By HBI | Operations Team
In the Payatas Community in Quezon City, life unfolds within narrow streets and crowded homes, where resilience is learned early and hope takes root in unlikely places. Once known as the site of Metro Manila’s largest dumpsite, Payatas remains one of the most economically challenged areas in the city. Despite this, it is also home to children whose curiosity and determination continue to defy the odds.
Through your support to this simple project and GlobalGiving’s partnership with Haligi ng Bata, Inc. (HBI), more children from this community are not only able to stay in school but are discovering the joy of learning, one notebook, one storybook, and one small act of kindness at a time.
Dereck’s Story: The Little Firefighter with Big Dreams
Five-year-old Dereck has a simple but powerful dream: he wants to become a firefighter. In a neighborhood where homes are tightly packed and fires are a constant fear, it’s a dream born out of both innocence and awareness.
Dereck lives with his parents and siblings in a small, tightly packed home in Payatas. His mother sells food to support the family, while his father takes on occasional carpentry work. Like many children in the community, Dereck’s world takes place and revolves around narrow alleys, shared walls, and daily uncertainty. Still, his love for reading and his eagerness to learn shine through.
Through your GlobalGiving donation, Dereck received additional school supplies and early learning materials that fuel his passion for learning. He loves reading even when school is out, often choosing to stay home with his books rather than play outside. His mother says the support from HBI and its donors has lightened their burden: “The help may seem small to others, but for us, it’s a blessing. It gives my son a chance to learn, and that’s something we can never take for granted.”
One day, he hopes to ride a firetruck not as a passenger but as a protector of his community.
Maica’s Story: Evolving Dreams in the Middle of Payatas
Seven-year-old Maica is a quiet achiever in Grade 2 at Payatas C Elementary School. Her teachers describe her as focused and responsible, someone who listens carefully and always gives her best.
Her father works as a Grab driver (the local equivalent of UberEats), while her mother juggles food vending with being a community volunteer. Their income is unpredictable, but they make it work. Inside their small rented space, Maica studies by the light of a single bulb, sharing the table with her older brother.
She once dreamed of becoming a doctor, but lately, she’s decided she wants to be a teacher because she wants to be someone who helps others learn, just like the teachers who guide her every day. “It will also take lesser time and money,” Maica said softly, revealing the quiet awareness that often comes too soon for children growing up in poverty.
In communities like Payatas, dreams are sometimes shaped not only by hope but by limitation. Children learn early to adjust their aspirations around what feels possible, to measure their goals against what their families can afford. It’s a kind of realism that keeps their feet on the ground but can also dim the boundless wonder that childhood should hold.
That’s why the support from GlobalGiving donors means more than just school supplies - it tells children like Maica that their dreams are not defined by their circumstances. Every notebook, every pencil, every kind message reminds them that the world is bigger than the few streets they grew up in, and that it’s okay to imagine more for themselves.
At home, Maica helps her mother clean. She sings karaoke, dances, and sometimes reads stories aloud to her two cats, Mingming and Miming - both rescues they took in from the streets. In a place where challenges are part of everyday life, Maica’s optimism is both fragile and fierce.
The Power of Support
Through your donations, HBI continues to improve learning environments and provide essential educational support for children in Payatas. These include:
Project Update: Expanding Support in Payatas
Originally, the project aimed to provide school supplies and learning materials for 140 primary learners at Dampalit Integrated School in Malabon. However, after coordination with the local government and school officials, it was determined that Dampalit had already received similar assistance from the city government, resulting in service duplication.
To ensure that your donations reach the children who need them most, HBI redirected its planned support to another nearby community school - Lupang Pangako Elementary School, located in the upper area of Payatas. This school serves hundreds of children from low-income families living in informal settlements surrounding the former dumpsite.
Beginning in the last quarter of 2025, the project will focus on Lupang Pangako’s Kindergarten and Grade 1 learners, providing them with school supplies, instructional materials, and educational toys that enhance classroom learning and literacy. Many of these children are first-time learners - young students who enter school without access to books or writing tools. This new phase ensures that your contributions continue to reach those with the least access to educational support.
Looking Ahead
Beyond Payatas, HBI is preparing to send additional learning toys and instructional materials to public daycare centers in La Union, ensuring that early learners across multiple regions benefit from the same opportunities for growth and development. Despite delays caused by flooding in some communities, including Dampalit, our teams remain steadfast in their commitment to reach every child safely and effectively.
Thank You
To our GlobalGiving donors - thank you for standing with us. Because of your generosity, Dereck can keep reading about heroes, Maica can keep dreaming of becoming a teacher, and soon, new learners in Lupang Pangako will start their school journey with the same spark of hope that has already been kindled in the daycare centers of La Union, the schools of Navotas and Pampanga, and the growing classrooms of Payatas.
Your support reminds every child in Payatas and beyond that their dreams matter - and that someone, somewhere, believes they can come true.
By HBI | Operations Team
By HBI | Operations Team
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