SOS Children becomes beacon of hope for needy children of soldiers in the Philippines

SOS Children's Villages Philippines pledged support and commitment for shaping the lives of the children of soldiers who fell for the country. The question of looking after the offspring of deceased military personnel has been considered a challenge and a very emotional decision for a long time; hence, the Armed Forces of the Philippines have put their faith in the childcare model of SOS Children's Villages.

SOS Children's Villages entered a formal agreement with the Armed Forces of the Philippines for co-operating as partners in providing care to orphaned and abandoned children and families of soldiers who were killed in action and those who lost their lives in the line of duty. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was formally signed by Archbishop Fernando R. Capalla, chairman and president of the National Board of Trustees of SOS Children's Villages Philippines and General Victor S. Ibrado, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, in a ceremony held at the Armed Forces headquarters in Quezon City on 20 July 2009. Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel graced the event, along with members of the national board and national office staff of SOS Children's Villages Philippines.

General Ibrado extended his sincerest gratitude and congratulations to SOS Children's Villages Philippines for being 'catalysts for the Filipino children's development and for giving wholehearted support to the orphaned children of our fallen comrades'. This is how he put it: 'They have sacrificed like their fathers whom they have lost either in battle or in other circumstances while in the line of duty. We know how hard life has been for them, and they do deserve to have the best for their future. With programmes such as these, our soldiers will now have peace of mind since they have been guaranteed a brighter future for their children and that they will continue to experience having a family to look after them.'

Archbishop Capalla said in his keynote message, 'This afternoon's programme is a representation of this commitment. All of us gathered here today are witnesses to the realization of this partnership. In the next few days and months, we will be helping orphaned children, who only have a bleak future to look forward to when their father or mother was killed in action. It is for that reason that we at SOS Children's Villages Philippines set the goal of helping these orphaned children, of providing them not merely with a new roof over their heads, but with a permanent home.'

This partnership will also enable SOS Children's Villages Philippines to reach out to families of deceased military personnel through family strengthening programmes. This will help ensure that no child be left alone. Through this assistance, the children can stay with their own families who are the source of their strength in carrying on the legacy of their soldier-parents. Armed Forces of the Philippines would also explore the ways of adopting and implementing programmes and projects based on SOS Children's Villages' guiding principles and expertise.

This noble work is truly compassion in action. Children of these brave Filipino soldiers, stricken by an unkind fate, will now be able to take heart once again, to rediscover the positive side of life and, as they move forward into adulthood, make their contribution to continuing this commitment in future.

Having established its eighth SOS Children's Village in Bataan at Central Luzon this year means the organisation has reached out to almost each part of the country; in 2007, upon completing 40 years of SOS Children's Village activities in the country, President of the Philippines Ms Gloria Macapagal Arroyo awarded a Presidential Citation to the organisation for its unique contribution - transforming numerous tormented tender lives and making them productive citizens!