Our Affiliated Site: The Pinagpala Children’s Center in Tagaytay City, Philippines

 

facts about the Pinagpala Children’s Center:

  • Ages Served: First – tenth grades (completion of tenth grade in the Philippines is equivalent to high school graduation in the United States). The center continues to offer support for students who pursue higher education and technical training after graduation.
  • Facility Description: The three-story building has a kitchen, storage area, and gathering room with a small stage.
  • Academic Year: In the Philippines, the school year typically begins in early June and ends in late March, with a short break in December.
  • Programs: Along with our sponsorship program, our volunteer coordinator at the center conducts rehabilitation clinics for parents and community members suffering from addiction.
  • Health Care: The center facilitates occasional medical clinics, which provide community members with immunizations, checkups and referrals to local hospitals as needed.
  • Basic Needs: The children gather at the center multiple times a week, where they receive food, hygiene items, medicine and vitamins, school supplies, clothes, and shoes. As with all of our affiliated sites, our volunteer coordinator determines the individual needs of each sponsored child, all which help them overcome the barriers they face coming from impoverished households. 

The Philippines comprise a vast island nation in Southeast Asia. This archipelago of more than 7,000 islands boasts sandy beaches, towering mountains and volcanoes, tropical rainforests and an incredible wealth of natural resources and biodiversity. Humans have called these islands home for thousands of years, predating historic records. Today, the Philippines incorporate a staggering number of languages, ethnic groups, religions and cultures.

Despite its status as an emerging market, however, nearly half of all Filipinos still earn less than $2 a day. Adequate sanitation, access to healthcare and access to potable water are still daily challenges in this widely underdeveloped country, which is also prone to typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic activity. The city of Tagaytay, located on the Island of Luzon, is no exception to these maladies. For children and families in the area, the Pinagpala Children’s Center serves as a beacon of hope where they are provided with daily educational and basic needs support. Established in 2000 by members of a local church, the Pinagpala Center (which means “blessed” in Tagalog), provides necessary tools to the community to help those living in poverty rise above the circumstances from which they come.