BAGUIO CITY (Apr. 25) — Two foundations joined hands to give at least 100 children a fresh start in life with the concept of a “free” boarding school and orphanage starting May this year.

The Jun Labo Children’s Foundation (JLCF) based here and the Pro Kids Foundation based in Europe will accommodate 70-100 street children at Nagoya Inn, Naguilian Road here. building is owned by faith healer and former city Mayor Jun Labo.

Labo said, there are lots of street children who are deprived of education. “They have to beg for money or scavenge trash just to meet their daily food needs,” he added. Children sometimes abuse drugs early in life and are“ recruited by bad elements and syndicates capitalizing on their youth and poverty to do their dirty jobs.”

“With our tie-up (JLCF and Pro Kids Foundation) we are now giving new hope to the kids,” Thomas Frietag, managing director of Pro Kids Foundation said. He explained in his stay in the Philippines, he saw many street kids asking for money and food. “When I ask them why they are not in school, they answer they are busy asking for money,” Frietag said adding with the orphanage, children will a chance to go to school and get a good start in life,” he added.

According to Labo, the orphanage will accommodate abandoned children from five to nine years old.

The center is now hiring professional teachers for the orphanage. These teachers will undergo a six-month all-expense paid training at the Oxford English School in East Grinstead, London.

“We will also be hiring social workers, cooks, and other employees who will manage and take care of the children in the orphanage,” Labo said.

Initially, Pro Kids Foundation will be contributing around $300,000 to $400,000 as start up fund for the orphanage, the first institution of its kind here. # Ace Alegre for NORDIS