The Sisters of Mary BoysTown in Silang, Cavite
The sprawling 10-ha Sisters of Mary GirlsTown in Silang, Cavite
“Each one is a living miracle,” said philanthropist Marixi Prieto, her voice filled with awe and pride as she gazed at the 3,000 uniformed girls gathered in the multi-purpose gymnasium at the GirlsTown of the Sisters of Mary in Silang, Cavite.
After three years in comprehensive secondary school, students can choose a two-year vocational education, which allows them to specialize in a specific field, gaining practical skills and knowledge to prepare them for the workforce or further professional training.
Whether it’s basic computer skills, drafting, auto-cad, sewing, baking, or auto mechanics, the students graduate ready to work.
Through a rigorous selection process undertaken by nuns across parish churches in Luzon, these young girls embark on their transformational journey at age 12. On a sprawling 10-hectare campus, they enter a five-year secondary boarding school with a holistic curriculum combining academic studies with hands-on vocational training.
The Vicar General of the Sisters of Mary, Sr. Maria Cho, takes pride in how students have transformed their lives through the school towns, which started in the Philippines in 1985.
Sr. Tess Sumalabe, treasurer of Fr. Al’s Children Foundation Inc, is grateful to see a gradual increase in the number of local individual and corporate benefactors, as well as alumni support, though 90 percent of sponsors still come from abroad.
“They receive food, clothing, shelter, medical and dental services, as well as high school and technical education—all free of charge,” said Sr. Tess Sumalabe.
Every detail of the Sisters of Mary (SOM) GirlsTown is designed to equip these young scholars with the tools to reshape their futures. Seventy-six lay teachers, 36 nuns, and 77 support staff, from the kitchen to the garden, ensure that every aspect of the girls’ development is supported.
Sisters of Mary seek out 12-year-old children across the islands to enrol in a five-year boarding school, where they receive both a formal secondary education and vocational training.
Sisters of Mary nuns travel across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao to recruit schoolchildren for the five-year boarding schools in Silang, Cavite, and in Cebu.
“The SOM curriculum has evolved with the times,” explained GirlsTown principal Sr. Mylene Arambulo. “In 2005, we restructured the academic calendar so that students could complete Junior High in three years and dedicate their final year to post-secondary education. With the K-12 system in 2012, our post-secondary extended to 10 months, giving students more time to hone their chosen vocational skills.” It is a purposeful, five-year immersion intended to prepare the students not only academically, but also for all aspects of life.
The end goal is ambitious but clear: to make the students job-ready and fully capable of competing with graduates from private institutions. By the time they complete their education, they will not only have the qualifications, but also the confidence to seize new opportunities and become catalysts for change in their communities.
This transformative vision began with Venerable Aloysius Schwartz, a Catholic priest from Washington, DC. Schwartz completed his theological studies in Belgium, where he was “inspired by the Shrine of the Virgin of the Poor to dedicate his life to serve the needy.”
In 1957, Schwartz chose Korea for his first mission, drawn by the country’s struggles in the aftermath of the Korean War that left thousands of orphans, beggars, and widows. In 1964, he founded the Religious Congregation of the Sisters of Mary in Busan, Korea. That same year, the first GirlsTowns and BoysTowns— orphanages and schools for homeless children—opened their doors. Later, in 1981, he expanded the mission with the Brothers of Christ.
In 1983, Schwartz received the Ramon Magsaysay Award in Manila for his extraordinary service to the poor in Korea. Seeing the local slums during his visit, he realized his next mission would be in the Philippines. The country eventually became the SOM global headquarters.
Today, all the school towns in Cavite and in Cebu stand as a testament to his enduring legacy. Since 1985, nearly 90,000 students from the slums and rural areas of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao have graduated, and are gainfully employed.
How do these school towns thrive financially?
Initially, Schwartz himself worked tirelessly to raise funds, earning the nickname “priest and beggar” for his relentless pursuit of donations worldwide. Even when he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in 1989, a terminal illness that eventually claimed his life in 1992, his mission never wavered. After his passing, the nuns and local benefactors formed Fr. Al’s Children Foundation Inc. (FACFI) to ensure that his work could continue. Today, 90 percent of donations come from foreign benefactors of all faiths.
Gratitude flows both ways. SOM alumni remain deeply connected to their alma mater, giving back year after year. In 2023 alone, alumni donations amounted to P8.2 million, part of a total P55.5 million in grants distributed among the four campuses—Biga (GirlsTown) and Adlai (BoysTown) in Cavite, and Talisay (GirlsTown) and Minglanilla (Boys Town) in Cebu.
A shining example of this commitment is Sr. Maureen Antido, the current GirlsTown school superior and a 1998 SOM graduate herself. Growing up in a modest family of seven children in Antipolo, she joined the congregation, earning a degree in psychology from the University of Recoletos in Cebu,. Her journey has taken her to SOM schools in Latin America, South Korea, and Tanzania before she returned to Cavite, bringing a wealth of experience to her role.
Another inspiring alumna is Irish Queenie Melitante, a 2011 SOM graduate, who now teaches Electronics and Computer classes at BoysTown. She completed her B.S. Electronics Technology at the Technical University of the Philippines, Manila, through the support of the Tom and Glory Sullivan Foundation.
“Our graduates are highly sought-after,” Prieto said proudly, citing alumni who have become doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs, chefs, and corporate executives. Notably, four young men earned global certification as auto mechanics through a partnership with Don Bosco and Porsche, demonstrating the practical skills SOM fosters.
Prieto’s brother, Charlie Rufino, FACFI president, leads the annual Sports for a Cause fundraiser. Thanks to the efforts of these siblings, construction began this year for a new Digital Transformation Center funded by the Felicidad T. Sy Foundation. “This will certainly improve the students’ software and hardware skills,” said Sister Tess, reflecting on future possibilities for SOM’s graduates.
For 16 years, the Tagaytay Highlands Ladies, a golf group, has been supporting the Sisters of Mary’s schooltowns.
A golf team, Highlands Ladies, in nearby Tagaytay, has been contributing partial net proceeds of their yearly fundraiser to the Sisters of Mary for the past 16 years, underscoring the strength of community support.
Venerable Aloysuis Schwartz Memorial in GirlsTown, Silang, Cavite
Father Al is buried in BoysTown, Silang, Cavite. Twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, he attributed his life’s work to the Virgin of the Poor. Though his life was brief, his impact has extended across continents, inspiring generations and changing countless lives. The Sisters of Mary and Brothers in Christ continue his legacy, establishing school towns in Mexico, Africa, Brazil, Honduras, and Guatemala.
His sainthood cause is ongoing; in January 2015, Pope Francis declared Fr. Aloysius Schwartz “Venerable,” the first step towards canonization. “We’re waiting for one miracle for him to be beatified, and then one more miracle to finally be declared a Saint,” Prieto explained. “This would take a medical miracle, something beyond explanation.”
But for the SOM students and the countless families transformed by his mission, Schwartz is already a saint in their hearts. “We witness miracles of transformation every day,” Prieto said, “Each graduate, each success story, is a miracle born from one man’s vision to see the neglected potential in the poor.”
