Julia Christine Botin

More than 70 kids from Baptist orphanage to be transferred - DSWD

Article (news)

David Dizon

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1755484347642533084116_1182733033878316_354757048317497352_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>The Department of Social Welfare and Development has started moving more than 70 children taken from the New Life Baptist Church orphanage in Mexico, Pampanga Inc. after several of the children allegedly experienced physical, verbal, and psychological abuse.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y1ZewXGeXR4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>In a statement, the DSWD said 10 children aged 6 to 17 years old were transferred to the Kanlungan ng Kabataan in Angeles City. Another 15 children aged 13 to 17 years old were brought to Haven for Girls in Magalang, Pampanga on August 16.  </p><p>The DSWD said 27 children will be moved to the Regional Home for Girls in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, and 20 children to the Tarlac Lingap Center in Tarlac City in the coming days.</p><p>DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian earlier said some 160 children were rescued from the New Life Baptist Church of Mexico, Pampanga Inc. after several complained they experienced abuse including being hit with arnis sticks and pvc pipe, being chained and forced to kneel on salt and small stones. </p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fdswdserves%2Fvideos%2F1207974924420965%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=268&amp;t=0" width="268" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>“There were 160 kids, I talked to the bigger batch. These set of kids said the stories are not true, pasaway daw yung mga nagsumbong (they said those who reported were stubborn). But I spoke to five or eight kids who reported abuse, they narrated in detail the stories,” <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/8/15/dswd-probes-alleged-abuse-of-children-in-pampanga-facility-1305">he said</a>.</p><p>“Based on our social workers, there is no reason to doubt the kids,” he added.</p><p>Pastor Jeremy Ferguson, head of New Life Baptist Church, who has been placed on the immigration watchlist, has denied the allegations of physical abuse, saying claims that the children were whipped, chained or forced to kneel on stones were simply untrue.</p><p>“Never ako gagawa ng ganuon sa mga bata…Nakakalungkot ang ganitong mga accusations personally dahil bilang missionary, ito ay naging malaking part ng aming missionary work sa Philippines. Naaawa ako sa mga bata sa kalsada,” he said in a video on Facebook.</p><p>Videos posted on his Facebook page also showed some of the children crying while being taken away from the orphanage.</p><p>Ferguson denied that the children were deprived of food, saying the facility cooked 50 kilos of rice every day. “Taba taba ang mga bata doon, busog na busog sila. Meron silang complete food.”</p><p>The pastor said kids who were “pasaway” (unruly) were lectured and sometimes brought to an isolation room for a timeout. A total of 12 houseparents and 2 social workers man the orphanage, he said. </p><p>He added that in 8 years of operations, the orphanage has helped a total of 300 children of which 150 have been reunited with their parents.</p><p>Ferguson has been <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/8/17/american-pastor-arrested-for-alleged-abuse-of-children-under-his-care-in-pampanga-1136?fbclid=IwY2xjawMPap5leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFmMENoTjFsR21MU28yZHE0AR4amXD6o5S9k16ITozhsBT35n-QzVv_tsX6Y-YDRW-E61qU10pCKFfV-9KYsg_aem_2pOmWluV0k5xJ8BOqwB_tQ">charged with</a> two counts of violation of Section 10 (a) of Republic Act 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act, DSWD said, noting that each count carries a recommended bail of P80,000.</p><p>While the charges are bailable, Ferguson cannot be released due to his immigration case, said Director Megan Manahan of the DSWD’s Standards Bureau.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tekSzmTeX54?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Department of Social Welfare and Development has started moving more than 70 children taken from the New Life Baptist Church orphanage in Mexico, Pampanga Inc. after several of the children allegedly experienced physical, verbal, and psychological abuse.</p>

The Department of Social Welfare and Development has started moving more than 70 children taken from the New Life Baptist Church orphanage in Mexico, Pampanga Inc. after several of the children allegedly experienced physical, verbal, and psychological abuse.