The volunteer program invites persons from abroad and from the local community to lend a helping hand with their projects. If accepted into the program, volunteers will be invited to join our team, lending us assistance to manage and grow our programs at Stairway and at Baclayan. Over the years, we’ve had incredible work done by our volunteers and have managed to maintain lifetime friendships along the way.  

The situation of children in the Philippines is not in accordance with the rights stipulated under the CRC. The extreme poverty and widespread corruption in the country creates an abusive and neglectful environment for people, with children being the most severely affected. The Philippine state does not appear to respect, protect and fulfil its obligations under international law. Other agents, such as NGOs therefore assume responsibility to fulfil the needs of children. Many children are maltreated and in need of rehabilitation.

This thesis is based on a field study focusing on the work performed by two NGOs in the Philippines that help children renew their lost childhood. The aim is to draw attention to the needs the child has in their development and wellbeing, especially the need for play and creativity. Two needs that tend to get overlooked in the assessment of the best interest of the child.

From Street to Stage

Theater as a Communicative Strategy for Recovery, Rehabilitation and Empowerment of Center-Based Street Children By : BELEN D. CALINGACION

This present study attempts to examine the responses and experiences of street children and youth involved in a creative endeavor, in particular, the use of performance arts such as theater in transforming lives.

If gestures could produce voices, then the place aptly called “the contemplation room” where we had our CSAP session for 13 selected Deaf students from De La Salle College of Saint Benilde organized by the School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies last March 12-13, would have been filled with audible laughter, debates and conversations. Yet, even with the absence of “sound”, it still felt that I can still understand what they were trying to convene thru the emotions they were projecting, while the interpreter transformed these messages into something more cognitive. For two days, it was like listening to the sounds of their souls.