Center for poor and needy migrant youth

By Fr. David Buenaventura

Makati City, Manila, Philippines - It is a halfway home for youth in conflict with the law, poor and needy migrant youth whose age range from 17-24 yrs. Old.It is located inside the compound of St.John Bosco Parish in Makati City - METRO MANILA. The Filipino word “Pugad” means a “NEST”. It is an acronym which means PARISH URCHINS GATHERED AT DON BOSCO.

These young men come from all over the country. For the year 2015, we increased our intake of poor and needy youth from Busuanga and Coron Island in Palawan.. They are victims of the recent typhoons which struck our country. They were recommended to us by the Parish priest of those two islands. The rest of our boys were recommended to us by religious organizations, civic and lay organizations, and even government organizations who are dealing with youth at risk and poor and needy youth.

While these young men are the least attractive to sponsors and benefactors with social advocacy for the welfare of the young, they are the ones who need most the support and assistance of the government and non governmental organizations because they are the easy victims of organized crimes in the cities like drug trafficking, human trafficking, sexual exploitation and child labor. They are also used by insurgents and bandit groups in the southern part of the Philippines for various purposes, even as young combatants.

With the juvenile law exempting children up to 18 years old from criminal prosecution, drug dealers, carjackers and other crime groups are increasingly employing teenagers.

It is with this kind of social background that Don Bosco Pugad has taken the social advocacy to uplift the lives of these young people by empowering them through a holistic kind of formation that would take care of their physical, social education, moral and spiritual needs.

The holistic formation of the young consists of :

• Catholic Spiritual Formation; Values formation-Key value of Honesty, Loyalty, Sense of Justice and Hard work are stressed. Slogan; “Do Ordinary things, extraordinarily well”.


• Catechism- Christianity is Life. Life is all about Relationships. Christian Relationships are pillared on the Law of Love as laid down in the gospel of John 13:34;John 14:15-23 and the 1st letter of Paul to the Corinthians.13:4-7. The catechetical instructions are a down to earth presentation of Christian teachings that enable the young to cultivate virtues which are really the many expressions of love revealed by St. Paul in his 1st letter to the Corinthians.


• Liturgy- The Day of the Lord is the Public Worship that the Pugad Boys render to God. It is the day when they offer their whole life made up of the past, present and future. It is the day when they recommit themselves to Jesus as His disciples.They are challenged to witness to all that blessings abound in those who live upright and virtuous lives.


• Bible Study- The Word of God is not only meant to be read; it is meant to be lived!


• Educational Programs:
1. Adult Education Program (This is offered to boys who are too old to attend the regular elementary and High School education)
2. College Scholarships- Pugad has 12 Scholars.
3. Seminary Vocations Pugad has 3 Seminarians.
4. Organized livelihood Seminar/Workshops.
5. Tesda accredited Technical Skills Training In Electrical, Welding, Machining and Fitting, aircon-refrigeration, automotive and Computer Technology.
6. Livelihood Skills Training in Water Refill Management, Baking, Cooking, Service Crewing, Aircon-Refrigeration, Automotive Mobile Service. Poultry and Vegetable Gardening
7. Professional Program. Don Bosco Pugad Center will open its own Baking, Culinary and Agricultural School within the span of Four years. It is envisioned the Pugad Migrant graduates themselves will be managing the schools and likewise teaching in the schools.
8. Sport Activities
9. Excursions and Educational Field Trips.
10. Social Activity Program

Though this holistic program the young are empowered to rise from their poverty and become dignified productive agents of change in their families and local communities.

As of today, many have graduated from Don Bosco Pugad Center. They are now part of our Don Bosco Pugad alumni Association. We have boys working in the middle East as Automotive Technicians, welders and air-con technicians. Our first batch of Chefs are now workling in prestigious hotels and Restaurant like Inter-Continental Hotel Cima Mediterranean, Taal Vista Hotel and Rustans Restaurant.One has graduated from a School of Criminology and is now reviewing to take his board exams so that he can enter the Philippine National Police. Next year one will graduate as a teacher while the other as a physical education teacher. We have 7 more migrants studying in College, Five are taking BS Agriculture in Pampanga Agricultural State University; one is taking up architecture in our Don Bosco College in Mandaluyong, while the last one is in his 2nd Yr. as an Electrical engineering student.Last May, of this year, one of our boys professed as a Salesian. (photo with FIS and CIN provincial, CEBU)

It is good to report that last summer our Chefs working here and abroad held a fund raising Food Festival Affair. Proceeds went for the repair of our Pugad farm house in Balete, Batangas.

The selected pictures show the various activities that took place at Don Bosco Pugad Center. True to our Motto: We empower the poor and underprivileged Youth to Soar high!