When disaster strikes, what could be better for the affected communities than a speedy emergency response? One that’s already happened. That’s the idea behind a new approach to cyclones and other hazards that are possible to predict: distributing cash in advance in the communities that lie in harm’s way.

The quiet town of Clarin, Misamis Occidental in Northern Mindanao is awakened by a group of women eagerly gathering in a small store.   They would often meet in the morning to talk about the situation of women in their area – from learning sessions on women’s empowerment to discussing reports of domestic abuse. Other times, […]

For someone who is barely five feet, 17-year-old “Nana” walks tall and proud among volunteers in the small rural town of Ganassi in Lanao del Sur.   With a smile as bright as sunshine, Nana recalled how at 14, she was among Grade 8 students selected to be part of an advocacy training facilitated by the […]

Christine, Dianne, and Anna have been friends long before they learned how to read and write. From varying school crushes that were often the center of their conversations, the three girls now share a different experience — motherhood.

While their husbands are out fishing, nine women in the island community of Sitio Linao gather regularly to discuss their business enterprise. The women have been saving Php 50 weekly, which they used to start a hog-raising business.  Shirley Voces, one of the members of the Linao Self Help Group (SHeG) said, “our husbands did […]

When her husband is out at sea during the day, 25-year-old Angelica Legria’s daily routine includes doing the laundry, ensuring that there is food on the table, maintaining cleanliness in and out of the house, and teaching her two children basic literacy.  On top of her care work, she also helps prepare and dry the […]

PILAR, SiargaoIsland – To help augment the income their husband’s income amid the COVID-19 pandemic, at least 120 women from the surfing village of Salvacion formed themselves into six self-help groups (SHEGs) last year to sell rice and other goods to their community. Each group is composed of 20 members and was organized through the […]

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines – Sandiale Guiamandal heaved a huge sigh of relief after receiving a Manila envelope hand-delivered to their community composed of bakwits or internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the village of Pandi, Datu Salibo town. Finally, after 46 years, he got his birth certificate just this year. Born on May 7, 1976, Guiamandal placed […]

PILAR, Siargao Island – Since late last year, many residents in the village of Mabuhay would wake up as early as 2 a.m. to queue up and beat others to the only water pump station serving their community of 144 households. The onslaught of the Super Typhoon Rai (local name Odette) last December 16, 2021, […]

PILAR, Siargao Island – To help augment the income their husband’s income amid the COVID-19 pandemic, at least 120 women from the surfing village of Salvacion formed themselves into six self-help groups (SHeGs) last year to sell rice and other goods to their community. Each group is composed of 20 members and was organized through […]