History and Growth in Metro Manila of Sharing Oil Movement.

Focus: Its History and Growth in Metro Manila

The Sharing Oil Movement traces its roots to a small prayer group meeting in a cramped apartment in Pasay City, Metro Manila, back in 2018. Founded by three friends—Sister Maria Elena, a lay minister; Roberto Dela Cruz, a local farmer; and Elena Santos, a nurse—the initiative began as a simple response to a pressing need they witnessed daily in their community.

The Beginning

At the time, many families in their neighborhood were struggling with limited access to healthcare, and many faced financial stress that left them feeling isolated and hopeless. Drawing on their shared faith in the Divine Mercy devotion, the three founders started preparing small batches of blessed olive oil to give to those in need. They would meet weekly in Sister Maria Elena’s living room, mixing oil with essential herbs, blessing it together, and then distributing it door-to-door to families they’d identified through word of mouth. The first recipients were elderly residents living alone and parents caring for sick children—for many, the act of receiving a small vial of oil, accompanied by a prayer, was the first time someone had shown them intentional care in months.

Early Challenges and Milestones

In the first year, the movement faced numerous hurdles. Sourcing quality, affordable oil was difficult, and they often relied on donations from local markets. Space was also a constraint—their small apartment could barely fit the dozen or so people who wanted to join the effort. Despite this, word spread quickly through the community, and by late 2019, they had outgrown the apartment and moved to a vacant room in their local parish church.

A key milestone came in early 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Metro Manila. With lockdowns limiting movement, the group adapted by organizing contactless deliveries of oil to families in quarantine, along with basic food supplies. They also started hosting online prayer sessions to bless the oil remotely, allowing members across the city to participate. During this time, the movement grew from a local group of 20 to over 100 active volunteers, as more people sought ways to help their communities amid crisis.

Expansion Across the City

By 2022, the movement had established satellite groups in five other districts of Metro Manila—Quezon City, Makati, Taguig, Mandaluyong, and Caloocan. Each group operates independently but follows the same core principles: sourcing oil sustainably from local farmers (many of whom are now part of the movement), blessing it through collective prayer, and distributing it freely to anyone in need.

They also partnered with several hospitals, shelters, and community centers to reach more people. A notable collaboration was with a children’s hospital in Manila, where volunteers began offering blessed oil to parents of young patients, alongside emotional support and information on accessing healthcare resources.

Present Day

Today, the Sharing Oil Movement has over 500 active members across Metro Manila, with a steady stream of new volunteers joining each month. They have a small dedicated space in a community building in Pasay City, where they store supplies, hold monthly gatherings, and host workshops on the Divine Mercy devotion and sustainable oil production.

The founders remain actively involved—Roberto now works with a network of 15 local farmers to ensure a consistent supply of high-quality oil, Elena continues to lead outreach to healthcare facilities, and Sister Maria Elena oversees the spiritual formation of the group. What started as a small act of compassion in a cramped apartment has grown into a city-wide movement that connects people across neighborhoods, faith backgrounds, and walks of life.

 Untill Next Time,

Yuna