51st IEC Local Organizers Get P2M in ‘Piso’ Fund Drive, P10M in Pledges

Local organizers of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) to be held in Cebu in January next year have collected P2 million from the “piso” fund drive.

Msgr. Roberto Alesna, chairman of the 51st IEC Finance Committee for Cebu, said they also have some P10 million in pledges from individual donors.

Church officials have estimated the overall budget for the 51st IEC to be P300 million.

He said the task of getting funds for the 51st IEC falls on them as they are providing the main venue.

Alesna said they have initially collected P2 million from the Piso Para sa Misa ng Mundo (PPMM) fund-raising campaign.

He said they are looking at corporate sponsorships as possible sources of funds.

He said one group that they have approached is the SM Group, which assisted them through corporate sponsorships during the thanksgiving mass for St. Pedro Calungsod two years ago.

He said that as of last year, the SM Group informed them that they are planning to extend assistance.

Alesna said getting businessmen to support the IEC is a challenge for them as they need to market the event to them.

“We really need to explain to the businessmen what the IEC is about,” he said. (PNA) LAP/EB