Mission:
To provide special education, training, livelihood assistance and intervention, rehabilitation and development to persons with developmental disabilities, through music and arts therapy.
The educational, rehabilitation and development program includes the physical, psychosocial, intellectual and spiritual well-being of the beneficiaries.
Vision:
To enable persons with developmental disabilities overcome their traumas and become creative, productive, self-reliant whole persons; to be integrated and become active contributors to progress, peace, justice, harmony and sustainable development of Philippine society.
Guiding Philosophy:
“Disability and lack of money should not hinder anyone from discovering the beauty and serenity of music.” As an institution for persons with developmental disabilities, the Divine Mercy Center commits itself to help anyone overcome their deficiencies. The Divine Mercy Center believes that persons with developmental disabilities can interact more effectively with other individuals. The Center seeks to use music and arts as a therapeutic medium that shall draw their interest and enthusiasm, serving as an essential ingredient to establish good rapport with persons with developmental disabilities. In the end, it will teach these persons academic subjects, when necessary.
To provide special education, training, livelihood assistance and intervention, rehabilitation and development to persons with developmental disabilities, through music and arts therapy.
The educational, rehabilitation and development program includes the physical, psychosocial, intellectual and spiritual well-being of the beneficiaries.
Vision:
To enable persons with developmental disabilities overcome their traumas and become creative, productive, self-reliant whole persons; to be integrated and become active contributors to progress, peace, justice, harmony and sustainable development of Philippine society.
Guiding Philosophy:
“Disability and lack of money should not hinder anyone from discovering the beauty and serenity of music.” As an institution for persons with developmental disabilities, the Divine Mercy Center commits itself to help anyone overcome their deficiencies. The Divine Mercy Center believes that persons with developmental disabilities can interact more effectively with other individuals. The Center seeks to use music and arts as a therapeutic medium that shall draw their interest and enthusiasm, serving as an essential ingredient to establish good rapport with persons with developmental disabilities. In the end, it will teach these persons academic subjects, when necessary.
Mobile Center History
It all began in the early years of my music teaching career when I was giving piano lessons to three children from a prominent family in Manila. Everytime I was there. I noticed this little boy who was always trying to get a pick at what his siters and I were doing. He was very curious, and all throughout the lessons, I would catch him there, looking at us. Whatever his parents or his sisters would notice him, though, he would be shooed away, and I wondered why they didn't allow the little boy to participate in what we are doing. It was very clear that he wanted to get involved, play the piano and sing. He was a mentally-challenged boy.
It was then that I realized that music therapy can do a lot of good for these special children. That through Music, they may be able to overcome their disabilities and express themselves more.
I had some friends who were involved with organizing activities by the disabled, and once, I was invited to teach a chor with blind members to prepare them for a concert. It was a big success. Not long after that, a lot of people were asking me for music therapy sessions - students, friends, relatives, friends' friends, and even the people with special needs themselves (physical, mental, psychological, emotional and spiritual.)
I believe that disability and lack of money should not hinder anyone from discovering the beauty and serenity that is music, especially music coming from one's own hands. It is because of this that I opened the Mobile School, a music school in a cab. I go to where our special brothers and sisters can reach me, sometimes in their schools, sometimes in their parishes, their community centers. I even opened up my own home for those who chose to come to me instead. At first, I started out with just carrying my portable organ around, but soon, there was a need for a more varied collection of instruments like rondalla and rhythmic band instruments. These I produced through the help of relatives and friends who either loaned or gave me whatever thay can spare. This gives the members of the group the opportunity to try out their abilities with the different instruments available. Now, after almost 35 years of exposure to special people, I can say that music therapy really is a very good means of rehabilatation for them. It becomes a tool for them to express emotions that would otherwise be kept inside, leaving them no room for growth and interaction.
Through several performances, I have seen the improvement in my students over the years. It has turned them into happy, abled persons. It has honed their skills in communicating and interacting with other people, not to mention the feeling of accomplishment they get after every performance. Truly, music surpasses all hindrances, be they physical, mental or age.
At present, my students are composed of persons wth autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, visually-impaired, hearing impaired, multihandicapped, mentally challenged and senior citizens. I do not discriminste in accepting students. I accept everyone who wants to join the group, whatever their disability or socail status. I figured that this is my chance to make a difference in someone else's life, why shouldn't I take it?
