About Us

Overview

Divine Mercy Home for the Abandoned Elderly is a branch house of CASA DELA MERCED FOUNDATION Incorporated. It was founded by Fr Madeo C. Reyes. It started its operation with the mission of helping the abandoned males, homeless elderly, and those who are hungry.

Further, as the number of elderly increases, a good number of volunteers from church organizations, private individuals also increases. The house lives in the spirit of “Divine Providence” and as a way of life, live in the spirit to the Divine teaching of Our Lord Jesus Christ – “whatever you do to the least of my brothers, you do it unto me” (Mt. 25:40) – “feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, caring for the sick, visiting those in prison” (Mt. 25: 35-36).

The generosity of the people is shown through their donations in cash, in kind, and services (health care, housekeeping, counseling, visits and entertainment among others). Volunteerism plays an important role in the day-to-day work and activities of the house. The house approached the needs of the elderly holistically for their total well-being, to their physical health, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs.

The house – DIVINE MERCY HOME FOR THE ABANDONED ELDERLY is true to its Vision, Mission, Goals/Objectives. DMHAE extends its apostolate to those who are in need of food, clothing, medicine and to those who are affected by natural disasters like typhoons, floods, earthquakes, fire. It also gives temporary shelter for the displaced person or family.

Love

This is the most basic need of every human being, young and old; Love is the greatest act and prayer one can give his Beloved Creator; Love is the greatest act and service a person can give his fellow human being; Love, when given to a human being will eventually lead that person to wholeness and ultimate union with his Creator, who is Love Himself. And there is a need to reach out in loving service, aiming at helping the totality of a person. Loving God and loving people is a call for all, the greatest God’s commandments. As Jesu said, “He came to serve and not to be served.”

Statistics show that there is an increasing number of elderly people making the streets their dwelling place. There are many issues why we find elderly in the streets and these are the common issues or reasons: no financial means necessary to sustain an adequate quality of life; no source of income; no pensions; some with no relatives to take care of them; begging become the source of their livelihood; no home or place to stay and many other reasons.

The 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article XV, Section 4 on the Filipino Family of the 1987 Philippine Constitution mandates that “It is the duty of the family to take care of its older person members, while the State may design programs of social security for them.” It is, therefore, the obligation of each family to make sure that the senior members of its household are properly cared for and assisted. At present, our government has already issued several programs to help families in caring for older persons. However, the existing government agencies programs, and laws are still inadequate to counter this urgent situation.

We must do something for the elderly who are in crisis. We must show them that there are people who care, people who want to fill their hunger for love and are willing to provide them a sense of security, people who would gladly embrace them, giving them joy and making them feel safe and welcome. Because of such people, there is hope for the elderly in the twilight of their lives, and feel they are not alone.

“Divine Mercy Home for the Abandoned Elderly”, believes:

• That every person is made in the image and likeness of God with inherent dignity as children of God;
• That every person is endowed with rights; thus, efforts shall be exerted towards the realization of their rights;
• That every person has to experience peace, joy, and happiness as they approach the twilight of their life.
• And, that the government, the civil societies and the religious sectors have a joint responsibility in promoting social justice and in ensuring the economic and social wellbeing of every human being.

Vision

With full TRUST in DIVINE PROVIDENCE, DIVINE MERCY HOME FOR THE ABANDONED ELDERLY”, envisaged a ‘HOME ’truly responsive to its mission of Total Human Development of its Proponents (church authorities), Beneficiaries (poorest of the poor), co-workers (volunteer-servants) and Benefactors or Donors.

Mission

Guided by the Social Teachings of the Catholic Church, “DIVINE MERCY HOME FOR THE ABANDONED ELDERLY”, is Church Social Apostolate, a missionary activity of the church, whose purpose is to serve man, restore his/her dignity as a human being, created in the image and likeness of God, and to help him find his life meaningful in the world, geared towards a Total Human Development. (1st Diocesan Synod 1995)

Goals

a. To provide shelter for the poorest of the poor; food to the hungry; drink to the thirsty; clothing to the naked; care to the sick; visit those in prison. (Mt. 25:35 – 36)
b. To cooperate and coordinate with the programs of the Social Action Commission and Human Development Program of the Diocese of San Pablo.
c. To recite the prayer “Radiating Christ” and make the prayer a way of life of the staff, volunteers, workers and benefactors of DMHAE.

“Radiating Christ” Prayer

Dear Jesus, help me to spread Your fragrance wherever I go. Flood my soul with Your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly, that my life may only be a radiance of Yours. Shine through me, and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Your presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me, but only Jesus! Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as You shine, so to shine as to be a light to others. The light, O Jesus, will be all from You; none of it will be mine. It will be you, shining on others through me. Let me thus praise You the way You love best, by shining on those around me. Let me preach You without preaching, not by words but by my example, by the catching force of the sympathetic influence of what I do, the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to You. Amen. (Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman)

Objectives

1. DMHAE aims to serve 40 Lolos from 2023 to 2028 by providing various services in the shelter.
2. All Lolos are provided with twice-a-year medical check-ups to ensure their health needs and provided with nutritional needs as supervised by a dietician.
3. To provide various relaxation activities to all Lolos daily and have quarterly outing activities like swimming, walking/pasyal at the lake or park etc.
4. To provide 3600 meals per year for walk-in beneficiaries at DMHAE.
5. To provide staff development activities/training for all staff and long-term volunteers to ensure the wellness of all staff and provide them with additional skills based on their needs.

Beneficiaries

“DIVINE MERCY HOME FOR THE ABANDONED ELDERLY”, gives priority to clients from the CALABARZON area, without prejudice, however it also accepts referrals from other parts of the country as long as the elderly they are referring to is abandoned or neglected and belong to poverty threshold.

CERTIFICATE OF LICENSE TO OPERATE