Our sisters have been present in the Philippines since 2004. We are located in, Bagong Barrio, Kalookan, which is one of the poorest areas in Metro Manila.

From the beginning, the sisters appointed to this mission have been working hard to help the people of this area. Currently, the sisters’ apostolate includes feeding programs for malnourished children, visiting and bringing medicine to the sick, providing rice for families at a very cheap price, and a formation program for children and youth in order to improve the current situations of the society.

Challenges for Children

Due to the poverty, access to and quality of basic services in nutrition, education, and health are major challenges for children in the Philippines. Eight out of ten children are unable to access early childhood services. Many Filipino first-graders enter school without the skills they need to learn. In Metro Manila, overcrowded schools result in teachers holding classes in two or three shifts a day. The public education system’s inability to catch up with rapid growth in the student population has led to a serious decline in the quality of instruction and student achievements.

Besides from poor education, an alarming number of very young children in the Philippines have iron deficiency anemia. Among older children, this is compounded by soil-transmitted parasitic worms that cause malnutrition and diseases – a result of poor sanitation and hygiene. In the area where our Institute is present, a great majority of children, do not have the chance to study or grow up in a healthy environment, and would consequently become potential victims of prostitution, drugs, abuse, etc.

In 2003, 46.4% of the Philippine population lived with less than two dollars a day, which means that out of 37 million people; more than eleven million live in situations of extreme poverty.According to governmental sources, 25 million Philippines do not have access to the potable water and only 26 million can have cleaning water. The poor, who do not have potable water are most vulnerable to the diseases such as diarrhea, filariasis, and respiratory diseases (tuberculosis, pneumonia and bronchitis).

The Philippines are also a country highly affected by the infantile sexual abuse. According to UNICEF in 2001, it is esteemed that the number of children (girls and boys) in prostitution situations is approximately 100,000 (90% of them are girls; 70% of the girls are between 11 and 17 years and come from the poorest zones of country). (ONG ECPAT, 2004)

Numbers at a Glance

• The population of the Philippines is 91 million.
• The infant mortality rate is 22 per 1,000 births.
• One in three children under age five are underweight; among school children, one in five are underweight.
• Only one in five children, ages 3-5, have access to day care or preschool services.
• Only 67 out of 100 children who enter the first grade will complete the sixth grade;
• Only 45 out of 64 high scholars will complete the 10th grade.
• On average, only 43 percent of the required English, Science, and Math competencies are mastered by Filipino students.
• Dropping out of school in adolescence as a result of poverty is further complicated by engagement in risky behaviors like gambling, drugs, smoking and drinking.
  
  

Our Response

In light of these circumstances, we have recently begun a House of Mercy for girls in September 2008, where they will now be able to attain good nourishment and education, together with the possibility to live in a dignified and Christian way, where they can develop their talent and skills. At the present, more than 10 girls, ages 7 to 13, in these conditions have come to our door asking for help with their distressing situations. These girls are already accommodated and are receiving good care not only materially but also spiritually. We are expecting at least 10 more girls to come to our House of Mercy, during these coming months.

We believe that this project will help to overcome the present and difficult situations of many children of the area. We desire to dedicate ourselves in helping these children understand that they are worthy to receive the minimum necessities to develop in a good and normal condition. We hope the children will come to believe that it is possible to make a difference in their lives. We seek to provide the children with good, moral, and human and intellectual formation, so that they may progress in their lives. We believe that this project is a essential part in order to reach a better future.

Plans for the Future

Our aim is to buy a stable house of our own where we can accommodate an even greater number of children in need, in order to improve their lives from early childhood to adolescence and give them the chance to study, grow up in a healthy environment, and avoid the possibility to become victims of abuses, drugs, prostitution, etc.