Acknowledgemets:

We would like to thank our parents, friends and love ones who support us financially and

spiritually to make this project possible and feasible.

We would like to acknowledge our professor, Ms. Mariluz Segui, who has been our way

that we have come through this. Thank you so much for all your patience and hard works for us.

We would like to extend our gratitude to all the volunteers, facilitators, director, staff and

management of Manila Boys Town Complex, who allowed us to conduct our outreach and thesis

in their foundation.

“I realized that God has placed Christians everywhere, to support each other, to support the

needy in those areas, and that is the thing that I find is a great plus.”

Cliff Richard

1

Dedication:

We dedicate this work of heart to our beloved family who care for us so dearly, love us

unconditionally, support us in every way they can. You are our inspiration in achieving our

dreams and make our life worth living.

To our friends who stay beside us when we need them most, who never hesitate to give

us a hand when we need someone to hold, who cry and laugh with us in every corner of life.

You are all truly an angels sent from above.

We would also like to dedicate this project to our intelligent, kind hearted professor, Ms.

Mariluz Segui, who leads us in wisdom and gracefulness, who teaches us so many virtues in life,

which encourages us to listen to our callings and to do a wonderful part, never be afraid or

hesitant in helping others especially the needy. You are our mentor and our friend. Your

teachings awakened us to live a life that is open-minded and open-hearted enough in

understanding and helping others. Your encouragement to us to read the bible draws us to

receive more wisdom and blessings from our Lord as we share it with others.

To all the volunteers, facilitators, director, staff and management of Manila Boys Town

Complex may you continue to wear your patience and keep your big heart to help those needy.

May God bless you more as you become a total blessing to other’s eyes.

To all the parents who never failed to give their very best in caring and loving their

children, who never grew tired in supporting and understanding their offspring, you are all a

personification of God’s love. And for all the aged parents in Manila Boys Town Complex, who

are in their twilight years, pardon your children for they have forgotten you and all your

sacrifices when they were young. Forgive your own family for they have abandoned you when

you needed shelter, love and care that only them could best give. Let God be your strength now.

2

May you find all the love and affection in His glory and may you find compassion in His care for

HE will never leave you or forsake you.

We would like to dedicate this out reach to all the children in Manila boys town complex,

especially Kim, Charlie and Michael, who are all very young to under go those circumstances

and sufferings yet patient and intelligent enough to understand their fate. You are all innocent

with your misfortunes. Let God be your guide, may you continue to grow in His love and care,

May you surrender all your sorrows and fears to Him for He will cast them away. You are all an

angel of God.

We will never forget you and all the stories you left in our hearts. We will continue to

pray for you and wish you all the love that world could give.

3

I. Background of the Study:……………………………………………5

II. Purpose(goals)of the Study:………………………………………….6

III. Related Studies:……………………………………………………..10

a. *Former cop leads fundraising for Manila Boys Town*

b. *Techno-demo farm   project in Boys’ Town launched*

c. *Related studies about health and languages of the children*

IV. Presentation: How do the researcher conducted the project:…..17

a. Introduction of facilitators

b. Opening prayer led by Ronalyn Rada

c. Games (Stop dance)

d. Eating time while story telling included evangelical mission by

Florengin Jayona and Cherry Red Tuazon

e. Story telling included evangelical mission by Aries John

Enardecido

f. Sharing

g. Presentation of the children for us

h. Gift-giving

i. Closing prayer led by Cherry Red Tuazon

V. Summary and Conclusion:…………………………………………20

4

I. Background of the study:

As street children struggle to survive to survive in city streets, they are usually

unprotected, defenseless, and unreached by basic services. The City Government of Manila

answers this problem by establishing an institution called the Manila Boys Town Complex to

provide care and education, to the homeless boys found roaming around the city. Through this

book, the researcher will try to help street children, to give them a chance to heal and embrace

life once more.

In this research study, information on the orphan children and other related topics will be

presented. A brief history about the beginning of Boys Town Complex, how the structures were

affected and became dilapidated in the course of time will be discussed to support the partial

redevelopment being proposed and be solved, and some questions to be answered.

The researcher mainly focuses on how to help those children, what are the ways to help

them see the wonder of life and let them experience a normal life. The researcher believes that

evangelical act would make the children feel that they are loved and cared despite their situation

in life. The researcher also tried to give help by means of food and simple gifts that absolutely

capture the heart of those kids. Our mission and vision is to see them smiling.

This book aims to be an eye opener to the Filipino reader to shape their sensitivity and

awareness to the miserable situation of the orphan children.

Life is a gift of God and to share this special gift with others is the most wonderful gift

you can give back to our Dear Lord. Blessings are abundant in ways we fail to see, yet it is still

growing and flowing in the arms of those faithful believers who want to embrace and feel it.

5

We’re so proud that even once in a lifetime we were able to experienced and enjoyed serving and

helping the needy with all our heart and humble effort to make it possible.

We conducted our outreach in the 23 hectare Manila Boys Town Complex nestled on Parang,

Marikina, City. It has four homes, Home for the aged (60 years old and above), Foundling ( 3 to

12 years old), Boys home and Girls home ( 13 to 18 years old).

Luwalhati ng Maynila, (home for the aged), goal is to give shelter and care to the needy and

older person who have been abandoned or without families and with no opportunities for normal

life.

Their vision is “a wholesome therapeutic community stimulating a home atmosphere

whereby older persons are able to participate in activities to make them useful, productive and

vibrant in their twilight years.”

Their goal is to help the people to ultimjately become self-reliant citizens with meaningful,

productive and satisfying ways of life. To nurture, educate, train and provide opportunities to the

city’s deprived, abandoned and voluntarily surrendered children so they may experience love,

care and protection in a wholesome homelike environment that will enable them to grow with

stable and enhanced self esteem and skills.

”Charity” is a term in Christian theology, meaning being loving, kind towards others; it is

held to be the ultimate perfection of the human spirit, because it is said to both glorify and reflect

the nature of God. In its most extreme form charity can be self-sacrificial. Charity encompasses

religion, education, assistance to the government, promotion of health, relief of poverty or

distress and other purposes that benefit the community.

II. Purpose of the study:

6

There will never be greater than a happiness spent and shared in reaching out other’s

heart. A pure and Christian heart believe that life would only be worthy the moment you love

your neighbor, the time you give a hand, the whole life spend to serve others and not to serve thy

own selves. Our purpose is to help those children we mean this by doing our advocacy.

*ADVOCACY*

1. To reach out for those abandoned, orphan, disabled children who need love and care.

2. To let the children feel that they are love and care about.

3. To help the children see the wonder of life.

4. To prepare food for the children, share our blessings to them.

5. To evangelize to the children and tell them stories about the bible.

6. To teach the children about sharing and caring.

7. To talk to the children and determine how do they get their.

8. To ask the children about their dreams and goals in life.

9. To let the children share their life stories while we eagerly listen to them like a friend.

10. To encourage the children to reach their dreams, ask them to have faith and put their trust

in the Lord.

11. To give them gifts they may never forget.

12. To give them a blessed day experienced of how wonderful life is.

*What we intended to find out*

1. What is the condition of the children being taken care of in Manila Boys town Complex?

2. What are the activities they do have in a day?

3. Are they able to live a normal life?

4. How many are they in Manila Boys Town Complex?

7

5. How did the children get to the orphanage?

6. How can we help those orphan and abandoned children to have a normal life?

7. What do our government action/s with the needy citizen in our country?

* A word of wisdom for them*

John !9:26,27

So Jesus, seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, said to his mother,

"Woman, behold your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that

hour the disciple took her into his family.

John 14:27

27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let

your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Proverbs 6:20,21

My son, keep the rule of your father, and have in memory the teaching of your mother:

Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round your neck

Deuteronomy 31:6

"Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the

one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you."

8

1 Corinthians 16:13

Remain alert. Keep standing firm in your faith. Keep on being courageous and strong.

Ezra 10:4

"Arise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; be courageous and act."

Psalms 27:4-5

One thing I ask of the LORD,

       this is what I seek:

       that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

       all the days of my life,

       to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD

       and to seek him in his temple.

 5 For in the day of trouble

       he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

       he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

       and set me high upon a rock.

Psalm 30:10-12

30:10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.

30:12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my

9

God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

1 corinthians 3:6

I did the planting, Apollos did the watering, but God gave the increase.

Romans 12:15

Take part in the joy of those who are glad, and in the grief of those who are sorrowing.

Mat.6:34

34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has

enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon

you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

III. Related Studies:

10

a. *Former cop leads fundraising for Manila Boys Town*

A former member of “Manila’s Finest’s” police department who migrated to the United

States in 1971 and who is now a consultant and/or adviser on public and media relations of

Mayor Alfredo Lim is seeking voluntary donations from generous benefactors and big-hearted

individuals “to inject more life and provide better facilities” to further enhance the living

conditions of hundreds of less-privileged wards currently residing at City Hall-owned and

operated Manila Boys Town Complex in Barangay Parang, Marikina City.

The young boys and girls, aged 3-12, teenage boys and girls aged 13-23, and old persons,

lolos and lolas with ages ranging from 50 and up are brought there by the city government to be

fed, clothed, sheltered, and given medical attention because they are either already orphaned or

have no more known relatives.

“Your heart will break and bleed once you see them in person. Pity and sympathy will

engulf you once you mingle with them. And your conscience will prick you once you know the

sufferings they’re undergoing and doing nothing to be of help, of assistance, however little,

however meager,” Ed Castro, the mayor’s aide and presently assisting Boys Town chief, Manila

Police retired Col. Levi Viesca, run the operation of the complex, told Standard Today in a

recent interview.

Castro lamented the fact that only P42 is allotted by City Hall to cover or pay three

square meals a day per ward. “Much as the city government would want to raise the meal

allowance to a decent level, it cannot do so due to other pressing priority projects that need to be

accomplished,” the cop-turned-caregiver, sort of, disclosed.

With the approval of Lim, Castro is planning to undertake and lead in various fund-

raising activities, the proceeds of which will be used to benefit the complex’ residents.

11

Castro gave the assurance that all donations, in cash, bank checks and in kind—like old

used clothes, beddings, towels, pillows and the like—will be properly accounted for, and the

corresponding reports will be submitted to concerned City Hall offices.

“The handling of such donations will be transparent,” he said.

Castro himself said that donations he received from friends and relatives abroad, notably

in Los Angeles, California, where he and his family is staying before he was asked by Lim to

come over to Manila when the mayor was elected into office last July 2007, were made payable

to the City of Manila or to the Manila Boys Town.

“I find enjoyment, fulfillment, happiness and love in serving the less fortunate in our

midst. Mayor Lim’s advocacy of caring for the poor and indigent also rubbed in on me. As long

as I enjoy the mayor’s trust and confidence, I will be tireless, boundless and inspired in making

myself available to the needs and wants of our Boys Town’s wards,” Castro, who retired as a

field training officer in the Los Angeles Airport Police Division before he was beckoned by Lim

to return to Manila to serve under his (Lim’s) administration, opened his mind and heart to MST.

While at the US , Castro said his strong will and determination propelled him to

assimilate the American way of life and attained the so-called American Dream, which, he went

on, “is nothing but a fantasy of luxury and comfort.”

However, he also learned that being in the “land of honey and money (translate this into

dollars),” made him share his blessings with the less fortunate members of society, which, in

reality, is all about love, health, unity and happiness for everyone.

“I thank Mayor Lim for giving me the chance and opportunity to pursue my American

Dream in the land of my birth, especially now that I was thrust at the Manila Boys Town

Complex, a shelter of hopes and dreams, and a small town with a big heart,” Castro enthused.

To show that he really likes being assigned at the orphanage-cum-home for the aged,

Castro and wife Zeny, who came all the way from the USA to celebrate their wedding

anniversary last Aug. 31, held the rite at the said complex. Tony Macapagal

12

MBTC’s challenges and problems are enormous the facility urgently needs your help,

everyone’s concern, and the overall public compassion in addition to what the city government

of Manila officially allots for this prime location where otherwise despondent, stunted dreams

are transformed into fulfilled realities. The budget deficit that the city government of Manila is

experiencing limits its resources to fully implement the city’s development plans for the MBTC.

Buildings, services, and personnel maintained by Manila Boys Town explain its

traditionally varied and growing needs.

It has four homes – Home for the Aged (60 and above); Founding (3 years to 12 years

old); Boys Home and Girls Home (13 years to 18 years old). City Government personnel,

teachers, medical staff, social workers, as well as volunteers, serve to take care of the wards at

the four homes.

MBTC reminds its wards, officers, and visitors, along with all who believe that shared

effort shapes a future, about a popular truism that holds true now as it will grow tomorrow: “It

takes a village to raise a child!”

We in Manila envision the wards of Manila Boys Town to ultimately become self-reliant

citizens with meaningful, productive, and satisfying ways of life.

The roster of Manila Boys Town “alumni” reads like an inspirational list, among others:

Dante Varona, a movie actor; Jun Posadas and Willie Milan, movie directors; Alex Galedo, Mr.

Philippines; Gerry Espina, former congressman/assembly man; Edgardo manuel, Philippine vice

consul in Korea; Roberto Suarez, International filmmaker; Henry Castillo, Ed Soriano, William

Singh Dagan, and Fidencio Lloren, businessmen; Percival Budiao, Lorena Lee, Lawyers;

Rolando Albuera, Ernesto Beren, Philip Miradura, and Norman Henson, Olympic gymnasts.

Years ago, MBTC was the subject of a hit Philippine movie.

To undertake and accomplish our mission, our efforts are focused on redeveloping the

Manila Boys Town Complex.

13

Ongoing is the conversion of idle parcels of land in the MBTC into farming and

livelihood areas by planting vegetable and fruit-bearing trees, raising livestock and small-pond

fishes to make the complex self-sufficient – or self-supporting – in food production. Agriculture

Secretary Arthur Yap has pledged the backing of the Department of Agriculture to convert some

15 hectares of lethargic land within the complex into a lush, high-yielding, vegetable and fruit

plantation – a project, according to a recent Manila media news feature, “that will eventually

make Manila Boys Town a food of basket and terminal, supplying more than enough food to the

residents of Manila and its neighboring cities.”

There are other areas in Boys Town that seek crucial support, too. The third floor of the

Girls Home has deteriorated and needs upgrading and expansion. The Home for the Aged cries

for repair and renovation. Educational and medical supplies, and other basic necessities, are

woefully inadequate to enable the MBTC to sufficiently provide care and related ample services

for the wards of all four homes.

“Hopefully, with everyone’s help,’ in the view of Mayor Lim and the personnel of

MBTC, led by Police Col. (Ret.) Levi Viesca, Officer-in-Charge, “our ultimate goal for the

Manila Boys Town Complex can come true. The Goal is to provide the best possible care and

future for each and every individual of the complex”.

b. *Techno-demo farm   project in Boys’ Town launched*

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap recently launched a techno-demo livestock and

vegetable farm at an eight-hectare portion of the Manila Boys’ Town Complex in Marikina City,

which is part of the government’s hunger mitigation initiatives.

Yap said that besides being an in-come-generating project, the demo farm will also

provide Boys’ Town residents, most of whom are teenaged boys and girls, with additional pro-

ductive activities that will help ease their reintegration with their families and the community,

once they leave the facility.

14

A joint initiative with Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, the eight-hectare demo farm will have

a livestock, dairy and poultry farm; fish pens; and a food terminal to allow residents to sell their

excess produce.

The demo farm, which has a total budget of P605,000, will also include a ‘Gulayan ng

Masa’ component, a priority project of the Agriculture department that aims to reduce hunger

and malnutrition by promoting backyard gardening.

Several attempts by the complex to engage in agricultural activities never succeeded

because of the lack of technical knowledge to sustain farm production. To ensure the success of

the demo farm, the Agriculture department will provide financial and technical aid. 

Copyright (c) 2001 The Manila Times | Terms of ServiceThe Manila Times Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.

*Related studies about health and languages of the children*

Over 88% of internationally adopted children are raised in orphanages (Johnson & Dole, 1999).

Johnson and Dole (1999) found that 48% of all children evaluated in their international

adoption clinic had low birthweights, likely due to poor prenatal care.  Orphanage care after birth

leads to further lags in growth.

In addition to health concerns, children raised in orphanage environments are at high risk

for developmental delays including language (Johnson, 2000; Judge, 1999; Miller & Hendric,

2000; Morison, Ames & Chisholm, 1995).  Reviews of medical records of orphans in Eastern

Europe indicate that delayed language development occurs frequently (Gindis, 1999). 

Dubrovina et al (1991, as translated and noted in Gindis, 1999), found that 60% of orphanage

children ages 24 to 30 months were not talking, a year later only 14% were reported to use two

word phrases.  By age 3 and 4 the children were described as having limited vocabulary,

receptive language delays, and unintelligible speech.  These patterns of institutional delay are not

limited to orphanages in Eastern Europe.  Orphanage care was relatively common in the United

States in the first half of the last century.  Province and Lipton (1962 as cited in Johnson, 2000)

15

studied the development of children in U.S. orphanages and noted that infant speech

development "showed signs of maldevelopment early, became progressively worse, and was the

most severely retarded of all functions that could be measured" (Johnson, 2000, p. 141).

At the time of adoption, children are frequently below the -2 standard deviation for height

(32 - 51% of all children studied), weight (18 - 34%) and head circumference (24 - 45%)

(Benoit, Jocelyn, Moddemann & Embree, 1996; Johnson; Miller & Hendric; Rutter, 1998).

Growth failure leads to more than just petite children.  Growth failure after birth is highly

correlated with lower intelligence and poor language abilities.

One issue that clouds the language learning process for older children is the notion of

bilingualism.  Internationally adopted children are often considered to be bilingual when in

reality they are not (Gindis, 1999; Glennen, 2002).  Bilingual language learners are learning to

speak two languages.  Some  children are exposed to both languages from birth, others learn one

language at home and are later exposed to a second language when they reach school-age.  In

both cases, proficiency in the first language is used as a scaffold to help learn the second

language (Cummins, 1981, 1991; Guitierrez-Clellan, 1999). 

Gindis (1999) noted that Russian children adopted at ages 4 to 8 lost expressive use of

their language within 3-6 months of adoption and all functional use of the language within a

year.  In summary, internationally adopted children are only bilingual for a very short window of

time after adoption.  

Cummins (1981;1991) studied second language learning in a large number of bilingual

children.  He determined that proficiency in the first language was the single best predictor of

learning a second language to proficiency.  It is important for parents to determine if the child

had difficulty understanding or speaking the birth language.  Children who spoke the birth

language well should easily pick up English.  In contrast, children who had difficulty speaking or

understanding the birth language will likely need extra help to learn English. 

The loss of the first language before the new adopted language develops leaves the

internationally adopted child in a linguistic and educational limbo (Glennen, in press).  Unlike

the bilingual child who has a strong first language to fall back on, the internationally adopted

16

child has no language until English develops.  This lack of a functional language is not an issue

for younger children who have several years to develop English before starting school.  It is a

significant issue for older adopted children who need to begin school right away.  Because the

children are not proficient in English, cognitive and linguistic development is often negatively

affected (Brice, 2002).  

When children adopted at older ages enter school, the typical first response of the school

program is to offer bilingual education services.  Parents need to realize that bilingual education

programs are not mandated by the federal government.  The extent and scope of services is left

up to the local school district (Hakuta, 1999).  The only exception is when state law, such as

California’s Proposition 227, mandates bilingual education policy across all districts within a

state (Hakuta, 1999).   Therefore bilingual education programs vary widely from state to state,

and school district to school district.  Common bilingual education models include the following

(Hakuta, 1999; Roseberry-McKibbin, 2002):

If the assessment takes place after 3 months home, the child's birth language will already

have begun to disappear which will lower test scores (Gindis, 1999).

Resource: http://pages.towson.edu/sglennen/OrphanageCareandLanguage.htm

IV. Presentation:

On the 14th day of March, 2009. Our team was ready to evangelize and give simple joys

to the oldies of “Luwalhati Ng Maynila” but then many conflicts had interrupted our mission that

we were not able to fulfill our plans. In order not to waste our efforts, the Manila Boys’ Town

and our team had just decided to execute our plan to the Manila Boys’ Home wherein we

encountered children ranging from 8 – 15 years old. These changes forced us to make another

plan for the children. We had changed the program proper we had planned before so that it will

fit for them. Below were the presentations or activities we had done.

17

a. Introduction of facilitators

Of course, before anything else, we introduced ourselves to the children. We were happy

that they love to see us as we looked them smiling onto us. As for the first meeting between the

children and us it had been a little nervous but so excited what will happen next as time will

passes by.

b. Opening prayer led by Ronalyn Rada

It is always been a tradition or rather an everyday activity that before anything else, we

should start with a prayer. Ronalyn Rada led the prayer as a beginning of our program. We gave

thanks and praises to the Almighty that even though we had encountered many conflicts, still, we

were able to continue our purpose there. Also we asked for God’s guidance for our activity to be

done and accomplished well.

c. Stop dance

After the prayer, we conducted a stop dance for the children. They were very energetic

and good in dancing that even us wants to have a showdown in dancing with them.

d. Eating time while story telling by Florengin Jayona and Cherry

Red Tuazon

Since we had known that the children were not yet taking up their lunch, we immediately

gave our prepared lunch for them as the game ended. They happily ate together and we were glad

that they like the chicken adobo that we prepared.

While they were eating, Florengin Jayona and Cherry Red Tuazon told them a children’s

story in which they will surely learn a moral lesson from it. For those who listened very

attentively and were able to answer the following questions we had ask, they had received prizes

from us.

18

e. Story telling by Aries John Enardecido

After they ate and after we fixed the mess, Aries John Enardecido conducted a story

telling. He told the children about the story of the Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery.

Also, he had asked the children three questions after the story telling and gave prizes for those

who answered it correctly.

f. Sharing

Our team assigned each one of us to talk to every three children. We had a great moment

that time. We were able to know their stories how they got there, how they miss their family and

how lonely are they in staying there without their real family around them. As we talked to them,

we tried our best to cheer them up, encourage them and to give them a piece of advice to always

pray and trust our Lord.

This activity was a good bonding between us and the children. Even in these simple ways

we were able to know them, ease their burdens and touch their lives. Also, in this activity, we

had realized and learned how lucky we are that we still have our family with us unlike those

children who miss their family so much.

g. Presentation of the children for us

We were surprised that the children had a presentation to show their gratitude and

appreciation for us being there. We were so touch that they prepared a dance performance for us.

It felt good in the heart while watching them dancing and smiling as they dedicated that

performance to us.

h. Gift-giving

19

The most exciting part for the children was to receive their simple gifts. So we didn’t

keep them waiting, we gave them gifts that had been simple for us but great for them they

happily took and thank us with all their warm smiles.

i. Closing prayer led by Cherry Red Tuazon

We started it with a prayer and to end our program, Cherry Red Tuazon led a prayer. It

had been a touching prayer that the children were the focus.

After that, we bade goodbye to them. It was sad because we had to leave them there alone

but happy that we were able to touch their lives and we were able to give them happiness even in

just few moments.

V. Summary and Conclusion:

Many children-orphans and destitute (those who lack parental care), find themselves in orphanages and Government Destitute Homes.

The Manila Boys' Town Complex refers to the different residential programs of the

Department of Social Welfare. City of Manila, which are implemented by the

Division of Institution all located in 23 hectare compound in Parang, Marikina City.

These institutions are:

1. BOYS' HOME- a home for boys ages 8-16 years old who are abandoned, orphaned,

physically abused, solvent users and street children of Manila which was established on June 6,

1947.

2. GIRLS' HOME- a home for girls ages 3 to 16 years old who are also abandoned, orphaned,

physically and sexually abused, solvent users and street children of Manila which was

20

established on October 3, 1962.

3. LUWALHATI NG MAYNILA, HOME FOR THE AGED – a home for unattached,

abandoned, neglected and homeless elderly ages 60 years old and above found in the streets of

Manila which was established on June 25, 1967.

4. FOUNDLING HOME- a home for younger boys ages 3 to 7 years old whose personal

circumstances are similar to the residents of Boys' Home and Girls' Home which was established

on November 17, 1971.

The activity started with a prayer lead by Ronalyn Rada. And we were introduced one by

one. After that, we conducted a game entitled, “stop dance”. We can see that almost all of them

were participating except some who were shy.

After the game, we distributed the food for their lunch. They were very hungry because

that time was already 1:30pm. After the lunch, Aries told a story about “The Little Prince”. They

were very attentive and they were listening to him. They even answer the questions about the

story.

After that, we grouped them into three and we were assigned to each group to conduct an

interview at the same time to get close to them.

After the interviews, we distributed our gifts for them, a towel and some biscuits. They

liked it even though it was just a simple souvenir to them. I thought they gave us their warm

thank you by showing an intermission number. They presented a dance which we really

appreciated.

We end the activity with a prayer led by Cherry Red Tuazon finally we bid good bye to

them.

Sometimes we are so bless in ways we failed to see. Living in this world is a very

hazardous and complicated thing. When we reached the Manila Boys town Complex, we were

21

uncertain of what we are supposed to witness, deep in our hearts we don’t even know if we

were ready to face the children. We don’t even know how to handle the situation. As expected

we saw pity children who are unable to support themselves, orphan and abandoned. With our

bare eyes we can see their mishap, their misfortunes lie in their eyes, a pity child, and an angel

of God should not deserve to live like this. But we need to face the fact, the real world is

standing in front of us, we are poor and naïve in ways we never see. We are so naïve in our own

existence. Those children are so helpless, what they need is family that will show them love,

will let them feel that they are cared about, will make them feel appreciated, a life that is normal

and blessed. What they asked for is concern not a pity but merely concern, if you would just

look them in the eye, they don’t need to say even a single word to show their misfortune. It

breaks our heart to see their situation.

We realized that we are so lucky, we are living a normal life, we go to school everyday,

we have friends, and a family that help us in everyway they can. But the truth is we are never

satisfied with what we have, we absolutely ask for more, we dare the world to give us

everything we wanted, even cursing life sometimes for we think that we are the most unlucky,

unblessed creature of God. We are so ashamed to admit it. We do have a poor understanding of

what life is, when we left the orphanage a lot of things sticks in our mind, a lot of regrets sink in

our heart, we wanted to give more. We wanted to help the children more than what we could

give. They left their heart to us their stories will never be forgotten, their smiles will help us

carry on with our life.

Our main goal is to touch the children’s life but in our surprised we were more touch by

the children’s warm welcome to us. They actually prepared a dance intermission that they

gracefully and joyfully perform in front of us. They can hide their fears, their burden, and their

agony; instead what they show to us was their warm smiles, their laughter that serves as a

tranquilizer for that day. We love to see them smiling.

Sharing is not only giving what material things or supporting the others financially,

sharing is like giving a part of you, opening your heart to someone else even to the person you

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don’t know and never been met before. We should not give of what we think that it is excess of

what we have, we should give with all our hearts and effort even if it would mean a sacrifice in

the end. We should not ask for anything in return. It is like a bitter sweet nobel prize to see the

person you are helping smiling back at you. What else could we ask for but when life would be

filled with helpful Christians. It will surely be like a little haven on earth.

You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.

Definitely we learned to appreciate life and give thanks to all the blessings we do have that we

failed to see at first. We realized how much we should value our parents, how lucky we are for

having them, how blessed we are that at the end of the day we do have an angel waiting for us

and ready to give us a hug. There are times we failed to see their worth, their sacrifices for us,

their undying support and love. We too realized the value of friendship, the friends we do have.

Who listen to us when we want to speak about the world and who lend their shoulders to us

when we need a shoulder to cry on.

We are happy and bless to have this research project. We did not only help but we are

being help in return. We did not only learn but we are being taught in the most wonderful way.

The story and the faces of the children will live with us forever. The moment we left the

orphanage it doesn’t mean ending the out reach for those children, ending the friendship that we

build that day, but it’s just the beginning of the whole of it.

There’s no greater than a lifetime spent witnessing an angelic child smil.ing and praising

the Lord. This is what we called a day of “give a hand project.”

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A Term paper done by Philippine Normal University Students

Taft Avenue corner Ayala Blvd., Manila

School year 2008 - 2009

Submitted by: Submitted to:

1 – 20 Professor Mariluz Segui

Tuesday/Friday Values Education Department

1:00 – 2:20 pm CED 301

Jayona, Florengin

Macalalad, Bea Janelle

Octavo, Dianne

Rey, Kristel Irish Mae

Rocillo, Michelle

Leader:

Tuazon, Cherry Red D.

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