A commitment for children of Filipino soldiers 

A growing number of Filipino children today find themselves in various situations of abuse, neglect, 'exploitation and violence brought about by various factors. Children of soldiers are not spared from these. They are separated from their father and would sometimes result to being orphaned. 

SOS Children's Villages Philippines continues to address the societal issue of child abandonment and reach out to the community to get to the heart of the problem. July 20, 2009 officially bind a new partnership between SOS Children's Villages Philippines and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to work together as partners in providing care to orphaned and abandoned children and families of soldiers who were killed in action and those who lost their lives in line of duty. 

A Memorandum of Understanding was formally signed by Archbishop Fernando R. Capalla, D.D., Chairman and President of the National Board of Trustees of SOS Children's Villages Philippines, and General Victor S. Ibrado, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The official signing happened at the GHQ Conference Room, GHQ Building of Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City. AFP officials and military personnel graced the said event along with members of the National Board and National Office staff of 50s Philippines. As Archbishop Capalla conveyed in his Keynote Message, "This afternoon's program is a representation of this commitment. All of us gathered here today are witnesses to the realization of this partnership. In the next few days and months, we will be helping orphaned children, who only have a bleak future to look forward to when their father or mother was killed in action. It is for that reason that we at SOS Children's Villages Philippines set the goal of helping these orphaned children, of providing them not merely with a new roof over their heads, but 'with a new and permanent home." 

This partnership will also enable SOS Philippines to extend to families of deceased AFP military personnel in military villages the Family Strengthening Programs. This will help ensure that no child will be left alone. Through this assistance, these children can stay in their own families, who are the source of their strength in carrying on the legacy of their soldier-parents. It will also explore to assist AFP in adopting and implementing similar programs and projects based on the SOS guiding principles and expertise. 

General lbrado verbally expressed his sincerest gratitude and congratulations to SOS Children's Villages Philippines for being "catalysts for the Filipino children's development and for giving a wholehearted support to the orphaned children of our fallen comrades". As in his words, "They have sacrificed like their fathers whom have lost either in battle or in other circumstances while in the line of duty. We know how hard life has been for them, and they do deserve to have the best for their future. With programs such as this, our soldiers will now have the peace of mind since they have been guaranteed a brighter future for their children and that they will continue to experience having a family to look after them. 

This noble work is truly compassion in action. Children of these brave Filipino soldiers, stricken by an unkind fate, will now be able to take heart once again, to rediscover the positive side of life and, as they move forward into adulthood, make their contribution in continuing this commitment in the future.