One of the beneficiary of the Raffle Ticket of Rebap Marikina went to Cottolengo Filipino. Last January 2, 2009 a group of REBAP MRCI headed by CRB Lita Bugay and CRB Malu Llado visited Cottolengo. It is an unforgetable experience. Seeing those special children holding you so tight, smiling at you and hugging you is a heartbreaking one and could not help but shed a tears. These special children are orphaned or abandoned or neglected by their parents but looking at the institution you can see the love of the priest and volunteers taking care of them.

Cottolengo Filipino is a non – stock, non – profit religious and non – government organization licensed and accredited by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). It is owned and managed by the Sons of Divine Providence Congregation founded by Saint Luigi Orione, an apostle of charity and father of the poor.  Its aim is to serve the most poor, abandoned, neglected, surrendered persons with disabilities.

start stop back fwd

Their mission and goal is to give the special children a home to live and the possibility to be rehabilitated. To date, Cottolengo are helping 85 children in two groups: 40 orphans abandoned disabled children with multiple disabilities (physical and/or mental) who live in the center. They also assist other 45 poor disabled children from the nearby community who come daily to their institution to receive free special education in their SPED center and also basic medical assistance and physiotherapy.

Cottolengo Programs:

Cottolengo Filipino primary program is to give the abandoned disable children the respect they deserve and to provide for their basic needs: a loving home to live, healthy alimentation, the necessary care and medical attention and a possibility to be rehabilitated through physical and occupational therapy, socialization, sports, music therapy and any other means that can contribute to the physical, emotional and spiritual development of the children.

1. Residential Care: homelike environment where the children can feel respected and loved. It provides well-balanced and organized non-formal activities designed to assist in the tratment and rehabilitation of the children. With the donations of sponsors, benefactos and the assistance of volunteers we provide happy and healthy environement. "visitors are always surprised to find the children so happy and smiley in spite of their problems"..."they don't look like orphans."
2. Medical Treatment: refers to the provision of care, treatment and maintenace of the physical, mental and nutritional well-being of the clients. Our volunteer doctors/nutricionist visit us every week to check and monitor the condition of the children and make sure that they receive proper medical attention.
3. Physical Therapy: therapeutic activities designed to improve the weak muscles of either ot both lower or upper extremities with the presribed medical techniques of massaging and other exercises of the muscles
4. Occupational Therapy: therapeutical acitivities aimed at enabling clients to have the opportunities to restore, recover lost manual abilities and learn new skills. this is designed to regain self-confidence and respect as well as, economic usefulness.
5. Special Education (SPED): refers to the provision of opportunities for continuing education through formal, non-formal and special education. It is considered a very important component in improving the rehabilitation and develpment potentials and competencies of the chilren to prepare them for self-relience, productivity and independent living. With the help of foundations in the Philippines and abroad, we are able to provide free special education to the orphans and poor disabled children of the nearby community.
6. Social Services: are inteventions seeking to treat rehabilitate and/or develp the social functioning of traumatized clients. A multidisciplinary team plan including utilization of appropriate social work interventions is prepared for each child, starting from admition to discharge, including social preparation for the ultimate reunification and reintegration with the family, or to an alternative/substitute family care. The process of helping the child from admition to discharge is known as Case Management.
7. Value Formation & Spiritual Enrichment: this is a vital service rendered to the children in facilitating the develpment of healthy positive values and atitudes towards themselves, with others and to enhance a fervent relationship with God. Among other activities we offer catechism and weekly Holy Mass.