“Onward Home,” launched by Depaul International and the Vincentian Foundation on July 28, marks more than a milestone in philanthropy
By Jun Burgos
METRO Manila — A region of 16 cities and one municipality where prosperity rises in glass towers — tells a different story at street level: one of fragility, inequity, and endurance.
“Onward Home,” launched by Depaul International and the Vincentian Foundation on July 28, marks more than a milestone in philanthropy. It is a credible, comprehensive response to one of the region’s most entrenched crises: street homelessness, particularly among families.
Since 1981, our readers have recognized that economic resilience demands social stability. “Onward Home” doesn’t just deserve commendation — it demands scrutiny, policy support, and replication.
This scrutiny begins with sobering figures: an estimated 100,000 people sleep rough in Metro Manila, and up to three million nationwide lack permanent shelter. Between 250,000 and one million children sleep without stable housing across the country. These aren’t just statistics — they are markers of systemic failure and frayed human dignity.
And yet, “Onward Home” enters this landscape not as a temporary fix, but as a scalable model. At its core is a housing-first approach: 150 families will be provided with 12 months of secure, stable housing. But shelter is only the starting point. The initiative integrates wraparound services — social work, mental health support, psycho-emotional assessments, and assistance in securing livelihood opportunities. This isn’t relief; it’s reform with rigor.
A particularly strategic component is the project’s linkage to the Vincentian Foundation’s Social Enterprise Development Center in Bagong Silangan. It shifts the narrative from dependence to development, offering pathways toward economic empowerment rooted in local realities.
Equally compelling is its climate-conscious design. In a country perennially vulnerable to typhoons and extreme weather, poorly constructed dwellings make life especially precarious. Fr. Geowen Porcincula, CM, executive director of the Vincentian Missionaries Social Development Foundation, underscores this truth: “Extreme weather events make life precarious, but even more so for those living in poorly constructed dwellings.”
In response, “Onward Home” employs Cement-Bamboo Frame Technology (CBFT), developed by Base Bahay Foundation and accredited by AITECH. These eco-friendly, disaster-resilient homes are a forward-thinking blueprint for climate adaptation — one that respects geography and community. Skeptics may argue that 150 families barely dent the overwhelming scale of homelessness. But transformative programs often begin as a proof of concept. And it’s always better to help 150 families get on their feet than to do nothing at all.
“Onward Home” shows what’s possible when global support, local expertise, and a faith-driven mission converge. It calls for replication, not resignation. Street homelessness has long been framed as insurmountable. Yet its fallout — heightened crime, strained public health systems, and diminished human potential — affects us all. “Onward Home” offers a more humane and fiscally sound alternative, prioritizing dignity and stability over neglect and fragmentation.
The imperative now is scale.
Government agencies, private sector actors, and civil society must draw lessons from this initiative and invest in long-term, community-rooted solutions. “Onward Home” isn’t just a housing program — it’s a blueprint for self-sufficiency, anchored in dignity and aimed squarely at the structural roots of poverty that leave poor families on the margins. It is a quiet revolution in how Metro Manila can rebuild lives from the peripheries.
As the region’s skyline ascends in glass and ambition, so too must our civic reach extend sideways — toward alleyways, evacuation centers, and every unmarked plot where permanence remains elusive.
“Onward Home” isn’t merely a call for shelter; it’s an indictment of shallow progress. The measure of development, after all, is not how many towers scrape the sky, but how many citizens sleep soundly under a roof they proudly call home.
As my great grandmother, Maria Angela Agustin Paat — whom we fondly called “Mang” — once said: “What good is a big house if all it shelters are owls? I’d rather live in a small home filled with real people.”
Author’s Bio
Jun Burgos is a strategic brand architect, regulatory affairs advisor, and editorial columnist whose work bridges institutional reform with public accountability. He writes about national policy, regional development, and civic reform. Jun previously served as Information Attaché at the Philippine Embassy in Canberra and held senior communications roles in the Senate of the Philippines and Pasay City Government. He belongs to a family of journalists including our country’s press freedom icon José G. Burgos Jr.
