Project Overview

Project Background

One of Plan Philippines' goals is to improve the economic capacities of rural families and therefore reduce the poverty-related risks and impacts to Filipino children who constitute almost half of the population. Plan works in some of the poorest provinces in the country, including Northern Samar province. In these areas, communities spend most of their time in farming and agricultural activities, yet still face livelihood challenges. This is reflected in the development indictors of Northern Samar, which has high child malnutrition and the highest infant mortality rate in the Philippines, 79 per 1,000 life births as compared with a national average of 27 per 1,000 life births.

For poor families in this area, the development and sustainability of their livelihoods goes beyond the need to merely supplement income. The pressing concern is to ensure development interventions result in household economic growth in the long term.

The problems facing Filipino farmers in Northern Samar:

• Soil quality with increased acidity in the soil rendering it less fertile and less productive
• Soil erosion, depletion of natural resources and lack of irrigation systems
• Weather and disasters increasing vulnerability among poor households
• Typically low education levels preventing community members from improving technical skills and accessing microenterprises
• Poor access to markets
  

Project Aim

The Sustainable Livelihoods Project in the Philippines aims to enhance food security, increase income, improve well-being, reduce the vulnerability, and promote sustainable use of farmland for families. The project works with farmers and communities through a multi-faceted approach including the provision of technical support in farm practices and management, micro finance, marketing and business support.

The project will be focused in two geographical areas in the Philippines: Isabela Province and Northern Samar. The livelihoods program in Isabela has been operating for three years and in FY09 the focus will be on the sustainability of activities as Plan phases out of this area. In FY09, Plan will also use this highly successful model and key learnings from Isabela to support rural farmers in Northern Samar. This expansion of the Sustainable Livelihoods project will work with some of the poorest farmers and most vulnerable families in the Philippines.

The Funding Need

This project is supported by AusAID, the Australian Government Agency for International Development, and in FY09 Plan needs additional funds from donors and supporters to match the grant.