Kanlungan sa Erma is a nonprofit organization that provides physiological, psychological, and emotional care and assistance to deprived, abused, exploited, and neglected children. It was founded in January 1988 to protect children in the Malate areas from persistent threats of child exploitation and abuse.From its name "kanlungan", it serves as a sanctuary to the young ones, whose innocence and character have been stained by suffering and violence. Guided by Christian values, our dedicated Board of Trustees and staff have helped children in Malate for the past fifteen years and even extended some of our services such as the character formation program to other areas such as Muntinlupa and Laguna. To date, aside from our drop-in center in Malate, we also have one in Muntinlupa. A Residential Care Center has been established in San Pedro, Laguna as well where children who need more time to recuperate can stay for a certain period. As a part of Kanlungan sa Erma Ministry, its Drop-In Center in Malate holds the same Christian values, mission and vision.

OUR MISSION is to "serve, protect, and develop children-in-need and their families through a holistic approach to improve their well-being and quality of life".

This is driven by OUR VISION to shape children into "empowered and responsible individuals restored to the right relationship with God, family and community, who would be contributing productively as our partners in nation-building". This can be achieved by restoring and strengthening homes that consist of God-fearing and self-sustaining family members.

As an organization, WE ENVISION our own group to sustain our programs and services equipped with Christian professionals who work as a team and as a family as well.
Lastly, along with other groups who advocate for this cause, WE DREAM of "a just and humane society with a child-friendly environment."

OUR SERVICES include feeding, health care, and temporary shelter. However, we see to it that aside from giving physiological support, we equip them mentally and emotionally as well. We provide informal education, which centers on values formation, reading, writing, and crafts making. These do not merely develop their knowledge; these also define their character into god-fearing, responsible, and self-sufficient citizens.We assist the children and their families emotionally by counseling and mediating in personal, familial, and social issues. Our Drop-In Shelter is a healthy venue for interaction among children, which helps them to recover and adapt socially and emotionally.

We also reach out to families outside our shelter by providing their children with informal education, tutorial, and values formation program. We also have other programs that are being carried out outside the shelters namely Street Education, After Care, and Advocacy.They can also take part in our skills training program, which gives them the opportunity to earn extra income.