About

Gabay Sa Landas Foundation, Inc., also called “GALA,” first came into being in 2007, but was officially registered with the Securities and  Exchange Commission on 26th of May 2011 as  a non-stock-and-non-profit-incorporation under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines.

GALA is founded by Pastor Danilo “Danny” Urquico, who was then the youth pastor of Christ’s Commission Fellowship (CCF) and assigned to oversee the Youth Ministry of three CCF Satellite Churches namely Marikina, Pasig, and Taytay. 

In the course of his youth ministry, Pastor Danny was exposed to various problems and issues of the youth such as those belonging to dysfunctional families, victims of sexual, verbal, and substance abuse, and youth offenders. Eventually, these led him to reach out to the youth detained at Marikina City Jail.

In 2007, a philanthropist from Makati City, who had the same desire for street children, called for Ptr. Danny.  He gave him seed money to start a temporary shelter in Marikina.  This was when GAbay ng LAndas or ‘Guide of Path’ finally started operating in a rented house at #488 Perpetual St. Guevarra’s Compound, Barangay Lamuan, Malanday, Marikina City. Ptr. Danny, together with several members of the BYAHE Jail Ministry worked together to minister to the kids. 

Sometime in 2004, the Marikina City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) took custody of the youth offenders and transferred them to a temporary shelter. Since there were no youths to minister to, the Jail Warden requested the CCF workers to minister to the adult inmates instead.  This gave birth to the BI-YA-HE (BInigyan-laYA ni HEsus) Jail Ministry. During their ministry, Pastor Danny Urquico learned about the predicament of the children of the adult inmates.  If an inmate was detained with his/her spouse or partner, their children will most likely be roaming around Marikina with no one to take care of them.  Thus, they became street children, and out-of-school youth, and were into substance abuse.  This made Ptr. Danny have the desire to help the children who were in such or similar situations.

 The shorter name of GAbay ng LAndas is “GALA” which means wanderer, is a name that perfectly describes the street children who usually aimlessly walk around. 

Some of GALA’s initial activities included feeding, hygiene knowledge, bible studies, and  basic education.  In September of 2007, Jose Reyes (a former inmate) and his wife, Elena became the 1st house parents of 15 children.  These children frequented the shelter every morning for feeding, bathing, and pre-school learning.  They were assisted by two teachers from CCF-East Youth Ministry, while their cook was the wife of another former inmate.  From 2007 to 2008 there were around 50 children who regularly visited GALA shelter.  There were also 29 full-fledged scholars from different nearby public schools.

In January 2009, BIYAHE expanded its Ministry to CCF Taytay.  By March of the same year, GALA was also launched there where they catered to the underprivileged children of CCF Taytay members. Tutorial services were also given to many children of CCF Taytay members who were considered to be below the poverty line.  These children later became scholars where they received educational allowances, uniforms, school supplies, and other school needs. Feeding programs were also conducted every after their tutorial classes.

On March 16, 2009, Gabay ng Landas Association Inc. was registered at the Securities and Exchange Commission as a non-profit, non-stock association. The Board of Directors were composed of 13 individuals from various sectors who created and hired a core technical and administrative personnel to commence a comprehensive package of program and services for the care, protection, education, social development, and psychosocial interventions for fostered abandoned and unschooled street children become relevant members of the community and are committed to followers of Jesus Christ. It established a residential care facility for the rehabilitation of neglected children and at-risk who are 17 years old and below. 

In 2011, GALA Foundation transferred from a bungalow house in Marikina to a two-storey building located at 241 E. Dela Paz St., Barangay San Pedro, Angono, Rizal.

In 2007, the BInigyan laYA ni HEsus (BIYAHE) Jail Ministry visited Marikina City Jail weekly.  They were ministering to more than 300 men and women inmates during that time.  More than 50% of them were detained due to drug-related cases.  Almost 10% of them are couples who left their young children with relatives or neighbors.  Some were left living on their own along the streets of Marikina.  Those who became street children fend for themselves by begging, as parking attendants, or  stealing.  Most of them also learned how to sniff rugby and other forms of vices while some of them were sexually abused or molested.  It was because of this reality that Gabay sa Landas Foundation, Inc was built.