The college SSVP of Colegio de SAN JOSE, Iloilo City, Philippines went to visit the children of SOS Village Iloilo on February 25 as one of their outreach services for this semester. With them was their club moderator and spiritual adviser. The group had a fruitful interaction with the staff and children of the institution. Seeing the happy faces of the children there made them realize that one can be happy despite of being far from her/his family as long as there are people who are generous of their love.

Contributed by: Roberta Simbajon

About Colegio de San José:

Founded in 1872, the Colegio de San José was the first Catholic School for girls in the Western Visayas in the Philippines. Reverend Father Ildefonso Moral, C.M., rector of the Jaro Archdiocesan Seminary, and Don Recardo Mascuñana signed the contract of its establishment on July 9, 1871.

On May 1, 1872 the Daughters of Charity opened a school to provide Christian education for girls. In 1877 they decided to give up the school for lack of resources. Bishop Mariano Cuartero of Jaro realized the need of the teaching and the catechetical services of the Sisters. He gave them full charge of the Escuela Municipal, a free school for the poor, located at Sta. Isabel and Lopez Jaena Streets. In 1892 Reverend Father Domingo Viera, C.M. and Mother Superior Sor Juana Goita, D.C., conceived the plan of constructing a college managed and owned by the Daughters of Charity. The Sisters were to continue managing the Escuela Municipal. With the help of the higher Superiors and new loyal benefactors, the work immediately started. In spite of the interruption of the Revolution of 1896, the new imposing Colegio de San Jose was inaugurated on March 19, 1896.

Cognizant of its vision-mission, Colegio de San Jose continues to grant scholarship privileges to the economically deprived but deserving youth of the community. This was made possible through the Marillac Grantees Program. The continuing development of Colegio de San Jose is a collaborative effort of committed administration, faculty, personnel, students, parents, and alumni journeying together toward an integrated academic and non-academic programs with Christian formation as the core permeating all its activities.

Source: http://csj.dcphilippines.org/

About SOS Children’s Villages:

SOS Children’s Villages has been working in the Philippines since 1967, and in Zarraga in Western Visayas since 2003. The children in the Philippines continue to face dreadful conditions and our organization provides families and children in need with support so that they can stay together. To read more, visit: SOS Children’s Villages