Court shuts down Manila orphanage, 19 kids homeless

Nineteen abandoned children, 11 of them still babies, who are under the care of the Concordia Children Services in Sta. Mesa. Manila, found themselves homeless after a court issued an eviction order against the orphanage. An employee of the orphanage told GMA News Wednesday that the land occupied by the orphanage had been contested in court for a long time. She said the Lutheran Church, which is hosting the orphanage, and a former staff member of the church have been locked in a dispute over ownership of the property. She said that on Monday, the orphanage staff were surprised when the court issued the eviction notice. She said they heard that the former church staff member was able to present a land title. The children are currently staying at the Fellowship Center Baptist Church in Sampaloc, Manila, the church where the director of the orphanage is a member. The children were sleeping on the floor using only thin mattresses. "Hindi inisip nung nagpaalis sa amin yung kalagayan ng mga bata kung saan pupunta (The authorities did not seem to care about the children)," the orphanage employee said. In a text message to GMA News, the Lutheran Church of the Philippines condemned the eviction, saying they had appealed to the other party to spare the children but it did not heed its request. When asked about the immediate needs of the children, the orphanage staff appealed for rice and water. They also requested assistance to find a new home for the orphanage. “Bahay, kasi wala pa kaming permanent home (The children need a permanent home)," she said.- GMANews.TV