.

recoletosoutreach.org

❤️ Building Hope. Empowering Lives.

Viva San Ezekiel Moreno!


:::

The RESOURCE–Handumanan Foundation, Inc. (RHFI) began as a housing and community development project led by Fr. Antonio Palacios, OAR, in partnership with the University of Negros Occidental–Recoletos (UNO-R) and Spanish donors. The initiative aimed to provide displaced families with safe and af...

19/08/2026

St. Ezekiel Moreno: A Missionary Who Gave His Heart to the Philippines

Saint Ezekiel Moreno spent a significant part of his early priestly and missionary life in the Philippines, long before becoming a bishop in Colombia and eventually being recognized as the Patron Saint of Cancer Patients.

Born in Alfaro, Spain, on April 9, 1848, Ezekiel entered the Augustinian Recollect Order while still young. After completing part of his formation in Spain, he was sent as a missionary to the Philippines. He arrived in Manila in 1870, and it was here that he was ordained a priest in 1871.

His first years of priesthood were therefore Filipino missionary years. He was sent to Palawan, then known as Paragua, where missionary work demanded considerable sacrifice. Travel was difficult, communities were scattered, and missionaries faced disease, isolation and limited resources. Ezekiel served the people through the sacraments, preaching, pastoral visits and the ordinary daily work of a missionary priest.

Illness eventually forced him to leave Palawan and recover in Manila. Afterward, he continued serving in different Augustinian Recollect assignments, including Las Piñas, where he became parish priest, and later Santo Tomás, Batangas. His Philippine experience was not simply a short missionary assignment; it became an important school of pastoral ministry that formed his character as a priest.

One particularly meaningful aspect of his Philippine story was his relationship with the Filipino people. He learned to live close to ordinary families and experienced firsthand the hardships of missionary life. The young Spanish religious who arrived in the Philippines was gradually formed into a pastor known for simplicity, discipline, prayer and concern for the people entrusted to him.

After approximately 15 years in the Philippines, he returned to Spain in 1885 and was later sent to Colombia. There he eventually became Bishop of Pasto. In his final years, Ezekiel himself developed cancer. He endured severe suffering with deep faith and died in Monteagudo, Spain, on August 19, 1906.

He was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II on October 11, 1992. His own experience of cancer contributed to the devotion to him as a special intercessor for people suffering from cancer.

Why his Philippine years matter to us

For Filipino Augustinian Recollect communities, St. Ezekiel Moreno is therefore much more than a saint who once visited the Philippines. The Philippines helped form St. Ezekiel as a missionary priest. Here he celebrated Mass, heard confessions, accompanied communities, experienced sickness and hardship, and learned what it meant to give himself to people entrusted to his pastoral care.

That makes his story particularly meaningful for the celebration in Handumanan. His life connects prayer with mission, suffering with compassion, and faith with concrete service to people—values that remain relevant wherever the Augustinian Recollect family serves today.

From Spain he came as a young missionary.
In the Philippines he learned to become a pastor.
In Colombia he became a missionary bishop.
Through suffering he became a companion of the sick.
And today the Church invokes him as the Patron of Cancer Patients.

Viva San Ezekiel Moreno!
Missionary of the Philippines, Bishop, and Patron of Cancer Patients—pray for us.

15/05/2026

LIGHTING THE WAY WITH HOPE AND SERVICE ✨💡

RESOURCE–Handumanan Foundation, Inc. (RHFI) wishes to express its heartfelt gratitude to Hon. Ma. Febe F. Legaspi, Punong Barangay of Brgy. Handumanan, Bacolod City, for the installation of three (3) solar street lights that now brighten the dark corners of our community streets.

These solar lights are more than just sources of illumination — they are symbols of safety, hope, and care for our people, especially for children, elderly residents, and families who pass through these areas every day and night.

We also extend our sincere appreciation to the UNO-R Property Office for their generous assistance in:
✔ repairing damaged electrical wiring
✔ installing additional lighting
✔ securing our air-conditioning units with protective grills to help prevent theft and ensure the safety of RHFI facilities.

Your support and partnership truly reflect the spirit of community, solidarity, and shared mission in building a safer and brighter environment for everyone.

Together, we continue to move hearts and transform lives. 💙