Child Sponsorship Background from Calbayog, Philippines

SOS Children's Village Calbayog

In 1972, the third SOS Children's Village of the Philippines was built in Calbayog in Samar Island, the third largest island of the Philippines.  SOS Children's Village Calbayog consists of a number of family houses, the village director's house and a community house.  There is an SOS Primary School, which is also open to children from the local neighbourhood.  In the school's classrooms, hundreds of students can be taught.  The school also has a library, an assembly hall with a common room and an administration area.

Other SOS Projects in Calbayog

Next to the school, there is an SOS Social Centre, which provides child day care, counselling and psychological care to the population of the neighbourhood.  The SOS Social Centre consists of two rooms for the day-care centre, a kitchen and dining room for the food programme, two offices, a library and a classroom for counselling and education.

In 2007, SOS Children's Villages launched its family strengthening programmes in Calbayog.  These programmes are intended to support families at risk of abandoning their children and to encourage families to stay together.  SOS Children therefore works with local authorities and other service providers to support families and enable them to take good care of their children.  Family strengthening programmes provide nutritional, educational and health support as well as vocational training, career counselling sessions and job placement support.  Families are linked with existing self-help groups; if there is no group, a new one is formed.  The programmes also aim at raising awareness of hygiene and child rights and improving people's parenting skills.

In the town centre of Calbayog, there is an SOS Youth Facility.  Older boys from the SOS Children's Village normally move to the SOS Youth Facility when they start a vocational training course or go on to higher education.  With the support of qualified youth workers, they develop realistic perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder responsibility and increasingly make their own decisions.  They are encouraged to develop team spirit and build up contacts with relatives and friends, as well as with the relevant authorities and potential employers.

In 1989, a home for retired SOS mothers was constructed.

Background to Calbayog

Calbayog city is located in the province of Samar Island (third largest island), Philippines, and lies along the coastal area of this province.  It has 157 barangays and a population of in excess of 160,000 people.  The city itself has three districts.  Originally a town, the city dates back to the late nineteenth century.  It's total land area is more than 90,000 hectacres comprising plain and hilly areas with an elevation which, in places, reaches 20 metres above sea level.  As a result, flooding is minimal as rivers and streams flow to the sea.  The wind and rainfall varies according to season and is prone to typhoons.