Lanie Amburlac grew up far from her siblings and relatives when her parents separated. At a young age, she experienced hardship and isolation while hearing impairment made connecting with other people harder.

Lanie, along with her 4-year-old daughter, lived in the busy street of Marikina City. Her life took a positive turn when she was reached out by Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) workers and brought to the Haven for Women (HFW) in Alabang, Muntinlupa City in 2023.

Her rescue was part of DSWD’s Pag-Abot Program which helps children, families and individuals from street situations and provides them with a package of social protection services corresponding to their needs.

The HFW is a 24-hour, temporary shelter for the care. protection and recovery of women aged 18 to 59, particularly victim-survivors of gender-based violence.

Angelica Ognilla, Lanie’s sister, said they diligently looked for her and for Lanie’s partner when they went missing.

“We were looking for her because she no longer showed up. My husband also looked for her partner because only he knew where she always went,” Angelica narrated during an interview with the DSWD’s award-winning online documentary, “Mga Kwento ng Pag-Asa at Pagbabago” or #KPAP.

Reunion

HFW typically provides shelter for up to six months. However, due to the difficulty in locating her family, Lanie stayed at the facility for over a year.

“Like the other residents referred by Pag-Abot, Lanie was crying frequently because she did not want to stay there. Early in her stay, she frequently went violent, angry and had concerns and arguments with other residents. She gradually calmed down when she was made to understand that we were looking for her family and home,” HFW social welfare officer Amza Rose Estigo told #KPAP in an interview.

Finding Lanie’s family was challenging due to her difficulty in communicating her thoughts.

“Since she is mute, we looked for her relatives through social media. We showed her people on Facebook with the same Amburlac surname until she recognized her sister in one post. She cried and upon confirmation, we reached out to the person and true enough she was her relative who have long been looking for her,” Estigo said.

Social workers found out she was from Antipolo and after a family assessment, learned that her relatives are willing to take her back.

After over a year in the facility, Lanie was finally reunited with her family. Her sister and sister-in-law fetched her from the HFW on 6 December, just in time for the Christmas season.

The DSWD provided financial assistance to help Lanie reintegrate into the community. With an initial P10,000 financial support from the agency, Lanie and her family were able to start a new life.

As of 20 December, there are 3,880 individuals like Lanie who have been assisted by the Pag-Abot Program, helping them return to their communities and begin the process of rebuilding their lives.