St. Maria De Mattias Center Orphanage
#090 Ipil St. Marikina Heights, Marikina City
#9415166



“I recommend the care of all, especially the poor. How many poor little children are abandoned, let us have compassion on them” (MDM, Letters)


Short History
After the arrival of the ASC in the Philippines in 1991, another difficulty they immediately realized, was the access to the educational system, almost impossible for the less well- off. In fact it was easy to meet little ones abandoned by the parents and left on tgeir own. In 199, a daycare center opened its doors to the little ones of the area, who habitually wandered the muddy streets.
But that was not enough. Children were in need of a family to attend especially their need for constant love and protection. Compassion becomes action: On April 16, 2001, eight little ones find the warmth of a family again, in the hospitality and care of the sisters at "St. Gaspar orphanage". To these kids was given also the possibility to enroll in the school or to go back to their study for the ones who had stopped. The second year of activity, with the increasing number of requests, there was aneed for a bigger house. With the help of the Bari Province, a new house was bought to cater the needs of these little ones. Today, the center has already an accreditation and a license from the DSWD and other public institutions. Now it is known as "St. Maria De Mattias Center Orphanage", with 16 childrens.

Vision
st. Maria De Mattias Center envisions children and community with life of dignity and self reliancecommitted in the sevice of the family and society.

Mission
We commit ourselves in collaborating with Christ in his work of Redemption through the promotion of the absolute dignity of every person, particularly with the poor girls who are orphaned, neglected and depressed communities by providing them health care, formal education and Christian values formation.





Staff

Programs and Services


  1. Residential Care
    The Saint Maria De Mattias Center,Inc., takes care of the integral development of the neglected, abandoned, orphaned and physically impaired children. It offers free home accomodation for those children and youth from elementary until high school. they live in a family spirit together with the nuns.



  2. Educational Assistance
    Our program is focusing on primarily and secondary education. The girls are being sent to the school outside the center. They have also tutorial class apart from catechesis and computer class. this is in preparation for an independent living or their time of discharge from the center.

    Elementary



    Highschool



  3. Medical Care
    Provides health care, hospitalization and medicine.

  4. Case Management
    Includes caseworks, group work, individual and group counselling. Family therapy sessions and counselling are provided to ensure good family relationships and to prevent family conflicts. This being done for possible family reconcillation and to compromise wherever there is a matter of separation and miscommunication between the client and her family. This is to maintain harmonious relationship among themeselves and their social environment.



  5. Psychological and Psychiatric Services
    Bring the client to psychologist or psychiatrist for evaluationoutside or to other institutions, It only happens if we observe some cases of our clients who have unusual and violent behaviors and conflicts beyond our control.

  6. Values Formation and Character Building
    These are dspiritual enrichment activities that seek to enhance the moral and spiritual development of the children. We are teaching them catechism, they have nightly rosary afer dinner , regular Sunday Mass and on holidays of obligations, music, art and socializaton activities are also in placed.



  7. Sports and Recreation
    This is to develop their talents in sports and to learn to deal socially with others. They share the activity with other centers by a competition to greatly develop their socialization skills.




  8. Skills Training
    This is to develop more potentials by engaging in skills training especially during summer vacation. Example of these area card making for different occasions, cross stitching and etc.