Food for the Hungry Int'l/ Philippines

Fairview Center, Manila

Fairview is one of the District of Quezon City. Barangay Holy Spirit and Republic are two of the poorest Barangays in Fairview assisted by FHI/Philippines through the Child Development Program (CDP).

FHI/Philippines is in partnership with 2 Christian churches in the area with the aim of ministering to the whole needs of the individual and families in the communities we work with.

Child Development Program helped parents to meet school needs of sponsored children, assist in the payment of school tuition fees and school projects. Since all CDP children are attending public school, books has been inadequate as well as other school materials, FHI helped assist in meeting said needs to improve the quality of education. All CDP sponsored children received their annual medical and dental check-up.

Physical Features:

Fairview has a total land area of 8,221,1573 sq. m. Although the soil is fertile, there is no room to plant vegetables due to the crowded living conditions. The community is susceptible to natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes and monsoon rains that cause floods, especially in areas near the creek.

Ethnicity and Language:

Residents come from various provinces, the Visayas and Ilocanos. The primary local language/dialect are Pilipino, Visaya and Ilocano. The trade of official language is Pilipino.

Situation of Children

Children are exposed to all forms of abuse and sickness, and 90% of those under six years old are malnourished. Their parents are so busy in their struggle for daily survival that they often fail to attend to the needs of their children. They also may, directly or indirectly, contribute to the abuse and maltreatment of their children by not protecting the children's right to safety, even inside their own homes.

Child Development Program could help make a difference in the life of a child in the community. The children can developed their full potentials and will be given the chance to meet some of her rights which was denied because of poverty and other circumstances. [TOP]

Spiritual

Prior to sponsorship, CDP children had no knowledge of the Word of God and only a superficial knowledge of Jesus (e.g., they know His name and that He lives in heaven). The spiritual nurtured provided through Bible studies and values formation activities have helped a number of the children gain a better understanding of God and the importance of studying His Word. [TOP]

Intellectual/Vocational Situation

One reason for the inability of the children to complete their education is that they are often required to work by their parents to help support their families. Of those that do attend school, many are forced to quit because they cannot afford to buy the supplies necessary to complete their assigned projects and received a passing grade. Others are kicked out of school because of their involvement with gangs and fraternities that cause trouble on and off the school campus.

Most public schools lacks desks, chairs and materials which affects the quality of education. In comparison with private schools, the curriculum of private schools are more advance. The reason why there is a need for tutorial and supplemental teaching at home to poor children attending public schools. [TOP]

Social/Moral Situation

There is deterioration with regard to the social and moral values of children. Parents and other adults complain about the behavior and attitude of the children now compared to when they were young. They say the children are hard headed, have no respect for adults, are cruel and have low regard for education. There are often drug addictions in the children's family and/or a poor relationship between the parents, both of which add to the child's miserable living conditions. [TOP]

Physical (Health) Situation

Parents are not able to provide adequate food for their children because of the large number of children, low income of the father and the high cost of food. Generally, the children appear to be malnourished and lacking in personal hygiene. This, in combination with their dirty and crowded living environment, contributed to their sickness. Although immunization are available at the local Barangay Health Center, the children cannot afford the jeep ride to reach the health center. [TOP]

Emotional Development

The emotional state of the children is unstable. There children looks like mature at their age because of their early exposure to work and lack in nutrition. Another problem is their parents. Fathers are involve in gambling, drunkard etc. and the quarrel of their parents makes them ashamed.

Although they may appear mature due to malnutrition and labor, emotionally the children are often unstable and immature. Factors which contribute to their immortality and instability include poor parenting, the frequent involvement of their fathers in gambling and alcohol abuse, and poor relationship between their parents. [TOP]

Food for the Hungry Philippines Inc.
P.O Box 3022, Manila 2800 Philippines

Fairview Center

Other Communities

Main road in Fairview

Road leading to Republic area

Republic area