Tackling global poverty may sound overwhelming to the average person, but next weekend the task may be as simple as going to the movies.

New registered Bermuda charity, Answering the Cry of the Poor (ANCOP) International Bermuda will be airing the movie 'Paraiso' (Paradise) on July 21 and 22 at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI).

"The film is basically three stories," said ANCOP International Bermuda Secretary Eisen Romero. "The actors, Caesar Montano, Maricel Soriano and Michael V., are from the Philippines. Most of them gave their services for free for the cause. This film is called 'Paraiso', which is Paradise in English. The story is about how the ANCOP movement helped three families from tragedy in rebuilding their homes. It is a true to life story."

Since ANCOP International began in 2003, the charity has built approximately 20,000 homes in 900 communities all over the Philippines. It is now expanding its work into other developing countries. 'Paraiso' has been shown all over the world, and has raised more than $4 million for the cause.

"Our goal is to make poverty history," said Ms Romero, who is originally from the Philippines and is an account executive at International Advisory Services Ltd. in Bermuda. "It has been shown in Japan, Switzerland, the United States and many other places. Now we want to show it here to this community. We hope that it will help us meet our goal which we call Gawad Kalinga 777. Our main objective for the whole fundraising is really to build homes and transform lives for 700,000 families in 7,000 communities in seven years."

The Bermuda chapter of ANCOP International is newly formed, but works in partnership with other ANCOP organisations in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.

"The main objective of the event is really to establish ourselves in Bermuda as a valid charitable institution," said Ms Romero. "We have started getting the word out at Harbour Nights on Front Street. We also have a jeans day campaign coming up in different companies.

"We ask our volunteers in companies around Bermuda to approach their human resource co-ordinators to ask them to sponsor us for a jeans day. We want the company to basically match whatever the employees raise."

Ms Romero and another event co-ordinator, Anna Tabanda, said they are volunteering in ANCOP International Bermuda through their church.

"This is a part of our family ministries," Miss Romero said. "We are a Christian group, and fall under a family ministry. We are geared up in alleviating the poor. Through the ANCOP programme, this is our way of expressing our love and faith in God. This is our helping hand for the world."

ANCOP International attempts to help the poor in several different ways: youth development and empowerment, education, medical and dental treatment. There is also a neighbourhood assistance programme and job skill building programmes for street people.

"We are also pro environment," said Ms Romero. "We empower the poor to become caretakers of the environment. As you know, the poor often get a bad rap of making the whole scenery bad. We help that."

She said that ANCOP International Bermuda is primarily focused on helping to build homes for the poor.

"We believe that a good house will start transforming lives, and people's perception of the world," she said.

Ms Romero said in the Philippines there are many people living below the poverty line. According to the online CIA World Factbook, around 40 percent of people in the Philippines live below the poverty line compared to 12 percent in the United States and 19 percent in Bermuda.

"The Philippines is a third world country," said Ms Romero. "The gap between the rich and the poor is extremely wide. You don't get to see middle income earners. Our plan is to tap into first world countries to share their gifts and spread their wealth down into the Third World."

For more information about the Paraiso showings contact Marife at 533-1003, Evelou at 799-6659 or Mot at 236-4330 or email ancopbermuda@logic.bm .

For more information about the Ancop Foundation go to http://www.ancopusa.org/.