A Descriptive Study of Asociacion Damas De Filipinas Settlement House

Abstract

While some children are indulging in the luxury of being with their families and harbouring all the love and the care from their biological parents, others are left in the streets or in institutions that provide alternative care. The families of these children have conceded with the fact that they cannot, or they can no longer provide for the needs of this young soul for the time being. Thus, they have left the rearing and upbringing of their children in the hands of the state or in the hands of some organizations that are willing and able to administer the needs of the child. Asociacion Damas De Filipinas Settlement House is one of the oldest institution that renders foster care to disadvantaged children in the Philippines and within the Manila area in particular. It is located at 1451 President Quirino Avenue, Paco Manila. This institution has been in service for almost eighty nine years now since its establishment on September 26, 1913. The Settlement House is administered by a non-government organization called Asociacion Damas De Filipinas. This organization is composed of distinguished women from different sectors of society. The current president of this organization is Atty. Concepcion Recto. Asociacion Damas De Filipinas provides funding to the Settlement House through its resource generating arm named Fundacion Damas De Filipinas. Although much of the funds used to run the Settlement House come from donations of charitable individuals and institutions, Fundacion Damas De Filipinas establishes linkages with government and other non -government organization to generate more resources for the Settlement House. Asociacion Damas De Filipinas is currently employing eighteen individuals to serve in the three different divisions of the institution. These divisions are the Administrative division, the Services Division, and the Utilities division. All of these divisions are under the supervision of the Executive Director Ms. Maribeth Florido. The Settlement House has one resident Social Worker in the person of Ms. Girlie Flower who caters to the rehabilitation needs and treatment plans of all the children under the care of the orphanage. The Settlement House offers two kinds of services. These are the Residential Care Program that offers temporary shelter and alternative care to disadvantaged children and the Education Program that provides day care services to children ages four to six years old. As of the moment, the day care center has twenty (20) students while the orphanage is taking full responsibility over forty one (41) children. The settlement house believes that immediate and continuous satisfaction of the needs of the children should be given utmost significance. It recognizes the value of providing what is necessary for the development of the child in the earliest possible time. Since most of the children under their care must have went through complicated environments and relationships, ample and quality servicing of the child’s needs should be given priority. The development of the child is of paramount interest to the organization thus, their philosophy is anchored on giving the child all possible supplements that will compensate for his developmental needs. The institution would like to inculcate the values of patience, love, honesty, and righteousness in the minds of the children under their protection. Proper and adequate guidance, care, nurturing, and love are of their primary consideration. They believe that children grow very fast and time is such an elemental instrument that passes so swiftly. Whatever it is that they could do to make the child see the beauty and meaning of life should be done as soon as possible. Asociacion Damas De Filipinas was able to render quality care and services to its clients. For a fact, based on the results of the survey and the observations of the author, both the day care center and the orphanage were able to give the children enough faculties ‘and support that would promote development. Asociacion Damas De Filipinas was able to warrant its commitment for humanitarian services. It was able to prove that institutions rendering foster care and temporary shelter are important pillars of social service that serve not only the needy but the helpless members of the society as well.