Beneficiary Communities
The term community is a social concept rather than geographical one. It refers to the community of person living in the homes for persons with disability, whether in Metro Manila or else where.
Paraplegics who attended the organizational meeting of WDFP in 1975 came mostly from the homes affiliated with the Philippine Council of Cheshire Homes. Residence of these homes are the primary beneficiaries of the services and programs of WDFP.
The term community however does not preclude persons with disability outside the Cheshire Scholarship Program, the Annual Retreat of Paraplegics, Sports Program as well as the recreation activities. The Seminar-Workshop, counseling service as well as placement ad referral services are open to all persons with disability who seeks assistance from WDFP.
The beneficiary homes in Metro Manila are as follows:
- Bahay Mapagmahal I & Bahay Mapagmahal II
- Bahay Biyaya Student Hostel
- Balay Kahirup
- Sinagtala Home (Boys & Girls)
- Bahay Pangarap
- Bahay Kakayahan
- Bahay Liwanag
- Bahay San Lorenzo Ruiz
"Bahay Mapagmahal" meaning "Loving" is a dormitory for Crippled Children within the compounds of the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC). This was established in 1973 in answer to the needs of any youngsters enrolled in the SChooled for Crippled Children, and the Physically Handicapped in the POC Compound. The dormitory has now a total of 22 residents with varying nature and degree of disabilities. This home is suported through donations and contributions from civic-minded residents as well as direct assistance from the Philippine Society for Crippled Children, Inc. and the Philippine Orthopedic Hospital.
Through the efforts of another ICM Sister, Sister Ross, the Rondolla on Wheels was established ably guided by Prof. Tallada as a volunteer music instructor. The performances of this group is outstanding as this music-therapy becomes a molder in discipline as well as in art.
In addition, these promising disabled youngsters are lifting themselves-from the act of their former hopelessness, ajd are fully capable of earning to a certain degree their own subsistence. They perform occassionally for parties, hotels, concerts and in this way they become real attraction to other young people which facilitates greatly their efforts toward mainstreaming themseles into the different schools.
Because of the great number of handicapped children desiring to enroll at the School for Crippled Childre, Bahay Mapagmahal I can no longer accomodate then because of limited space. Bahay Mapagmahal II was established in Sta. Lucia, Novaliches, Quezon City where 16 chldren attend teh extension classes of the school. The home is suppor
Bahay Biyaya Student Hostel is the biggest home for physically handicapped students studying in the different colleges and univerisities in Manila and Quezon City. Located at 8 St. Michael Street, Cubao, Quezon City, it provides educational support services to disabled high school and college students. These services include counseling, transportation, tuitio, accomodation and lodging, books and school supplies, as well as library facilities.
At present, the hostel accomodates from 20-30 disabled students both boys and girls
Admission to the hostel is by recommendation of the parish priest of the locality where the students come from. Generall, however, majority of the students are recommended by missionary priests and nuns. Applicant must have a minimmum grade of 80% for high school and 2.5 for college. The applicant must demonstrates independence in activities of independence of dailky living and must be free from infectious diseases such as tuberculosis.
The hostel has its support staff consisting of Director of Education, dormitory matron, cook, janitor, and a driver. While at the hostel, the students are exposed to the activities of independent living. They clean their own rooms and bathrooms and have specific assignmens in the kitchen to help in the preparation of food, serving the table, washing the dishes and cleaning of the dining area. Once a week, they have the Bibliarasal conductd by a qualified theologians. Occassionaly, they aslo go out on excursion and picnics.
Bahay Biyaya Student Hostel is a home away from home to the disabled students. A homely atmosphere is created along side with the imposition of strict discipline as regards to the compliance of the rules and regulations set by the foundation.
Located at 1149 J.P. Rizal Street, Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City. Balay Kahirup was established in 1986 to serve as a home for female paraplegics. This home was once an old abandoned chapel owned by the Augustinian Order. The foundation renovated it ti make it habitale.
There are now twelve severly disabled female residents, some are ulti-handicapped. The residents are all wheelchair level disbaled. Some of the younger ones have mental disability as well. The older ones are engaged in sewing and crocheting while two special education teachers give thier full tie teacing to the younger who are deprived of normal schooling.
Several among them are completely abandoned, but by normal situation of schooling, they can normmalizw their interaction with each other as well as with friends - volunteers job in making the more attractive abd by giving some hardwork so idleness won't dominate them. By being busy they are useful and their spirits brightened.
Bukang Liwayway
This homes was re-established by the foundation in 1985 by forgin a lease-contrat of five years and renewable with Dona Aurora Aragon Quezon Memorial Foundation. Located at 950 Arliguw St., Quiapo, Manila. It is an ideal place for the disabled to ply their livelihood ativities. A total of nine male disabled are residing at the ground floor, any some of them are engaged in watch reparir,shoe repair selling charity sweepstakes tickets and tending a sari-sari store.
Their activities contribute towards their normalization, integration, and mainstreaming into society. In addition, paraplgic students are also housed as their schools in the vicinity.
The second floor has been converted into a ladies dormitory and the income derived from the room rentals help support the maintenance and operation of the home.
The first and only Cheshire Home in the Philippines was established in 1966. It is called "Sinagtala," meaning "Star of Hope." Started only with eleven severely disabled residents in 1966, it has now increased to twnety-one (21) male residents. In addition, a new Sinagtala Home for the Girls which was established in 1968 answers the growing need of a home for female paraplegics, who like their male counterparts, had no where to go after being discharged from the Phiippine Orthopedic Center. There are now eleven female residents in this house. It is financially supported in part by a group of charitable Filipino citizens and in part by the earnings of the residents themselves.
The home which is quite advanced in comparison with the other homes is "Bahay Pangarap," meaning "Dream House." Formerly intended as a Junior Cursillo House, it was acquired after an initial payment of P20,000.00. There are now twenty seven (27) residents of varying disabilities doing all kinds of woodworks. The house is partially supported by a group of civiv-minded people and the rest of the maintenance is borne by the residents themselves. This was 1971. The sheltered employment, which means "adaptation to the needs of the disabled worker" has had its up and downs and was ably carried through with the generous volunteer services of I.C.M Sisters as well as Mr. J. Pineda, who became their project-developer in so many ways.
Any of the residents-paraplegics have been able to normalize their full integration into the community and a sustained effort to work seriously on whatever woodwork job was demanded, and was crowned with success. This restored their human dignity and confidence to themselves to continue living in hope and make the best choice for themselves and for their families. Through the generosity of forieign donors, some housing projects got off the ground and now allow work for these families to live unite with their next of kins. The capacity to earn restored their role as a family head and made the disabled respected in their environment.
"Kakayahan," meaning "Abilities," started in Novemeber 30, 1968. It has a tremendous story of its own because of the great struggle of its beginings. It is now a lived-In-Sheltered Workshop where sixteen (16) paraplegics, amputees and one quadriplegic live and work together. They are engaged in the production of items made of carabao horn. Their products are patronized mostly by tourists and foreigners. They earn a regular salary, plus oe sack of rice montly to complement their efforts. Several inmmateshave married have now families of their own,which they can support like the non-disabled people in the neighborhood.
"Liwanag" meaning "Light" was established in 1974 for the more severly disabled, completely dependent on others. The Mother Butler's Mission Guild took ably charge of their expenses, including the monthly rentals as the years passed by.
At present, 3 paraplegics residents work at Bahay Kakayahan which is located in the same community.
Located at burgos., Escopa, Project 4, Quezon City, the home was purchased by the foundation in 1988 to provide living quarters to the disabled undergoing training at the National Vocational Rehabilitiation Center (NVRC). They profit from the nearness of their quarters to the training center.
At present, there are eight residents including a newly married couple. The male is a paraplegic while the female is able-bodied, the couple manages the home. The residents consists of the blind and other paraplegic attending classes at the nearby computer center.
There, the foundation intends to house special young disabled and not so young ones with special needs. They will benefit more from the unpolluted air as well as restful surrounding, more catered towards healthful living.
- Bahay San Jose
- Bahay San Jose
- Bahay San Pedro
- Bahay San Pablo
Those in the provinces are as follows.
Brgy. Upli, San Alfonso, Cavite
Established in 1984 at Barrio Upli, Alfonso, Cavite, Bahay San Jose was acquired by the Foundation from the Asunion family whose lot lies adjacent to the one-hectare farm donated by the John Ver Foundation to theHouse With No Steps Foundation. Since then, the two storey structure became the permanent home of twelve multi-handicapped children mostly on wheelchair suffering from celebral palsy, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, autism, mental retardation, spasticity and muscular dystrophy. The home provides staff-support personnel including a house mother, cook, laudry-woman and a utility boy.
The religious group of Brothers of Saint John of God and Religious Sisters are engaged in regular teaching in the home. A special education teacher who taught the kids in previous year is now assigned in Sinag-Tala Home for Boys in Quezon City.
Bahay San Jose is a site for food production program of the foundation. Its one-hectare lot is planted with coffee, bananas, pineapple, sayote, calamansi and other short term crops. The food production program is tendered by a full agriculurist and two helpers.
50 Rizal St., Sta. Barbara, Iloilo
Brgy. Caracte, Bustos, Bulacan
Pandi, Bulacan