What L'Arche Philippines Is and Why It Matters

The work at L'Arche Philippines is rooted in relationships. Core members and assistants live, work, and learn alongside one another in everyday life.

This approach helps replace isolation with connection. It creates a practical way for inclusion to happen daily, not only during special events. Our community in Cainta demonstrates this through shared daily rhythms.

Because the relationships are mutual, both core members and assistants grow. No one is simply a recipient or a provider. Everyone brings gifts and limitations to community life.

Many families still face limited support options for loved ones with intellectual disabilities. Inclusive community living offers a way to combine dignity, support, and social participation.

When community members are known by name and story, support becomes more human. People are less likely to be excluded or invisible. Families exploring support options can learn key questions to ask when evaluating programs.

In the Philippines, where many people with intellectual disabilities remain at home without structured support, a visible and welcoming community like L'Arche can shift local attitudes about what inclusion actually looks like.

Ang Arko ng Pilipinas, Inc. was established in 1988 and is the Philippine member of the International Federation of L'Arche. The community is based at 116 Camia St., Bayanihan Village, Ortigas Ave. Extension, Brgy. San Isidro, Cainta, Rizal, and includes Biyaya House.

Two words do a lot of work in L'Arche. The people with intellectual disabilities who live in our homes are called core members. The people who live and work alongside them are called assistants. The vocabulary is deliberate: it describes a household where people belong to one another, not a facility with staff and clients.

Alongside the homes, the community runs workshops where core members make handmade goods such as beadwork, and provides daycare services for children with developmental disabilities in the Cainta area.

Our identity statement puts it plainly: we are people with and without intellectual disabilities, sharing life in communities belonging to an international Federation; mutual relationships and trust in God are at the heart of our journey together; and we celebrate every person's unique value and recognise one another's needs.

Our mission commits us to three things: make known the gift of people with intellectual disabilities, revealed through mutually transforming relationships; foster an environment that responds to the changing needs of our members while staying faithful to the core values of our founding story; and engage in diverse cultures, working together towards a more human society.

Those commitments come with practical obligations. Volunteers and board members take part in safeguarding training, and we publish how donations are used: roughly 60% to direct care and support, 20% to educational programmes, 15% to facility maintenance, and 5% to operations. Annual reports and financial statements are available on request.