Priority Projects in Philippines

Sustainable Livelihoods for Rural Families in the Philippines

Helping farming families in Northern Samar to grow nutritious food and improve their incomes by changing to low-cost organic farming methods. Read More

Improving Educational Opportunities for Ethnic Mangyan Children in the Philippines

Giving Mangyan children - a marginalised ethnic group that lives on the fringe of mainstream Filipino society - an opportunity to learn based on a curriculum aligned with their culture and language. Read More or Donate Now!

Our plan in Philippines

Plan is working at the grassroots level in Philippines to help communities make real and lasting change, so that their children have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Sponsor a child in the Philippines.

Plan began working in the Philippines in 1971 and currently has programs in more than 400 villages across eight provinces which aim to address the following issues affecting children:

• Lack of household income and inability to meet children’s basic needs
• Inadequate basic social services
• High rates of malnutrition, sickness and child mortality due to poor healthcare services and limited access
• Limited water access and sanitation
• Poor quality education
• Lack of awareness and attention to child protection issues resulting in abuse, violence, neglect and exploitation
• Needs of children and youth being devalued and ignored
  

Plan’s programs and strategies to address these issues include:

Household economic and food security

Many Filipino households lack consistent income and therefore struggle to meet a child’s basic needs.  Plan Philippines facilitates provision of livelihood-related services and advocates for policy and livelihood action research.

Advancing child-friendly governance

Plan Philippines encourages child and adult involvement in development activities, partnership and networking, lobbying and advocacy for child protection policy and funding.

Health

Poor health practices and a lack of access to primary health care services have lead to high incidences of disease and child mortality.  Plan Philippines assists the establishment of community-managed health systems and health performance monitoring systems, providing medical resources, increasing health awareness and conducting health research.

Water and sanitation

Filipino communities suffer from a lack of proper waste and water systems management and good hygiene practices resulting in water and sanitation related diseases.  Plan Philippines establishes community managed-rural water supply and sanitation systems in all Plan partner communities.

Education

Poor state of the public educational system has lead to children’s inability to acquire appropriate developmental and learning competencies and life skills.  Plan Philippines works to provide quality education by developing home and centre-based early childcare, improving schools and academic performance, teacher training and encouraging community involvement.

Child rights and protection

Plan Philippines works to improve a lack of awareness and attention to child protection issues which results in children not being protected from abuse, violence, neglect and exploitation, by building systems for detection, reporting, referral, peer support, legal assistance and rehabilitation of cases.  Plan also works to helping increase the capacity of families, communities and government to cope with disasters.

Country Facts

Country	Philippines	Australia
Flag
Population	81.6 Million	21 Million
Language	Filipino/English	English
Capital	Manila	Canberra
GDP per capita (USD/year)	1,036	$37,300
Life expectancy	70.7	81.5
Access to safe drinking water	85%	100%
Literacy	92.6%	100%
Source:	United Nations: Millennium Development Goals Report 2006