In the bustling cities like Manila, stories of individuals living in street situations often go unnoticed—lost in the noise of everyday life. Behind every person curled up on a sidewalk or holding a cup for spare change is a deeper narrative of loss, hardship, and a longing to return to a life once known.

Homelessness is not just a matter of shelter—it is about disconnection. Disconnection from family, from opportunity, from dignity. For many, all it takes is the loss of a job, a health crisis, or personal tragedy to fall through the cracks.

Such was the case for Ariel, a 41-year-old and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, who had been living and begging on the streets of Quiapo, Manila for over a year. Once a seller for a telecommunications company, Ariel’s world changed when they lost their job. With no one to turn to and nowhere to stay, the pavement became their bed, and survival became their daily battle.

But in the most unlikely of places, hope found them.

Through the DSWD Pag-abot Program, which aims to reach out and reintegrate individuals in street situations, Ariel was identified and assisted via the Walang Gutom Kitchen—a frontline initiative providing food and support to those most in need.

When asked what they hoped for, Ariel had one simple wish: to go home.

On May 8, 2025, that wish came true. Ariel was reunited with their family in Barangay Tigabong, Cantilan, Surigao del Sur, welcomed back into his mother’s care after years of separation and hardship.

The successful reintegration was the result of a coordinated effort led by Mr. Jomari Bolilan, SWO II from the National Program Management Office (NPMO), along with Ms. Reysthy Gundaya, SWO III and Regional Program Coordinator, Ms. Mary Jane Guadalupe, SWO II, and Mr. James Calimas, PDO II from the Regional Program Management Office (RPMO), in partnership with Ms. Xyra Cris Clansa, SWO II, the from the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) of Cantilan.

Their dedication, along with the compassion embedded in the Pag-abot Program, ensured that Ariel’s journey home was not only physical but emotional and restorative.

Their story is a reminder that behind every face on the street is a person with a home, a past, and a future—one that we can help rebuild, one reintegration at a time.

The Pag-abot Program is a flagship initiative of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that aims to reach out to individuals and families in street situations—particularly children, the elderly, and vulnerable groups. It provides immediate interventions such as food, psychosocial support, and case management, and works toward long-term solutions including reintegration with families and communities, access to livelihood, and sustainable support systems.

DSWD Field Office Caraga reaffirms its commitment to reach, rescue, and reintegrate individuals in street situations through sustained collaboration, community support, and compassion-driven programs. No one should be left behind—and everyone deserves a chance to return home.