During my stay with Hapinoy, I had a chance to visit the community stores with store doctors to see what their role was within the program, and to hear what the concerns of the community stores were. It really took shadowing the store doctors to see how the program worked, and whom it was that the program was working for. The store doctors are employed by a manpower agency called Asia Pro, which referred them to MicroVentures Inc. Most of the store doctors have backgrounds in business management, and once they were hired underwent further training to better understand the format of the Hapinoy program. One of the store doctors, Jericho Acosta, believed that having store doctors for the Hapinoy program was essential in providing a stronger connection between MicroVentures Inc. and the nanays (mothers/ storeowners). He explained how personal relationships were the strongest value of Hapinoy—that for sari sari stores to succeed, it was important to have positive relationships with their customers, so that Hapinoy stores were a welcoming place where you felt comfortable and connected to the person selling you goods.

            Over three days in the field, I visited a total of 7 community stores located throughout South Luzon. Overall, the majority of nanays were pleased with the Hapinoy program. Most of the nanays expressed that after joining Hapinoy there was an increase in profits and customers, a larger supply of goods, and that from attending the community store meetings they had learned new business techniques and leadership skills so that they were more open and confident in their business. One of the nanays, Tita Sally explained that being part of Hapinoy, and being a community store owner brought a lot of responsibility. Community stores are the leaders within their community; they receive more capital and more goods, and have more customers to take care of. Tita Sally said that other storeowners in the community wish that they could be community store owners as well because of the benefits, but are scared because of these responsibilities. She was proud to be the lead store in the community, the one store chosen by CARD to hold this position.

            The community stores receive delivered goods from distributing companies that are partnered with Hapinoy. This decreases the time spent shopping for store goods each week, and seemed to be what most nanays described as one of the major benefits of the Hapinoy program. During my time visiting the stores, a new computerized Point of sales (POS) system was being implemented. While the computerized POS system was a goal for all Hapinoy stores, storeowners must have a computer system, and they must become familiarized with the program. However, some storeowners some were having trouble seeing the necessity of such a system. From visiting community stores it was also apparent that these forms of accounting for transactions was difficult because goods are being purchased so quickly that it is hard to record each one. While adding the POS system store-wide would make transactions more clear and efficient, this advanced technology seemed a little out of place in communities where there are people struggling for livelihood. Overtime, I think that more technology will be implemented in the Hapinoy stores to create a more efficient environment for sari sari stores.

            Hapinoy has really created a new model for businesses in the Philippines. As a social enterprise, Hapinoy addresses social problems, which have yet to be targeted by businesses and implements innovative ways of doing so. Hapinoy changes the way people look at business. It allows people to see that making money and making a difference can exist together—hopefully encouraging more people overtime to do so.

With little to no business experience at all, embarking on understanding a social business enterprise seemed overwhelming and intimidating, but, after spending about a week in the office shadowing the employees, and a week in the field, piece by piece I began to understand the complex network that makes up Hapinoy. MVI established the first pilot Hapinoy program in July 2007, coining Hapinoy as the term expressing a “Happy Pinoy (a Filipino)”. 

The Hapinoy project addresses poverty in the Philippines. Hapinoy is the first and largest “sari sari” (variety) store chain in the Philippines. Sari sari stores are owned and usually run by women, so that Hapinoys’ goal is to empower women within their communities—a strategy in which many development scholars believe is the best way to counter social problems such as poverty. In countries like the Philippines, tertiary stores like sari sari stores, which sell a large variety of fast and slow moving goods continue to outperform modern supermarkets. As of now, over 42% of all purchases in the country come from these variety stores. In a Philippines Center for Investigative Journalism 2005 report, “sari-sari” stores’ count nationwide was at 560,000 and this was expected to be 900,000 in 2010. Most “sari-sari” stores are found in lower income neighborhoods, thus the idea of Hapinoy is that by increasing their profitability would affect the welfare of many low-income households in the Philippines, therefore reducing poverty.

To establish the project, MicroVentures Inc. partnered with the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD)—the biggest microfinance institution in the country. Sari-sari store owners account for 10-12% of all of their borrowers nationwide, so Hapinoy saw that by partnering with CARD they could be connected to the Sari-sari store owners who would best fit the criteria of the program. Hapinoy members were chosen based on the following requirement: must be at a CARD-Mutually Reinforcing Institution (MRI) borrower for at least 6 months, possess a sari-sari store with a non-movable table, have a 100% repayment rate on CARD-MRI loans, and have a 99% attendance record for weekly center meetings with CARD. This criterion limits the members of Hapinoy exclusively to members of CARD, which while it simplifies the process of finding potential sari sari stores, may prevent the Hapinoy program from reaching all of the nanays, which are potentially in need of a program like Hapinoy.

In each location of Hapinoy stores, one member is chosen as the Hapinoy lead store. The lead store acts as a distributor of Hapinoy goods purchased directly from MVI’s partner manufacturers wholesale. The lead storeowner sells goods to both Hapinoy and non-Hapinoy customers; however, Hapinoy members receive gift checks from CARD as part of their micro-loans, which can be used to buy from the lead store, and receive a further discount for purchases. This gives incentive for the Hapinoy Sari-sari stores to buy from the lead store, and gives the lead store assurance that there will be customers. Hapinoy members still receive the loans from CARD, but once a member of 

Hapinoy the loans change—such that the lead community stores receive a larger loan, and the sari sari stores receive loans both in cash and in gift checks, to buy from the community stores. Since the creation of Hapinoy, a new sector of CARD has been developed which specializes in business development—CARD Business Development Institute (BDI).

MicroVentures Inc. provides a service for Hapinoy community stores and Hapinoy sari-sari stores. From this simplified flow chart, we can see the major services provided by MicroVentures Inc. First, Hapinoy teaches recording techniques such as Point of Sales (POS), computer software used in the stores to record what was purchased and sold within the store, in addition to hand-written recording techniques. Hapinoy increases the number of customers because of the CARD gift checks and discounts for Hapinoy and CARD members entice them to go to Hapinoy community stores. Hapinoy has also developed relationships with different merchandising companies and brands so that Hapinoy Community Stores can sell wholesale to sari sari customers in addition to retail, and they receive deliveries of goods instead of having to shop at larger outlet stores far from their stores. One such relationship that Hapinoy has established is with its’ parter Smart, which is a mobile phone provider. Hapinoy community stores, unlike any other sari sari stores can now sell wholesale “load” (pre-paid cell phone minutes, and texts) to other sari sari stores just like any other good. Mark Ruiz explained to me that this new program, would really provide the greatest benefit for the Hapinoy program, because the direct sales of wholesale load would be more efficient for the sari sari stores.

Monthly community store meetings benefit the nanays by teaching business techniques, leadership skills and provide a forum for community storeowners and sari sari storeowners to share ideas and successful business techniques. Hapinoy also provides the community stores with Store Doctors who are responsible for visiting the stores weekly to record updates within the store on a spreadsheet designed by MicroVentures to collect data on how the Hapinoy project is working. These updates include the amount of sales, electricity/water bills, current balance of loans and any comments or concerns about their store. As of now, there are a total of 48 community stores within South Luzon, and MicroVentures Inc. has set a target for 150+ community store by the end of 2009.

Visit http://www.hapinoy.com/ to read more and a short video describing the program

In 2007, the Philippines launched the Ashoka program, as one of the newest entrants in Asia. The Philippines has a long tradition of a strong civil society in which innovative ideas and trends are taking root in different areas of social need. Ashoka strives to help harness the passion, experience and expertise of these individuals by providing critical financial support and welcoming them into the global Fellowship network. However, as the global financial crisis has taken its toll on the economy, Ashoka, like all non-profits have been negatively effected. However, in 1996 Ashoka established the Youth Ventures association, a partnership organization which has taken off in the Philippines, despite the global economic slump. Youth Ventures inspires and invests in teams of young people to design and launch their own lasting social ventures. Youth Ventures assists the “Venturers” through the process of designing and launching their ventures, providing guidance, how-to’s, and a process for designing and pitching a venture idea. In addition, when the venture team is ready to laugh, Youth Ventures offers seed funding, guidance, allies and networking.

I had the chance to meet with the in-country representative of Ashoka, Tieza Santos, who explained to me the importance of Youth Ventures. I learned about the 7 ongoing Youth Ventures—four of which are non-profit and three are for-profit.

Non-Profit Youth Ventures:

1. SIKAP: Groups of out of school youth with a history of drug abuse or living on the street are trained in theatre. They then write and produce plays which highlight socially significant issues and historical events.
2. SIKAT-KA: A duplicate of SIKAP, but which was established  by the out of school youth in response to SIKAP—where they are the producers and participants.
3. To Dance to Move, Grandma/Grandpa do the Best You Can Do!: A project developed by students to address the ongoing gap between generations. Youth conduct dance competitions and work-outs with the elderly to shrink the age gap and to provide health benefits for the elderly.
4. HOGSRA (Hooked to Online Gaming Reformation Activity): Computer science college students formulated training and seminars to help divert energy to other things than gaming.

For-Profit Youth Ventures:

1. Internal Combustion: Used cooking oil (found at fast food restaurants or the plethora of street vendors selling fried delicacies) is transformed in bio diesel to be used in Jeepneys, a common form of public transportation.
2. E-Farmers: Entrepreneurial Farmers participate in alternative livelihood activities for additional income. One of which is harvesting corn and producing an alternative form of coffee from it.
3. ORENEY Candy: A community initiative in which oregano and honey are used to produce curative candies for coughs and asthma and sold at a low cost.

Despite my desire to visit all of these organizations, once again I was constrained by time, and could only hear from Tieza about their success. It was exciting to hear about these projects that are designed and implemented by youth. Throughout the years people often question who in society is the most important for development. While women are often targeted as the recipients for funding and as the forefront of change, we must never forget the importance of youth, especially in countries where the majority of the population is made up of youth. It is important for their ideas to be heard, and integrated into the forces that we expect to change society.

Today, I happened upon an exciting project in Manila, on my way to go see Harry Potter! Approached by a vendor in one of the many malls in Manila, I was introduced to “The Jeepney”—a new street magazine of metro Manila, one of about 200 in the world. After hearing briefly about the project, I was excited about this inventive idea for creating job opportunities and a voice for the poor. I decided to buy a few copies and look more into what street magazines and “The Jeepney” were all about.
        Street magazines are sold by homeless or poor individuals and aim to give these individuals both employment opportunities and a voice in their community. Street newspapers/magazines are a means to mobilize the networks of formal and nonformal relationships that exist between the homeless, unemployed, and the working poor, and the shelter managers, healthcare workers, community organizers and others who work on their behalf.
        “The Jeepney” is a project of the Urban Opportunities of Change Foundation, Inc. a non-stock non-profit company of the Philippines founded by two Americans. It is the first magazine published to communicate the voice of the poor where all the post investment profits go to the vendors and the socially excluded in Manila. The way that the magazine works is that homeless vendors buy a copy of the magazine at a price 50% lower than the vendor price, and sell it to the public keeping the proceeds. The magazine is sold for 100 pesos, 50 of which the vendor receives, while 25 goes to printing and 25 goes to production costs. The goal is for vendors to sell a minimum of 10 magazines a day to exceed the minimum wage. The requirements for being a vendor are that they have to be currently making less than minimum wage, must be a street dweller or squatter, and must by 18 years or older. In addition to providing a job opportunity for the poor, the foundation also provides services for the vendors. These services include, social services arranged specifically to meet the clients complex needs, creation of a savings fund, support groups, seminars on financial management, social and moral reformation from drugs and alcohol and references to health centers which mostly provide free or subsidized medicines.
        The articles in the magazine vary, but from the issues that I purchased most of the articles address important issues within the homeless and poor community in Manila, including the life stories of the vendors, written by them. While “The Jeepney” came as a surprise to me, I was really excited about the idea of a street magazine. I had never heard of the concept before, but to me, a magazine such as “The Jeepney” really addresses major issues within the urban areas of Manila. Street dwellers and squatters, make up the base of the socio-economic  pyramid. They are the poorest socio-economic group, and make up the largest percentage of the population, however, their voice is often not heard by politicians and officials and they tend to be under-represented within society. “The Jeepney” creates an opportunity for these individuals to express themselves and share their story with the greater Manila community, while giving them employment opportunities to perhaps help lift themselves out of poverty. As long as we have socially conscious individuals, willing to buy street magazines such as “The Jeepney”, I think that this idea is something that we can all learn from and hopefully expand to other cities of the world!

Visit http://www.thejeepney.com/index.html to learn more.

Hospital for the Poor

Sister Eva was excited to hear about my experience at the Aeta resettlement community in Gala. She explained to me how this community was really the “poster child” for the foundation and that over the years it has proven to be pretty successful. Another project that she was excited to tell me about was the Indigenous Peoples Community Health Workers Development Program. While the Aeta resettlement project was started in 1991, the community health workers training of indigenous peoples was started some fifteen years later. Under this project, over 229 community health workers from 114 indigenous groups throughout the country have been trained to give medical assistance to their communities, most of which are the most deprived of health services in the country. Some members of these communities die without even seeing a doctor. The community health workers are chosen within their communities to receive training from the foundation. After the training sessions, the community health workers, also called “barefoot doctors” return to their communities to reach people who may not have access to the more established medical centers. The training content is made up of 8 major points, which also “encourages feedback from their respective communities”:
1.    Preservation of indigenous culture, knowledge and health practices.
2.    Health education and promotion.
3.    Diagnosis and treatment of common illnesses in Western medicine.

Sister Eva with Aeta Elders

4.    Complementary medicine (herbal, reflexology, moxibustion, etc.)
5.    Community health care basics.
6.    Responsible parenthood and natural family planning.
7.    Community organizing, problem identification and planning.
8.    Leadership and team-building.

This year, the foundation organized the first Indigenous Barefoot Doctors’ National Summit to allow the trained indigenous peoples community health workers to share their experiences and best practices with one another, to link them with groups/ institutions that can help them with their needs and concerns, and to promote indigenous peoples awareness and culture. After the summit, the president of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, thanked the foundation for “the contribution in improving the quality of life for our countrymen through a more responsive health system”. Sister Eva explained the success of the Summit and after watching footage from the event it seemed that the summit created an open dialogue amongst the community health workers to share ideas. The summit was attended by educators and politicians throughout Manila. The summit was empowering for the trained indigenous community health workers, and helped prove to them the importance of what they are doing.

Visiting Indigenous Communities

Unfortunately I was not able to get a real feel for the project because the summit happened about a month before my arrival in the Philippines, and the next community meeting in July, is scheduled to be held in Mindanao where there is religious political violence. However, I was still excited to hear about another project that was working to empower and provide health care to indigenous groups here who are usually the most marginalized in society. While this project seemed along the same lines as what I had seen Joel doing in Gala, the Indigenous Peoples Community Health Workers Development Program directly trained community health workers so that the presence of volunteer nurses like Joel would not be necessary. Although I will not be able to witness a community meeting, I hopefully plan to visit some of the “barefoot doctors” in the field to see what their role is within the community.

After my unsuccessful attempt at visiting the non-formal education programs in Lakas, I came across the Foundation of Our Lady of Peace Mission (FOLPM), which specifically focuses on serving marginalized groups within their community. The faith-based foundation is a “registered non-stock, non-profit, apolitical, and charitable organization” run by Sister Eva Fidela Maamo. FOLPM has many programs across the country, including health care, a hospital for the poor, scholarship opportunities and a program for street children. The program I was interested in particularly was the Aeta Resettlement and Rehabilitation Center, which envisions creating an “empowered and self-sustained community of Aetas”. The Aeta community in which the programs are being implemented is in Sitio Gala, a barangay between the towns of Olongapo and Subic.

After a conversation with the president, Sister Eva Fidela C. Maamo, who is referred to by many as an inspiring woman selfless and dedicated to the cause, and winner of the Asian equivalent to the Nobel Prize (The Ramon Magsaysay Award), as well as the Mother Teresa award, I was encouraged to contact Bonnie Roque, the field coordinator in Gala, who had been a part of the community development for over 16 years. Bonnie had spoken to Sr. Eva and knew of my interest in the education programs in Aeta resettlements—he immediately invited me to the community. Located in the hills, kilometers away from the highway, getting to the site took a short ride on a motorcycle, followed by a climb up the muddy road, impassable by vehicles in the rainy season (on one trip up to the center, we tried to take the motorcycle all the way up the road and ended up tipping over backwards!).

The Aeta community of Sitio Gala, is made up of 92 families. About 1/5 of the families call this area their ancestral land and have inhabited the area long before the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. The rest of the community have immigrated to this region, and I later found that although all members of the community would refer to themselves as Aeta, there was a lack of uniformity in traditional beliefs and practices.

Bonnie explained to me the mission and vision of FOLPM stressing the importance of empowering community members, and creating sustainable results. The major projects currently running in Gala include a fish pond and hog raising project, an herbal medicine and horticulture project, a co-operative for household items, a preschool feeding program, education until high school, and spiritual and values formation. According to community members, in addition to Bonnie, projects are both implemented by the foundation and suggested by the community. Although I was most interested in the non-formal education programs that I had heard about, I quickly learned from Bonnie, that they had been unsuccessful here.

Bonnie explained to me the importance of livelihood here, which was the major reason that education programs did not work. Families here sell produce at nearby markets in Subic and Castillejos two times a week. Aside from those two days when they go into town, every other day is spent planting, harvesting, cutting, and prepping the produce. This creates a challenge for holding formal classes, and even non-formal classes are hard to plan because finding a time when numerous adults are available is nearly impossible. While there are these challenges, after speaking with some community members, it was apparent that there is a demand for adult literacy here. Ate Marites, a mother from the community explained that there were some mothers who participated in the literacy program previously and could read and write their names and count. She said that this was important because it allowed the Aeta to vote in elections, and it helped them represent themselves and prevent people from taking advantage of them. The Aeta have long been subject to harsh treatment because of their status as indigenous people, and because of their differing appearance to most Filipinos. Ate Marites believed that these literacy programs allowed the Aeta to protect their culture, but agreed with Bonnie that it’s hard to get participation because of the struggles with livelihood. Other mothers said the same things. It was clear that there was demand for adult literacy programs here in Gala, but the problem was, how to go about them. It seemed to me that there had to be a more effective way of educating mothers, and I soon witnessed another approach, which was much more successful.

Joel is a Filipino volunteer in Gala working on the alternative health care approach. He is a college-graduate nurse who was volunteering through the Jesuit Volunteers Philippines for a total of 10 months. Joel has been with the community for about 3 weeks—which was by then, the amount of time that I had been living in the Philippines. Joel’s work is as a health care worker, and part of his duties are to do home visitations and conduct mother’s classes. The purpose is to help educate mothers about basic health care such as hygiene, and about traditional herbal remedies. Traditional Aeta herbal remedies were taught to the mothers. One mother, Nanay Evelyn, expressed to me that although this knowledge was part of the culture, because of the displacement of people following the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, many families had become accustomed to using commercial medicines, which were much more expensive. In a way, re-teaching these techniques of using medicinal plants was a way of preserving Aeta knowledge and helping families continue their cultural traditions. The foundation donated medicinal plants to each family so that they could plant them closer to home, decreasing the time spent searching for them.

Home visitations and mother’s classes were very informal, and allowed Joel to accommodate to the schedule’s of these mothers. Therefore the conflicting problems with livelihood as seen with the adult literacy programs were no longer present. The classes were not only being taught by Joel, but also by a health trained Aeta, Carmella, so that in Joels absence the program could continue. The presence of Carmella made mothers more comfortable and allowed them to ask specific questions that perhaps Joel would not be aware of.

 Accompanying Joel on his home visitations allowed me to witness alternative techniques for teaching a community such as the Aeta, where formal education is unrealistic and usually unsuccessful. For the adult literacy programs, this type of home visitation could potentially provide a solution to the conflict of livelihood. When asked, mothers agreed that if the teachers came to the individual homes of mothers, the literacy programs would be much more successful. However, Bonnie believed that this would be too expensive, and there would have to be a way to beat the cost, or find more volunteers, before these forms of adult literacy programs could be implemented.

Overall, it was exciting to see an alternative approach to health education, and even get to try out some of the herbal remedies myself! Home visitations in a community like Gala seemed like a good way for health care workers like Joel not only to inform the community on techniques, but to learn from them, and to check in with them on what the major concerns in the community are. Community development is a complex process, which requires constant communication of positive as well as negative feedback within the community to address what is and is not working successfully. In Gala, it seemed that the Foundation of Our Lady Peace was working well to empower individuals as well as create sustainable projects for the overall benefit of the community.

After my two-week stay in Manila, my next stop took me into the Zambales Mountains, where I would look for ongoing non-formal education programs for the Aeta. As part of a faith-based aid initiative, the non-formal education programs are “mobile” literary and education projects which began following the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991.

The Aeta are an indigenous people who are thought to be the earliest inhabitants of the Philippines. Traditionally living in mountainous areas on the island of Luzon,

the Aeta have been forced to move over time, due to natural disasters. One area of the country where the Aetas have lived for thousands of years was Mt. Pinatubo, a volcano in the Northern part of the Zambales Mountains. However, in 1991 Mt. Pinatubo erupted becoming one of the worst in history, and displacing over a quarterof a million people—most of which were Aeta.

Since the eruption, many Aetas have re-settled in urban areas of Luzon. Traditionally hunting/gathering people, this movement has had an extreme effect on the way of life for the Aeta. With a lifestyle that prioritizes livelihood, the Aeta are not formally educated like most people in the areas which they have migrated to. Because of this, it is hard for them to get their voice heard, and they are often discriminated against and not well represented politically.

Literacy and education project

Formal Education Preschool

s potentially help the Aeta communicate their needs and vote in elections. As many prioritize livelihood over education, it has been hard to create a formal education system which works for the traditional Aeta lifestyle. For this reason, I was interested in looking at these non-formal education projects which based lessons on Aeta culture and only met three times a week (not to disrupt the work schedule), in convenient locations. Perhaps this could be the answer for a successful education system to meet the needs of the Aeta.

Snooping around:

With few contacts, and just an article from the internet, I set off to find the projects and thankfully it was much easier than I had imagined! Starting in Masinloc, I made my way down to Botolan Municipality, where the projects were said to be taking place. With my partner in crime, Reuel Navarro, we set off to the mayor’s office so that I could meet the man in charge for the area and introduce myself.

I spoke to Erlin Rico, the municipal administrator, or “money man” as Reuel called him, who knew where we cold find the programs. He explained that the eruption forever changed the lives of the Aeta peoples’ (later he explained to me that the Aeta preferred to be called Katutubo which means indigenous people in Tagalog). The 11 barangay’s (communities) where they had previously lived were covered by feet of ash. The communities were evacuated before any people were harmed, but 2 refused to leave and were the only casualties. The evacuation left the Aeta to live in government sponsored tent camps until they were again moved over time to more accommodating areas. Erlin expained that the government put up buildings, and gave people free lots of 6 hectares to grow crops. Education has also been free, and supplies including raincoats, bags and writing utensils have been given to children up to the college level. Job opportunities are scarce, and most Aeta are employed as farm hands or laborers. The ultimate goal of the government is “to empower these people and give them a chance to start over”. Although, this may be the case, up to 60% of the Aeta have moved back to their old Barangay’s to try and restart their communities because in the resettlement areas crops are bad and life is much different than in their old Barangay’s. The only reason some choose to stay is believed to be because of schooling, which is free and will help the Aeta express their needs and concerns to the government and surrounding community.

After a successful meeting with Erlin, and a meal provided by the mayor (delicious—quail eggs included). Reuel and I set off to find the Aeta resettlement community in Lakas where the non-formal education programs were being implemented.

Adult Literacy Diagrams

The community was in the foothills, about a 15 minute drive from the town center. Not many people were around, when we got there, and my first instinct was to relate this community to one in particular I had stayed in, in Tanzania. It looked different than the surrounding areas, and Reuel explained to me that this was similar to how their original Barangay’s looked on Mt. Pinatubo—although instead of concrete houses they lived in houses made of grasses.

Reuel happened to know one of the women that we saw, Ami, and we were allowed in. Otherwise, he explained, the community generally liked to keep to themselves and was not very open to visitors. We were soon introduced to Angelita Deliquina who spoke English and was a formal teacher and community leader. She explained that this settlement was their 10^th evacuation. After the tent communities set up by the government, the Aeta were forced to move again and again. Some of these communities were very crowded and hot, and in one area there was an outbreak of measles. In Lakas, the community was made up of 150 households, averaging 5 families per household. There were 2 settlements near by set up by the government. In most resettlment communities, education has been neglected, but here there is both formal and non-formal education. Erlin Rico had explained that this municipality was relatively wealthy in Zambales

Adult Literacy Flashcards

and thus could afford more programs. The Botolan Municipality was rated first class meaning that the gross income is 100 million pesos (roughly $2 million) per year. Angelita agreed that the government had been helping a lot and confirmed what Erlin claimed was their role in the resettlement.

Angelita helped answer some initial questions, but I soon learned that my expectations to witness the non formal programs and to learn more about the Aeta settlements were not very realistic. I learned that I was required to write an introduction letter to the community leaders explaining my purpose and goals, and that it would be reviewed on June 30^th—the date of their next meeting. It turns out that late June, the beginning of the monsoon season, is planting time for rice and everyone is out working. The literary and education programs have yet to start and will not begin until July.

So, I planned to write the letter, and hopefully I would be welcomed to return in July to see what was going on. As for now, other resettlement programs are happening in the area, and I anticipate learning more about these faith-based programs and what they are doing for the Aeta people.

My first two weeks in the Philippines were spent in Manila, a busy, polluted, and incredibly exciting city. My plans were up in the air, and after about 28 hours of traveling I spent the first two days adjusting to the time and wandering around aimlessly to get my bearings. I planned to spend some time in Manila to start contacting organizations, get a taste of city life here, and to pick up some Tagalog—the national language (although there are dialects in each province, and most people speak some English). After two nights in a budget hostel suggested by my lonely planet guide, a family friend contacted relatives in the Philippines and just like that, I was introduced into a Filippino family. I became the much taller, whiter, and innocently incapable of doing anything-new sister/daughter they never had. The Macquiling family generously hosted me for the first two weeks of my stay, showing me around, treating me to traditional Filippino dishes, and introducing me to their family and friends, who quickly welcomed me into their circle.

Struggling to explain my purpose for traveling to the Philippines, let alone, why I was traveling alone, we quickly discovered that one family friend, called Tito Henri (“uncle Henri”) and some of my “family members”, were involved in charity work/aid, the primary focus of my research in the Philippines. Tito Henri had started an informal charity group, which donates books, clothing, bags and shoes to schoolchildren in the province where he grew up. The group is made up of community members in his area, which donate the items, and he delivers. The group has been ongoing for a couple years now, and seems to have become a family passion that will remain sustained over the years. Tito Henri has purposely not registered the group as an official NGO so that it will not be forced to undergo any rules or regulations necessary by the government for NGO’s in the Philippines (although what these rules or regulations are, I’m not yet sure).

I was invited to join the next excursion, and of course happily agreed to accompany them to the destination 5 hours away—Pangasinan. Because college was not yet in session, my “siblings” who were old enough to be in college joined the adventure. Neither of them had been to the school yet and were excited to see who it was exactly they were donating to. We brought backpacks, used books, and flip flops for the students. The items were only given to students who were the most in need, which were self-selected, and the books were added to a community collection for the future library.

It was exciting to experience domestic charity work during my first week in the country. Although this experience was not part of my overall research for BGI, I was glad to make this connection right off the bat. I imagine that the rest of my research will be slanted towards international organizations and groups, but to see Tito Henri and my “family members” express their beliefs on helping their country men was truly inspiring. Tito Henri is highly regarded among his friends as a caring and giving man, and watching his interactions with the school only affirmed these beliefs. He plans to start a feeding program for the school in addition to adding a library and better latrines.

A little background on the Philippines:

 The Philippines is the largest archipelago in the world, made up of over 7,000 islands, it’s broken into three distinct regions—Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. As the world’s 12^th most populous country, the Philippines is a melting pot of cultures and race, with over 180 languages. A former colony of Spain and the United States, and shortly ruled by the Japanese, the Philippines has a long history of foreign control and because of this has remnants of each country it was ruled by. Because of Spanish influence, over 80% of Filippinos are Roman Catholic—making it the only predominantly Christian country in Asia.  The education system is westernized, and based off of the American education system. Tagalog is the major language taught in school, as well as English.

Major issues in the Philippines include the economy, education, prostitution, and corruption. The economy of the Philippines has improved significantly in recent years, but faces many challenges. The economy is heavily reliant on remittances from workers abroad mostly as nurses and domestic helpers. There are more than 1 million Filippino workers living abroad at any moment. Official figures indicate that they send about $16 billion per year back home, about 10% of GDP.Regional competition poses a major threat to economic development, and an improvement in employment opportunities will be necessary to alleviate poverty. Overall, there is an unequal distribution of wealth in the Philippines, with more than one out of three people living in poverty.  

Education is another major issue in the Philippines due to lack of funding for teachers and school supplies. Prostitution, including child prostitution is a major social issue in the Philippines. Stemming from the American military bases, the sex business has become a major economic niche for some, and in some countries, the Philippines is actively promoted as a sex-tourism destination. The political history of the Philippines is marred by scandals and corruption, and to this day, many view the government as staging flawed elections and laundering money. The Philippines has a travel warning from the Department of State due to Muslim dissent in Mindanoa in which different various religious groups, including the Abu Sayyaf, call for a separate Islamic state in the South. Apart from these dangerous areas, the Philippines is known as a travel destination for its natural beauty and welcoming people.