Highlights

  The first Medical mission to the US of a "Blue-Baby" to John Hopkins Hospitals in Baltimore Maryland. This was followed throughout the 10 years by medical missions for 26 children to many U.S. hospitals to surgically correct, life threatening conditions. Of these missions, only two children did not survive.

  The formation of Chosen Children Village Foundation in December 1992 with the acquisition of a 2.3 hectare coffee plantation in Barrio Lalaan, Silang, Cavite. Groundbreaking ceremonies commenced in March 1993 with actual construction of the village in January 1994.

  The undertaking of the first children's cottage at the village to house 12 children. This was followed in subsequent years by 6 more cottages for a potential 84 children.

  The creation of the Chosen Children Newsletter called "Small Miracles" in 1995.

  The formation of "The School for Chosen Children" in 1997 located at the village in Silang, Cavite which includes 6 classrooms for special children. The school started with 38 students from the village and 10 students from the surrounding communities in Cavite.

  The beginning of construction for a Physiotherapy Centre at the Village in Silang, Cavite in March 1999 exactly 10 years from the very beginning of Chosen Children. This building, when completed in the year 2000, will culminate much of the need associated with physical and or mentally challenged children by providing Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Hydro Therapy and audio visual treatments.

Year 1

The Opening

The doors of CHOSEN CHILDREN INC. (CCI) opened on March 15, 1989 with the rental of a house in Philam Village, Las Piñas City, Metro Manila. The first year was one of sadness, as a measles outbreak claimed the lives of five little angels. While we knew that death would be a reality in caring for disadvantaged children, we were overwhelmed by how quickly it could happen. As a result, all future children entering the CCI program would pass through a quarantine process. Overall, 17 children were admitted during the first year and one was adopted by a family from the U.S.A. At year end, ten children were residing at the house.

We soon realized that funding would become a major concern for Chosen Children since CCI is not principally supported by a church group or large foundation. It was during this first year that the idea of a sponsorship program was borne. We approached the Rotary Movement, Assumption Convent, AMCHAM and AIM Alumni, friends, neighbors and relatives to kick off, what would today become, the sole instrument for providing the children's daily needs. To sponsor a child on a monthly basis would cost the individual/company P200.00 per month. Ten years later that figure remains the same, despite the deflating peso value.

The First Medical Mission to the U.S.A. was undertaken during this beginning year, as mentioned on the front page of this report. The normal procedure for medical missions is to enlist the help of an adoption agency from the U.S.A., which will coordinate with a foster family to care for the child before, during and after surgery. They also locate a hospital in their state that will provide the surgery at no cost to Chosen Children. After all of these procedures are met, a visa is obtained and the child is escorted to the foster family. All medical missions undertaken are of a life threatening nature. This CCI program has been very successful, with 94% success rate from pre-surgery to recovery.

Year 2

The Search For Funds

This year the number of children entering the CCI program grew from 17 to 32. Of that number, three more children were adopted by families from the U.S.A. However, another six children were called by their Creator, due to their severe handicaps. Chosen Children learned another lesson regarding immunity and the inability of these children to avoid bacteria that stronger children and adults reject. By year's end there were twenty children residing at the house. The number of sponsors grew from 89 to 208, but the fees collected were not sufficient to meet the daily needs of the children. Therefore, CCI had to survive by relying on 'in kind' donations of food items and the very first fund raiser undertaken by CCI. Megastar Sharon Cuneta Pangilinan gave a concert at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in which all proceeds were given to CCI. This was truly a blessing for the continuation of CCI.

Year 2 also saw another medical mission where conjoined twins ("Siamese") were escorted to Children Hospital in Boston, Mass., USA. The twins were connected at the liver and, while both of the twins survived the operation, one twin eventually died from complications.

Year 3

Maintaining the Status Quo

The number of children entering the CCI program grew from 32 to 40 while the number of children residing at the house by year's end increased by only two to 22. This year our focus was on health and adoptions. After the first two years, in which several children passed away, we decided to re-evaluate the condition of the children entering the program. The directors of the organization felt that our thrust should be geared towards those children that CCI could reach and for which it would provide an improvement in their lives. As a result, the seven children were adopted this year. Since health is an important issue, we were happy that the year passed without a CCI death.

In order that the children under our care would continue receiving the best nutrition available, a second fundraiser was undertaken at the Greenhills Theatre to supplement the lack of sponsorship fees for this year. As part of an expanding sponsorship base that increased from 208 to 354 this year, we established an organization in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. called "Chosen Children U.S.A." This tax exempt, non-profit firm is operated from the homes of adoptive families of Filipino children, and exists for the sole purpose of raising funds for CCI.

It was during this year that a trip was undertaken to Seoul, South Korea for familiarization with an organization called ILSAN HOLT town. This is a municipality that exists to care for disadvantaged people of all ages. The directors of CCI felt that we should set up a separate organization that would emulate, on a smaller scale, Ilsan Holt Town -- a multi building village environment where CCI children would be able to improve their skill levels for long-term livelihood. This would be managed by a Foundation that would provide long-term care for all residents.

Year 4

The Turnaround

This year, for the first time, sponsorship fees exceeded the overall expenses. The main reason for this turnaround was the increase in sponsors from 354 to 589, or a 38% increase this year. The inclusion of Chosen Children U.S.A. and the continued growth of sponsors from Spain helped expand this sponsoships base.

The number of children entering the program increased from 40 to 48 while the number of children residing at the house only increased from 22 to 25. However, we were very happy to see that the new entry requirements again yielded no deaths among the children. Medical Missions were carried out this year to Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. for a child that required open heart surgery, to Colorado, U.S.A. for a child born without limbs, and to Boston, Massachusettes, U.S.A. for twins born severely malnourished, with identical cleft palates and congenital heart defects.

Chosen Children Village Foundation (CCVF) was established in June of this year. The main function of CCVF will be to provide a village atmosphere to a maximum of 120 children when completed. The village will offer schooling for the children as well as potential livelihood as they grow older. Finding available property at an affordable price was the main concern of the Board of Trustees. We were once again blessed as an anonymous donor stepped forward to provide funds for the purchase of land. After many months of hunting for property to fit the budget, a 2.3 hectare coffee plantation in Silang, Cavite was chosen for the village. Silang was chosen as it was quite clear that the village needed to be located close to Manila.

Looking ahead toward financing for the village construction, we decided to hold our third major fundraiser by sponsoring the Repertory Philippines play, "The Miracle Worker," with all proceeds going to this new endeavor.

Year 5

Raising Public Awareness

This year four more Fundraisers were undertaken to strengthen the sponsorship base and provide some cushion for the ability of the sponsorship fees to sustain the children expenses. As a result, the sponsorship base expanded from 589 to 862, a 46% increase. The number of children entering the CCI program increased from 48 to 56 while the number of children residing at the house increased from 25 to 30 (Figure 1, insert). Due to the large number of children residing within the cramped confines of the small house, three more children joined their creator. Keeping bacteria out of such close quarters was a fulltime task that we did not win. Only two children were adopted this year. Two medical missions were conducted to the New York City area: one for a boy without an arm and a deformed hip, and one for another boy with a congenital heart disease.

Construction of a staff house and one children's cottage began before the end of this year. The first phase of construction, including land development for all underground utilities, was forecast to cost P10M. The fundraisers mentioned earlier helped finance some of the construction cost. The trustees developed a new plan to further develop funds for future expansion. In this plan, donations from corporate and individual sponsors would be taken for each square meter of CCVF property. For a donation of P6,000 (US$250) to the construction effort, the donor name would be recognized on a signboard in the future chapel of the village. This program became an instant success and fueled the expansion of the following years.

Year 6

Moving

This year the first Cottage and Staff house were completed in October, and 12 children were transferred to the village in Silang, Cavite. In addition to the village move, the Chosen Children office was moved from its original location in Makati to a location Las Piñas.

The focus shifted to the village and implementing proper nutrition and physical therapy programs for the children. Adoptions moved ahead this year as three children joined their "forever" families in the United States and European countries. We were sad to see five additional children move on this year as a result of the Las Piñas facility's cramped confines. Two medical missions were undertaken this year: one to New Jersey for a boy needing heart surgery, one to Harvard Medical Center in Boston, Mass., U.S.A. for a girl in need of surgery for a nasal meningocele.

Financially, both CCI and CCV were moving ahead with gusto! The ability of the sponsor fees to sustain the daily living expenses of the children reached a positive peak this year. Local sponsors increased from 862 to 958, while foreign sponsors increased from 133 to 152.

Construction on Cottage #2 began prior to the end of the year VI, and thanks to Benefactors Paeng and Mely Hechanova. The term benefactor means that an individual or company upholds the majority of the building's cost, earning them a plaque at the building in their honor.

Year 7

Fulfillment

With the village was well underway and costs to care for the children well in hand, we expanded and opened our doors wider to reach more children who needed our help. The number of children entering the program jumped from 72 to 103 or a 43% increase. The objectives of CCI/CCVF were definitely fulfilled this year. The number of children residing between CCI and CCVF increased accordingly from 32 to 55 with the numbers of children adopted and dead at four each. This year three medical missions were completed, all to the New York City area: two for heart surgery and one for congenital glaucoma.

Fundraisers called "Chosen Dreams" and "Sooouled Out" helped push the sponsorship base above 1000. The foreign sponsors also jumped from 152 to 175.

As for the construction phase of CCV, a bold step was undertaken to begin building two cottages for completion in year 8. The four benefactors of cottage 3 are The American Women's Club, Associated Catholic Charities of Baltimore, Maryland, Bob and Elsie Colombo and Sharon Cuneta Pangilinan. The benefactors for cottage 4 were Michael and Dulce Gibb.

This year also saw one of the most powerful typhoons to ever hit the Philippines. It dealt some localized damage at the village and delayed the construction of cottages 3 and 4. We appreciated the strong structures that Architects W.B. Coscolluela & Associates and RCP Architects designed, as the staff and children were all safe from harm's way. The children enjoyed the experience and even laughed while watching coconut trees sway in the strong winds, with no fear of the potential consequences.

Year 8

Corporate Identity

With our success in building two cottages in year 7, we decided to build two more cottages and a school at the village. Cottage 5's benefactor was Jollibee Foods Corporation, our first corporate benefactor. Our second corporate benefactor, William J. Shaw Foundation, donated funds for Cottage 6. The school honors the third corporate benefactor, Manos Unidas from Spain. CCI/CCV had reached a level of maturity in which it was important enough to attract corporate Benefactors wishing to improve their image and public relations.

The number of children entering the program increased from 103 to 122 while the number of children residing at the Village and the Las Piñas Nursery increased from 55 to 61. The adoption process was moving full speed ahead, the result of successful Nutrition and Physical Therapy treatments to 10 children as well as the fact that adoption agencies in the U.S.A. and several European countries took interest in Chosen Children. These programs were responsible for the increase in adoptionns. Of further happiness this year is the fact that only one child passed away. Two more children were taken to the New York City area for surgeries; one girl for nasal menigocele and a hydrocephalic girl in need of immediate surgery.

With the sponsorship base from Spain increasing it was decided by the trustees to formalize the collections of sponsors from Spain into one focal point, an organization called Chosen Children Filipinas operating from Barcelona Spain and under the direction of one trustee who lives in Spain.

Year 9

Forever Families

With a strong emphasis on finding families for those children capable of being adopted, it was not surprising to see that eight more children were provided forever families.Only one child was called by its Creator this year. The Medical Missions were once again conducted for a boy with a nasal meningocele to Indiana, U.S.A. and another boy with congenital heart disease to Boston, Massachusetts., U.S.A.

Along the construction front this year were the beginnings of Cottage 7 and the Administration/Clinic building. Cottage 7's Benefactors are Pilipinas (an anonymous person) and Ma. Christiana Mariella L. Munji. The Administration/Clinic building's benefactor is one of the adoption agencies from the United States: Wide Horizons for Children, an organization operating out of Boston, Massachusetts that is responsible for the adoptions of many of our children. The clinic will house a special operating room where minor surgeries can be performed. AETNA Philippines Inc. provided all medical furnishings.

The new school building officially opened its doors this year and is named "The School for Chosen Children". For its first year of operation 35 children from CCV and 10 special children from the surrounding community attended classes.

Unfortunately, the number of sponsors leaving the Chosen Children program has increased significantly during the past few years. Previously the positive upward movement in sponsors has always reduced the negative impact of those who leave the program. We think that the main reason for this trend is that it is only natural for a sponsor to wish to bond with his/her sponsored child. With the recent years' emphasis toward adoptions whenever possible, many sponsors who might otherwise bond with a child, learn that he/she is leaving the country with their "forever families". The sponsor then is assigned another child after the departure of the adopted child. This scenario has been known to repeat itself from one child to the next, leaving the sponsor somewhat frustrated at not being able to bond. A similar situation exists with children who die.

Year 10

Plugging the Leaks

Adoptions continued to be the main thrust of the organization as another 13 children were placed with forever families. A fundraiser was held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and in the form of a Musical Benefit for Chosen Children called "Ang Larawan (The Portrait)".

The erosion of the sponsorship base was a difficult problem and one that would result in a new strategy for sustaining the children's daily needs. The main thrust in past years has always been on new sponsors to help sustain the children's needs, but with the concerns of a sponsor base that is not growing fast enough to sustain those needs, a novel approach surfaced to attract sponsorships. For the 10th Anniversary of Chosen Children Inc. we introduced a new promotion to existing sponsors, allowing the, to sponsor multiple children instead of just one child. The mechanics of the strategy involved a discount on all multiple sponsored children beyond the first child at a rate of 50% from the regular monthly fee. This would mean that a sponsor who sponsors one child at P200/month (about $5 US) could now sponsor two children at P300/month or three children at P400/month. As of this report, 18% of existing sponsors have availed of this new scheme. This special promotion is scheduled to end by December 31, 1999.

This year the total number of children entering the CCI/CCV program increased from 140 to 160 while the population at year end increased from 69 to 75. Unfortunately, two more treasures passed on. Two Medical Missions were conducted to Indiana, U.S.A. for one girl with a nasal meningocele and one boy in need of heart surgery.

Now that a majority of the structures have been completed at the village, we began construction of the largest Chosen Children Village facility, the Physio-Therapy Center. It is to be a 1400 square meter building to house the latest technology in Physical Therapy, Water Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Audio/Visual Therapy, as well as, to provide a gymnastics facility to the disadvantaged children of Chosen Children and the surrounding community. A second floor will provide dormitory style housing to student interns and a large classroom facility for their educational training.

CHOSEN CHILDREN VILLAGE FOUNDATION is maintained solely through donations, sponsorships and grants and has a Board of Trustees whose members serve without compensation.

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