View larger map

Sponsorship in the Philippines

CFCA’s outreach in the Philippines began in 1982 and has grown to five projects.

In the Antipolo project, benefits include educational assistance and a monthly food subsidy of items such as rice, sugar, milk, iodized salt and protein-rich foods. Assistance for special-needs children, medical care, a loan program to help with income-generating enterprises and emergency relief to families affected by typhoons, sickness and death are other benefits.

In the Legazpi project, CFCA sponsorship helps with school fees and supplies, book bags, umbrellas, raincoats and school uniforms. Medical care is provided with yearly medical and dental checkups, referrals for the ill, medicines and vitamins. Before school, malnourished children receive nutritious food prepared daily by parents at project centers. Spiritual development, skill-building courses and remedial classes are also offered.

In the Manila project, children are able to attend school and supplemental tutorial sessions. Health needs are also met through general checkups, supplemental feedings for the malnourished and health workshops.

In the Quezon project, sponsorship assists with needs such as education, recreation, health care and nutrition. Seminars for youth address topics such as drug addiction, teenage pregnancy, courtship and marriage. Parents may participate in parenting and marriage-enrichment seminars. Counseling for children experiencing problems in school, emergency home-repair grants and burial assistance benefits are also available.

CFCA support has made it possible for youth served by the Zamboanga project to enroll in elementary school, high school, college and vocational training. Annual activities such as summer camp, a sports festival and retreats are available. The sponsorship program also serves aging persons by providing them with food, monthly vitamins and social activities.

Read a letter from Malou G. Navio, Antipolo project coordinator and team

Read a letter from Ludigario A. Olavario, Legazpi project coordinator.

About the Philippines

The Philippines is an island nation off the southeast coast of Asia made up of a chain of 7,000 islands extending 1,100 miles. Most of the islands are small and uninhabited, and the majority of the people live on the 11 largest islands.

The islands are usually struck by five or six typhoons a year, which trigger landslides and tsunamis that cause great damage. Several active volcanoes and earthquakes also cause frequent damage.

The Philippines is home to a wide variety of plants and animals. Half of the country’s area is covered by forests that contain thick groves of bamboo and approximately 9,000 other kinds of flowering plants. One thousand varieties of birds can be found there, while the waters surrounding the islands are teeming with more than 2,000 species of fish.

The people

The Philippines is one of the most westernized nations in Southeast Asia as a result of strong 20th century American influences. Filipino music, art and dance contain elements of American culture.

Many Muslims and tribal groups have distinct cultures based on indigenous traditions.

The majority of Filipinos live in small towns or villages in clusters of houses built on bamboo stilts with walls made of palm leaves and bamboo and roofs of thatched palm leaves or corrugated iron.

While Filipinos take great pride in their homes, many of the urban poor must live in slums where houses of makeshift construction are little more than squatters’ shacks. Water is hauled from public faucets or cisterns. Malnutrition and diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis and malaria flourish in these conditions.

Education

With one of the highest literacy rates in Asia, Filipinos place a high value on education. Filipinos believe that good education is the road to success.

The Philippines has a three-level system of education – four years primary, two years intermediate and four years high school. Education is compulsory through the first four grades and children attend school from June to April. Still, it is difficult for poor children to go to school. Parents often cannot afford necessary materials or the children are needed at home to help the family earn a living. Sponsorship lessens these pressures on the family.

Most elementary schools use the local dialect as the language of instruction the first two years, and then introduce English and Filipino. High schools and universities use English as the language of instruction.

Sponsor a child in the Philippines

Sources:

World Factbook