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NEWS
THE Children's home
We are delighted to share some wonderful news! After many months of hard work, countless hours, and the unwavering dedication of our social workers, Philippine Outreach Centre Children's Home (POCCH) has officially received its DSWD Accreditation.
By God's grace, POCCH is now Licensed, Registered, and Accredited by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Certified under the NACC. Meeting the updated government requirements was a long and challenging process, requiring significant improvements and careful compliance in every area of our ministry. We praise God for His faithfulness in helping us through every step.
We would also like to express our deepest appreciation to our social workers, whose tireless commitment made this achievement possible.
Thank you to everyone who prayed for us, encouraged us, and faithfully supported this ministry. Your partnership has been a tremendous blessing, and we are grateful that together we can continue making a difference in the lives of children.
Although we celebrate this milestone, we continue to ask for your prayers. DSWD policies and requirements continue to evolve, and one of the greatest challenges we now face is the increasing emphasis on reunifying children with their biological families whenever capable relatives are available.
We wholeheartedly believe that, whenever possible, children belong with their families. However, the reality is often a little more complicated.
Many children return to relatives who struggle to provide the stability they need. Sadly, some children are no longer able to continue their education and are forced to work at a young age to help support their families. While DSWD monitors these cases, there is often limited enforcement regarding schooling once the children have returned home.
There are also children who want to remain at POCCH so they can complete their education and prepare for a better future. Unfortunately, when qualified relatives are available, DSWD regulations require us to facilitate family reunification.
As a result, fewer and fewer children are remaining in our homes long term. We do everything we can to ensure each child experiences a safe and well-planned transition, but once they leave our care, they are under DSWD supervision. This has been an emotional and sometimes discouraging season for our staff, yet we continue to trust God to guide us. Please pray that He would give us wisdom, open new doors, and continue to use POCCH to impact the lives of children in whatever way He leads. Because many of our children are children of inmates, we feel they are more vulnerable than most, so we are not as keen to have them re-integrated with their families as the DSWD perhaps are. Re-integration looks good on the records.
Please pray that the Lord keeps them in His love and care when they do leave us. We have the assurance that we can still make a big impact in the lives of children even if they are entrusted to us for a shorter amount of time. We have been so blessed in the past that the children were able to stay with us for the duration of their pre-school to high school days. It just means that we have to make greater use of the time that the Lord entrusts them to us, to sow the love of Jesus in their lives.
DEAR SPONSORS:
These new government requirements will affect our faithful sponsors. In the past some of you have seen our children all the way through school. Of course now it will mean that there will be a greater turn over of children in POCCH. Of course it is only due to your willingness to sponsor a child that we are able to reach out to the children at all. So we do hope that you understand our situation and that you will be willing to sponsor another child if ever your sponsored child is re-integrated with his or her family.
Answered Prayer:
Our Water Supply... In our last newsletter, we shared about the serious challenges we were experiencing with our water supply. We are so thankful to report that God has answered those prayers!
Our maintenance team drilled an additional 60 feet into our well and installed a new water pump. These improvements have restored a reliable water supply for our children's home.
Please Continue to Pray for Crystal
As Crystal has grown older her health has become increasingly complicated. We were referred to a specialist at a hospital in Bataan, approximately an hour and a half from POCCH, for further evaluation.
For many years we were told that Crystal had Cerebral Palsy. However, after further assessment, her doctors believe her condition is progressing in ways that are not typical of Cerebral Palsy. She has now been diagnosed with Xeroderma Pigmentosum, which explains many of the skin and eye complications she has experienced.
One of our greatest concerns now is her inability to eat. She frequently chokes, even on blended foods and has begun refusing most meals altogether. At present, we are only able to encourage her to eat yogurt and blended frozen fruits. She is scheduled to see a gastroenterologist to determine whether a feeding tube may be necessary to ensure she receives adequate nutrition.This has been a very difficult season for her. She really needs our prayers.
- Monique
click here for a downloadable version and for the previous issues
THE SCHOOL
Classes are now fully underway, and it’s been going really well! Apart from a couple of cancelled classes because of the weather (we’re well into the rainy season now), the students and teachers all seem happy to be back in school.
One thing that has been a little different this year is that so many of the teachers the students have known for years are no longer with us. Understandably, some of the students felt a little strange at first, but it has been wonderful to see how quickly they have gotten to know their new teachers. So far, everything has been running smoothly, and we are already seeing a lot of potential in our new staff. They have willing hearts, are eager to learn, and are excited to continue being trained. We are looking forward to seeing how the Lord uses them in the lives of our students.
One of the many challenges that comes with the rainy season is that it quickly exposes any problems with the roof. Thanks to so many of you who gave toward the recent repairs, we were able to replace several sections that desperately needed attention. We are incredibly thankful for that. Unfortunately, after the recent monsoon rainfalls, we’ve discovered there are still a few other areas leaking, particularly sections that were damaged during the last typhoon.
They had been repaired at the time, but it seems those repairs weren’t quite enough. Our maintenance team is currently investigating inside the roof to find exactly where the water is getting in, and we’re praying we can get it fixed before the next typhoon arrives.
We also have a big change coming later this year. Our School Principal, Madam Emerita Romero, has informed us that she will be retiring this coming September. She needs to undergo a procedure to repair her eyesight and will require about a month to recover. After much thought, she has decided that this is the right time to retire.
We are incredibly grateful for Madam Romero. She had already retired as a public school principal before coming to work with us, but when we needed a qualified principal, she graciously offered to help. At the time, we never imagined she would stay with us for four years, but through her leadership and experience our school has grown tremendously. While we completely understand—and agree—that she deserves to enjoy her retirement, she will certainly be missed. Over the past four years she has become much more than our principal; she has become a dear friend and leader to all of us.
As for me, I am in the final stages of completing my Master’s degree, which will qualify me to take over her position. Looking back, I can clearly see the Lord’s hand in bringing Madam Romero to POCCA. I have learned so much from her leadership, wisdom, and experience, and I know those lessons will continue to shape the way I lead the school in the years ahead.
- Aaron
prayer requests
“Please continue to pray for Veronica & Orlando for healing and deliverance of pain caused by cancer, and for Pastor Dondie’s heart.
Also, pray for God's favour for the next step
towards building the New School”
MORE UPDATES
POCF CHURCHES:
We would appreciate your prayers for our daughter churches in Bataan, Pampanga and Laguna Provinces as the rainy season with its monsoons and typhoons tends to hinder their church attendance. We thank the Lord however that there are still many who remain faithful in spite of the obstacles.
We praise God that the churches in Subic and San Isidro are growing steadily. Though I was laid aside for a while due to sickness, the Lord has given me renewed strength so I am now able to continue to help equip several church members who have the potential and the desire to preach and teach the word of God and also to motivate others to be involved and committed to other acts of service in the church.
My prayer also is that in addition to the seven preachers who we currently send out to minister in the various POCF churches, that there will be an additional three. Our Campers ministry led by Monique and Simeon focus on evangelism and they have reached many for the kingdom, who are faithfully attending the church. My prayer is that we will have at least 20 church members committed to evangelism to reach out to the lost here in Subic.
- Ptr. Dondie
Nathanael and I will be doing a ministry trip to the U.S. in October 2026. Lord willing we will also be raising support too for our “A City set on a Hill” school renovation project. To any of our U.S. supporters, please contact us on FB or email if you would like us to visit your church. We will start in the Texas area and end in Pennsylvania, but we would love to visit your state too!!!
A City Set On A Hill
We thank the Lord for Pastor David Bell and his sister Barbara’s who to continue working on the survey of the new school building (the Old Hospital Building). It is indeed a massive project as there are more than 100 rooms. As soon as we can, we will get an estimate for the cost of renovating the building one phase at a time, starting with the roof. We do thank and praise God for those who have so generously given already towards the roof. We plan to start that as soon as we possibly can. We would value your prayers and support for the school renovation. We are excited at what the Lord is going to do through this school. I believe many children and young people will not only come to know Christ, but will have a foundational training for future ministry.
- Chrissy
We would be deeply grateful if you would continue to lift Crystal in your prayers. Please pray for wisdom for her doctors, strength for those caring for her, comfort for her, and that God will sustain her through every step of this journey.
Thank you for faithfully standing with us through your prayers, encouragement, and generosity. Your partnership enables us to continue serving these children, and we are continually reminded that none of this ministry would be possible without God's faithfulness and friends like you.
Thank you all once again for your faithful love and support.
Together Let’s Make a Difference!
Love in Christ God bless,
Chrissy, Dondie & your POCM Family