Our work in the Philippines

Many lack basic necessities including safe shelter, nutritious food, healthcare, and clean water for drinking and sanitation. Without access to education and stable employment, this cycle of poverty continues.

The Sisters of Mary Philippine programmes were founded by Father Al Schwartz and officially started work in the Philippines in 1985 at the request of His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin, Archbishop of Manila.

The programmes which were initially set up in Cavite, near Manila, responded to the extreme poverty in the country and the desperate difficulties of its very vulnerable children. That poverty continues to affect millions of families today. In the poorest communities families scavenge in city rubbish dumps and by the roadsides. They migrate to these places in the hope of good employment prospects and regular income but without education only menial, low paid jobs are available and with little income there is no hope of access to an education or a better future for their children.

As well as live-in accommodation and full-time care, the children receive healthcare and an education accredited by the Ministry of Education. Supported by full-time teachers, the children study the full syllabus of academic subjects from age 12 to 18. They also have TESDA  (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) accredited technical training to learn skills which are relevant to vacancies with local employers and will help them find work.

Our support has never been more needed. The poorest Filipino communities have been devastated by the impact of Covid-19. Families who relied on low paid menial jobs have lost this vital work and with very little state support they are facing starvation. With schools closed, their vulnerable children have lost all access to education and the essential interventions it provides like school feeding. Demand for places at our schools, which have remained open throughout, has never been higher.