Key Challenges for children in the Philippines
- The Philippines is the fourth most disaster-prone country in the world, vulnerable to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, cyclones, landslides, and tsunamis. In 2022 we provided life-saving relief supplies to communities devastated by Typhoon Rai.
- More than one-fifth of the population is living below the poverty line. This percentage can be as high as 75 percent in certain areas in the southern Philippines.
- Water pollution is another major concern, with many water sources contaminated by industrial and domestic waste, as well as untreated sewage.
- One out of five Filipino children under the age of 5 is malnourished.
How your support is helping children like Jessa
Jessa, 16, believes all citizens, young and old, deserve to be heard and respected. This is why she is proud to be a member of Plan International’s child-led Social Protection and Monitoring Team.
Along with her peers, Jessa is empowered to not only claim her own rights, but to advocate for the rights of marginalized groups in her community. With guidance from Plan International, the team designed questionnaires to evaluate the effectiveness of social protection programs for senior citizens and people with disabilities.
They learn how to facilitate focus group discussions and to analyze the data they collected. Bringing fresh insights for policy and program improvements to the table, the team presents its findings and recommendations to local government officials.
“As young citizens, it is important that we are involved,” Jessa explains. “Because we too have opinions to express, and we know about the issues.”