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Our History: The Journey of MaPa Org. Inc.
The story of the Masayang Pamilya Organization, Inc., or MaPa Org., Inc., is one rooted in a global commitment to family well-being, now focused firmly on empowering Filipino parents and children. Our origins trace back to Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH), an impactful collaboration driven by the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and leading universities in South Africa and the United Kingdom. PLH's foundational aim was to develop and rigorously test a suite of low-cost parent interventions tailored for various developmental stages in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). This vital work has seen PLH Programs developed and tested across diverse regions including Africa, Eastern Europe, Thailand, Malaysia, and, significantly for us, the Philippines.
In 2016, the PLH initiative extended its reach to the Philippines, becoming known as Parenting for Lifelong Health - Philippines (PLH-PH). This marked the beginning of a crucial multi-sectoral collaboration, bringing together dedicated local and international scientists, child and family service providers, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The core of their work, and now ours, has always been to respond to the critical need to support Filipino caregivers and prevent violence within families. This aligns directly with the WHO and UNICEF-endorsed initiative that delivers evidence-based parenting support programs to reduce Violence Against Children (VAC). Since 2016, PLH-Philippines has been instrumental in the development, implementation, and testing of the Masayang Pamilya Para sa Batang Pilipino (MaPa) or Happy Family Program, a parent support intervention designed for low-resource settings and built upon evidence.
The Masayang Pamilya Para sa Batang Pilipino (MaPa) Program
The MaPa Program is the cornerstone of our work. It is a culturally adapted and community-based parent support intervention specifically designed for low-resource settings. True to its purpose, it is affordable, not-for-profit, open access, and crucially, based on evidence.
The MaPa Program has been successfully implemented and tested among family beneficiaries of the DSWD's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), catering to families with children aged 2-9 years old (MaPa Kids) and 10-17 years old (MaPa Teens). Our commitment to evidence-based interventions is underscored by a randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted from 2017-2019. These studies have consistently demonstrated the significant benefits of MaPa in improving parent-child relationships.
The RCT demonstrated MaPa's effectiveness, reducing child maltreatment risk by 39% one month post-program and sustaining a 23% reduction after one year. This evidence highlights the program's long-term benefits for children's physical, mental, and socio-emotional health.
Today, the Masayang Pamilya Organization Inc., or MaPa Inc., is driven by the primary goal of developing and delivering MaPa parenting resources to dedicated personnel and community service providers across the Philippines. We are committed to expanding the reach of the MaPa Program, fostering more happy and healthy families nationwide. This mission was further solidified in April 2024, when MaPa Org., Inc. officially registered as a non-profit, non-government organization with the Securities and Exchange Commission, paving the way for expanded operations and impact.
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