Some Pinoy World Youth Day delegates face money worries

Some would-be Philippine delegates to the World Youth Day this August may eventually back out because of financial constraints, the Catholic Bishops" Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said. The CBCP Episcopal Commission on Youth (ECY) said delegates may need at least $1,500 to $1,800 (P65,124 to P78,149) each. “Money is a major concern for most delegates. There are some that reach the last phase of the application and still back out because they can’t reach the minimum monetary requirement to sustain their trip," Maria Victoria Tacderas, senior staff of the National Secretariat for Youth Apostolate (NSYA) - the CBCP-ECY's implementing arm. According to a news article on the CBCP website, the CBCP-ECY is coordinating the visa applications of 436 applicants. However, Tacderas said some 1,400 would-be delegates had registered outside the official group. Tacderas also noted that applying for a visa under the CBCP-ECY is not a guarantee for approval of the Visa application. CBCP-ECY delegates to the WYD will participate in the Days in the Diocese from August 9 to 14 in Coria Caceres, unlike other groups who only intend to attend the WYD celebration in Madrid. - VVP, GMA News