Unsung Mother's

The world has already debunked the motherhood myth: not all mothers gave birth to their children. Yet as unconventional mothers continuously get recognition, these maternal figures from orphanages and children's homes remain overlooked

- LAURD SALEN

We are all familiar with the famous adage that goes “the mother is the light of the home.” As light bearers, mothers constantly guide and nurture their children —they believe in them and help them grow to have a strong sense of self-worth. Sadly, not all children have homes, much less a guardian who could provide them with the guidance and love they need. So, in the dark, cold, and harsh streets, who lights the path for abandoned children?

The good thing is that the roads are never pitch black at all times. Every day, as soon as the evening falls, the lamp posts are lit to keep the darkness at bay. In some ways, social workers are like those street lights—mounted in poorly lit alleys, serving as a beacon of light to children without homes.

According to alarming statistics from the nonprofit organization Philippines Without Orphans, there are roughly five to seven million orphaned, abandoned, and neglected children in the Philippines as of 2021-that is one out of every six Filipino children. Moreover, only an average of 237 children are adopted annually, which leaves millions of children still seeking permanent homes.

While these children wait for their forever families, they stay in local orphanages, or foster care centers, or children's homes, where they receive parental care from social workers. As unsung mothers to these tiny souls, how do these social workers make a difference in the lives of abandoned children? We talk to two social workers who bare the realities of their profession.

Amelia Tuquero, 61, has been the executive director of Rehoboth Children's Home since 2004. Rehoboth is a non-stock, nonprofit residential home for abandoned, neglected, and orphaned children in Santa Maria, Tarlac.