Manila Mission: the Sons of Mary in the Philippines

	The Sons of Mary, Health of the Sick opened a new Mission in the Philippines in 1984 when five Brothers arrived in Manila to begin the medical, catechetical and social work of the Order there. After several years of apostolic labor and consultation with the local church leaders, it was apparant that the Church needed to address the enormous problem which the presence of an estimated 50,000 "street children" represented. These were children, many of whom were as young as six or seven years old who, for one reason or another, had become disaffected from their families and were attempting to survive on their own on the teeming streets of Manila without the benefit of health care or education.
In 1989, the Sons of Mary opened the Pangarap Shelter in Pasay, the "airport section" of the inner-city Manila, with the goal of providing an experience of God's healing love for these street children. Pangarap, which means "hopeful dream" in the native language of Tagalog, expressed the hope that these youngsters could be restored to health of body, mind and spirit and become loving, responsible citizens of a society that acknowledges and is supportive of children's rights.
The shelter offers a homelike residential program for boys 8-17 years old, providing services that help them transition from street life. For those who continue to live in the street, there is a street education program, offering alternative education as well as health services. These children may also take advantage of our drop-in night shelter, where they can at least get a hot meal and a clean and safe place to sleep any night they wish.
In Addition to the Sons of Mary Brothers, the shelter, accredited by the Philippines Department of Social Welfare and Development, includes a large, professional staff to provide a rich assortment of services which include spiritual, medical, dental, psychological, nutritional, legal and recreational, among others.
Br. George Hungerman, FMSI with kids from the Pangarap Sheter (Christmas 2005)