Philippines

Letter from Compassion Philippines Director, Noel Pabiona

Dear Sponsor,

I am Noel Pabiona, and I have been the Compassion Philippines Country Director for 13 years now. I am a proud father of two boys, Nathan and TJ. Just like me, both my sons love sports, having fun and ministering to little children and the poor. My boys constantly remind me to be a patient and responsible father, which in turn, reminds me of my heavenly Father’s love and amazing patience for me.

Compassion has worked in the Philippines for more than 45 years. Today, we have 349 projects reaching out to around 85,000 children across the islands.

Our country is made up of 7,100 islands and this can be a challenge in traveling. Yet, whenever I have time and reason, I visit our projects to meet as many children as I can. I have personally talked with many of the sponsored children and their families, and seen how sponsorship truly works. I have met several Compassion-sponsored teens who tell me that if not for their sponsorship, they would most probably be like many of the unsponsored teenagers in their community: unschooled, drug dependent or pregnant, without hope. Our teens study hard, contribute to society and are respectful to their parents.

Thanks to you, thousands of Filipino children now know God, live responsible lives and have hope for the future. I am living here in the Philippines—the nearest projects are just 10 minutes away by car—and there is truth when I say that your sponsorship works. I can see it personally.

Although public education is free, not all Filipino families send their children to school. A handful would rather have their children work so they could earn even a little for their families, even if it meant working in harmful conditions such as scavenging, quarrying and fishing. Some parents are also too lazy to play the role of mentors to their own children, and so do not encourage their children to study or do well in life.

My vision is to reach out to even more children. Eighty-one thousand seems to be a large number, but this is insignificant compared to our country’s total population of 102 million, where 12 million are still living in extreme poverty. In 2017, my focus is on giving every registered child the chance to be a disciple in the way of our Saviour. This, I believe, is what makes Compassion stand out. Not only do we give children hope, we also give them a chance to find eternal hope in Jesus; not only do we equip them for life, we also challenge them to give back and touch the lives of others.

Our church partners are doing a remarkable job in ministering to the children. Most of our partners serve the children beyond what is required in Compassion’s program. The need and vulnerability of the children compel them to do so. They reach out to the families and communities, and often initiate community development projects to support the local government. In most cases, our churches are more equipped, reliable and successful in their initiatives than the local government.

Finally, I would like to let you know that each letter you send to your sponsored child is not just a piece of paper. It is a reminder that the children are important, that they matter because they are loved. I have not met a child who didn’t value the letters from their sponsor. They all keep the letters in special boxes and most read them over and over.

As Compassion’s country director in the Philippines, I regard the sponsored children as my own and I know you do, too. So, with God’s grace, let us continue to work, pray and hope together for our children to be released from poverty and someday become responsible and fulfilled adults.

Thank you,

Noel Pabiona

Country Director Compassion Philippines