none

2023 STCA Awardee Teresita L. Silva: Championing the Cause of Vulnerable Families and Homeless Youth

The Saint Teresa of Calcutta Award (STCA) is an annual collaborative project of the AY Foundation, Inc. and the Manila Jaycees. Named after the late Nobel Peace Prize winner, St. Teresa of Calcutta, the award aims to honor and recognize selfless individuals who have dedicated at least 25 years of their lives toward helping the poor. This year, the STCA award is given Childhope Philippines’ very own, Teresita L. Silva.

The awarding ceremony was held on October 3, 2023 at Yuchengco Museum in Makati City, where Ms. Silva was recognized for a lifelong and steadfast dedication to championing the cause of vulnerable families, homeless youth, female victims of sexual abuse.

2023 STCA Awardee Teresita Silva of Childhope Philippines

Teresita L. Silva: A Lifelong Commitment to Pioneering Child Rights

Ms. Teresita Silva is a pioneer in the field of child rights in Asia. With years of dedicated work focused on children in street situations, she has played a vital role in founding non-government organizations dedicated to underprivileged children and families. Currently, she leads Childhope Philippines as president emeritus; and managing board member of both Families and Children Empowerment Development (FCED) and Tahanan Sta. Luisa.

In addition to her extensive contributions, Miss Silva is the author of various technical papers addressing the issues faced by street children and children in vulnerable situations. Her expertise as a social welfare expert and consultant has been sought after not only here in the Philippines but also across the globe; including the Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam. Notably, Miss Silva was the inaugural recipient of the Most Outstanding Professional Social Worker of the Year award in the Philippines.

Saint Teresa of Calcutta Award: A Testament to Miss Silva’s Track Record

Miss Silva’s personal experiences with poverty, hunger, and adversity resulted in her passion for advocating for those who struggle daily to survive. For 60 years, her concern for disadvantaged Filipino youth and families inspired her to create programs to improve their quality of life.

Through the years, Teresita has provided services to about 11,500 street children. Of these, 1,800 were referred to recovery centers, while 320 were reunited with their families. She empowered 210 indigent children who eventually earned college degrees.

Under Miss Silva’s guidance and care, 580 sexually abused street girls received education, medical, and psychosocial interventions from Tahanan Sta. Luisa, with 500 more benefiting from street education programs each year. In addition, she extended medical care to 3,000 street kids and essential services to 1,500 low-income urban families.

Regarding the concept of selflessness and the responsibilities that come with it, Miss Silva had this to say:

The core of service resides in valuing everyone’s worth and prioritizing others’ needs over our own, using our skills and resources to positively impact the world.

Reflecting on the idea of selflessness, the Saint Teresa of Calcutta Award brought me deeper into this understanding.

Through service, we enrich both the worlds and ourselves. Experiencing the gratification of connecting with people in a profound manner and impacting their lives tangibly is a remarkable accomplishment.

Though serving others can be an arduous task and rarely acknowledged, it is the only way to truly connect with others meaningfully and create a noteworthy difference in their lives.

You can watch the awarding ceremony for the 37th Saint Teresa of Calcutta Award below.

Be an Advocate toward Bringing Hope to the Lives of Street Children

Miss Teresita L. Silva’s story firmly attests to the enduring power of compassion and the incredible change that can be made possible by one individual’s unwavering dedication to a noble cause. In a world often blind to vulnerability, extraordinary individuals emerge as beacons of compassion and hope.

You too can leave a lasting impact on children’s lives. Support Childhope Philippines’ initiatives by helping with the resources or volunteering your time in order to advocate for the lives of street children. Let’s work together as we look forward to the continued journey of creating a better, more inclusive world for them.

Scroll to Top

Terms and Conditions

Childhope Philippines Foundation, Inc. is registered non-government organization in the Philippines. We operate the website www.childhope.org.ph (the Website).

These are the Terms and Conditions which govern each use you make of the donation payment services provided through the Website.

These Terms and Conditions apply separately to each single donation that you make. Except as provided for in section 6, ‘Monthly Donations’, and unless specified by you, they do not form a contract allowing for future or successive transactions to be set up. By confirming on the Website that you wish to make a donation you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions for that donation.

(1) The donation services
We will use your donation at our discretion but within our stated charitable objectives.

All payments through the Website are to be made by payment card or via PayPal.

Once you confirm to us through the Website that you wish to proceed with your donation your transaction will be processed through our payment services provider, PayMongo. By confirming that you wish to proceed with your donation you authorize PayMongo to request funds from your credit, debit, or PayPal card provider.

(1a) For Recurring Donations
By agreeing to recurring payments, the cardholder authorizes PayMongo to automatically deduct payment from the given credit/debit card account until he/she revokes such authorization. The payments shall be charged at the start of each billing cycle, which shall be dependent on the agreed products/plans. After the processing of payment, the Merchant shall reach out to the cardholder if his/her payment is successful or not. PayMongo shall not be held liable for the Merchant’s failure to notify the cardholder regarding the payment status. The cardholder further acknowledges and agrees that the billing cycle and amount to be deducted are dependent on the instructions made by the Merchant to PayMongo.

This stipulation doesn’t apply to one-time donation.

(2) Unauthorized card use
If you become aware of fraudulent use of your card, or if it is lost or stolen, you must notify your card provider.

(3) Information from you
Before we can process a donation you must provide us with (i) your name, address and email address; and (ii) details of the credit or debit card that you wish to use to fund the donation. We will use this information to process your donation. It is your responsibility to ensure you have provided us with the correct information.

When you submit your payment details, these details will be transferred to our payment provider, PayMongo, and your payment data will be collected and processed securely by them. You should make sure that you are aware of’s terms and conditions, which are different from our own, to ensure that you are comfortable with how they will process your personal data before you make a donation.

We won’t share your personal details with any other third party other than is set out in our Privacy Policy. Our Privacy Policy forms part of these Donation Payment Terms and Conditions and by agreeing to these Terms and Conditions you are also agreeing to the way we use and protect your personal information in line with our Privacy Policy.

(4) Refund policy
If you make an error in your donation please contact us either by email at igivehope@childhope.org.ph, by phone at +639171005303 or by post at 1210 Penafrancia St., Paco, Manila and a full refund will be made to you in 30 working days.

(5) Monthly donations
These Donation Payment Terms and Conditions will only apply to successive donations made through the Website where you have set up a monthly donation. When you set up a regular donation you will be scheduling a series of donations to be made on the day of the month that you choose until further notice. You agree that these Terms and Conditions will apply to each of the donations in that series.

By confirming that you wish to proceed with a monthly donation you authorize our payment service provider PayMongo to request funds from your credit or debit card on the day of each month that you set.

To cancel your regular donation please contact us at info@mentorinternational.org.

(6) General
We reserve the right to amend these Donation Payment Terms and Conditions at any time.

These Donation Payment Terms and Conditions are governed by Philippine law and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Philippine courts.