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Pakikipagkapwa-tao as a mode of inter-religious dialogue in the contemporary Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic


Fides del Castillo

Abstract

The study brought to the fore the issue of acute hunger and food insecurity in Philippine society during the COVID-19 pandemic. It utilised Filipino culture  and the Catholic Church’s fidei depositum as a framework to unravel the forms of inter-religious dialogue in the country. The study was  ualitative  research that used a case study as it analysed inter-religious dialogue, particularly the dialogue of life and action among Filipinos during the  coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. In the Philippine context, dialogue takes the form of a shared life and common action. Also, the Filipino ideal of  pakikipagkapwa-tao [having positive and sincere relations with one’s brethren] promotes positive inter-religious relations and social cohesion. The author  argued that although religion compelled many believers to help the needy, it is pakikipagkapwa-tao that undergirds the care and concern of  many Filipinos to those who are suffering. Pakikipagkapwa-tao enabled cordial cooperation between religious institutions and individuals, which  promoted the physical well-being of the poor.


Contribution: This study contributed to a deeper understanding of interfaith dialogue and relations in the  contemporary Philippines. 


Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 2072-8050
print ISSN: 0259-9422