MARIVELES, Bataan- SOS Children’s Villages, a non-governmental organization that operates in many countries, on Friday opened here four of its 12 family houses for occupancy of abandoned, neglected and orphaned children.
Archbishop Fernando Capalla of Davao, chairman of SOS Children’s Villages in the Philippines, officiated in the blessing of the two-storey buildings located at the Golden Heights Subdivision in Mt. View just adjacent to the Bataan superhighway.
The houses were called Houses of Susanna, Leah, Rebecca and others named after famous mothers in the Bible. Each house has four bedrooms, three for children and one for the SOS mother; a veranda, a kitchen, sala/dining room and comfort and washing rooms.
Four of the family houses are ready for occupancy while eight more are undergoing construction. Unlike ordinary orphanages, the houses are not fenced and blend with the community.
Siddhartha Kaul, SOS Children’s Villages deputy secretary-general for Asia, explained that the objective of the organization is to provide a family for children who “lost” their biological families by way of being orphaned or whose parents can no longer support them.
“From newborn to 13 years old are accepted and supported by SOS to have normal family lives until they are already self-supporting,” he said. Kaul added they operate more than 500 villages in 132 countries with 300,000 children under their different programs.
They have six million members world-wide who contribute regularly for the organization. “We have also sponsorship and donation programs and in the Philippines, we conduct fund-raising activities to raise necessary funds,” he said.
Bien Delgado, SOS Philippines national director, said the organization is already 42 years old in the country and has established so far nine villages, Bataan being the ninth. “SOS is well-accepted in the Philippines and we targeted the establishment of 12 villages by 2016,” he said.
Each village has 12 family houses of ten children per family house or a total of 120 children in every village. Each family house is under the care of an SOS mother who remains single or unmarried while under the organization.
Ma. Leah Alerma, 24, of Basey, Samar, said she has mixed emotion while acting as mother of the children. She said she has the feeling of nervousness but at the same time excitement for being a new mother.
“I will stay single because I want to prioritize the children and give them the care that a real mother does,” the SOS mother who used to be an SOS auntie said. An auntie serves as assistant to the mother.
SOS mothers have for their main task household chores but Alerma said they would not like the children to grow totally dependent of them. “Tuturuan namin sila sa trabahong bahay ,” she said.
On the children’s schooling, she said they will be supported by the SOS family until college depending on their educational capabilities.
Children are children whatever their status in life is. They dreamed of being professionals some day. Many wanted to be teachers while some like to be nurses and one a pilot.
Some who were not orphaned have not seen their mother or father for years. Angel Bendal, a 7-year old girl from Sta. Rosa, Pilar, Bataan, said she misses her father and mother. She said she has many brothers and sisters.
“Nalulungkot ako at umiiyak kapag umaalis na ang papa at mama ko sa pagdalaw sa akin sa Munting Tahanan,” the little girl said as she tried to resist her tears and hide her sadness by a faint smile.
Luz Gacutan of Munting Tahanan, a Catholic orphanage in Balanga City, said Angel belongs to a very poor but large family who resides by a river in Sta. Rosa. She said the night before and until the morning of Friday when she endorsed the children to the SOS Children’s Villages in Mariveles, she and the kids were all crying.
“Parang ina na nila ako at turing ko sa kanila mga tunay kong anak kaya nalulungkot din ako sa paghihiwalay namin,” Gacutan, called “Mommy” by the children, said. “Tiyak iiyak po ako at ang ibang mga bata dito kung aalis na si Mommy sapagka’t mabait po siya sa amin,” a little girl said.
Salvador “Buddy” Ramirez is director/father of the SOS children’s Villages in Mariveles. He is assisted by a social worker, educators and office staff aside from the SOS mothers and aunties in running the family houses.
Archbishop Fernando Capalla of Davao, chairman of SOS Children’s Villages in the Philippines, officiated in the blessing of the two-storey buildings located at the Golden Heights Subdivision in Mt. View just adjacent to the Bataan superhighway.
The houses were called Houses of Susanna, Leah, Rebecca and others named after famous mothers in the Bible. Each house has four bedrooms, three for children and one for the SOS mother; a veranda, a kitchen, sala/dining room and comfort and washing rooms.
Four of the family houses are ready for occupancy while eight more are undergoing construction. Unlike ordinary orphanages, the houses are not fenced and blend with the community.
Siddhartha Kaul, SOS Children’s Villages deputy secretary-general for Asia, explained that the objective of the organization is to provide a family for children who “lost” their biological families by way of being orphaned or whose parents can no longer support them.
“From newborn to 13 years old are accepted and supported by SOS to have normal family lives until they are already self-supporting,” he said. Kaul added they operate more than 500 villages in 132 countries with 300,000 children under their different programs.
They have six million members world-wide who contribute regularly for the organization. “We have also sponsorship and donation programs and in the Philippines, we conduct fund-raising activities to raise necessary funds,” he said.
Bien Delgado, SOS Philippines national director, said the organization is already 42 years old in the country and has established so far nine villages, Bataan being the ninth. “SOS is well-accepted in the Philippines and we targeted the establishment of 12 villages by 2016,” he said.
Each village has 12 family houses of ten children per family house or a total of 120 children in every village. Each family house is under the care of an SOS mother who remains single or unmarried while under the organization.
Ma. Leah Alerma, 24, of Basey, Samar, said she has mixed emotion while acting as mother of the children. She said she has the feeling of nervousness but at the same time excitement for being a new mother.
“I will stay single because I want to prioritize the children and give them the care that a real mother does,” the SOS mother who used to be an SOS auntie said. An auntie serves as assistant to the mother.
SOS mothers have for their main task household chores but Alerma said they would not like the children to grow totally dependent of them. “Tuturuan namin sila sa trabahong bahay ,” she said.
On the children’s schooling, she said they will be supported by the SOS family until college depending on their educational capabilities.
Children are children whatever their status in life is. They dreamed of being professionals some day. Many wanted to be teachers while some like to be nurses and one a pilot.
Some who were not orphaned have not seen their mother or father for years. Angel Bendal, a 7-year old girl from Sta. Rosa, Pilar, Bataan, said she misses her father and mother. She said she has many brothers and sisters.
“Nalulungkot ako at umiiyak kapag umaalis na ang papa at mama ko sa pagdalaw sa akin sa Munting Tahanan,” the little girl said as she tried to resist her tears and hide her sadness by a faint smile.
Luz Gacutan of Munting Tahanan, a Catholic orphanage in Balanga City, said Angel belongs to a very poor but large family who resides by a river in Sta. Rosa. She said the night before and until the morning of Friday when she endorsed the children to the SOS Children’s Villages in Mariveles, she and the kids were all crying.
“Parang ina na nila ako at turing ko sa kanila mga tunay kong anak kaya nalulungkot din ako sa paghihiwalay namin,” Gacutan, called “Mommy” by the children, said. “Tiyak iiyak po ako at ang ibang mga bata dito kung aalis na si Mommy sapagka’t mabait po siya sa amin,” a little girl said.
Salvador “Buddy” Ramirez is director/father of the SOS children’s Villages in Mariveles. He is assisted by a social worker, educators and office staff aside from the SOS mothers and aunties in running the family houses.
