Philippines
The Philippines is an archipelago of around 7,000 islands in the South China Sea, subject to frequent typhoons that often cause substantial damage to the homes and livelihoods of the poorest. Following the colonial rule of Spain and the USA, the Philippines gained independence in 1946.
By regional standards the Philippines has one of the best-performing economies, however the country is burdened with a huge national debt, and is heavily dependent on the millions of Filipinos living abroad and sending money home.
Despite the government’s attempts to stabilise the economy, many Filipino families are pushed into poverty by very low wages and very high living costs and taxes; nearly half of the population lives on less than $2 a day.
The Philippines has the highest birth rate in Asia; this is partly due to the strong influence of the Catholic Church throughout the country and its opposition to artificial methods of contraception. It is feared the population could double within the next three decades putting a severe strain on resources.
Increasing trends of family separation, urban poverty and dangerous drugs impact negatively on children’s life chances. Security is an additional concern for many Filipinos. A separatist conflict on Mindanao in southern Philippines has claimed 120,000 lives in 30 years. Other separatist groups also remain active and many people live with the constant threat of violence.
Some of the reasons why Plan works in the Philippines
- Nearly one third of children under five years old suffer from stunted growth due to poor nutrition
- 40% of children do not attend secondary school
- 40% of the population do not have access to adequate sanitation facilities
- A quarter of the population do not have access to adequate drinking water
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World Water Day: community water system is magic World Water Day, March 22, is this year focusing on the importance of sanitation. The new “magic” water system in the Philippines village of Valles Bello has brought a host of benefits to the community. |
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Because I am a Girl: Julianna's Story Julianna, a 13 year old girl living in the Philippines, was let down by the local justice system when she suffered sexual abuse by a distant relative. Her family and community are helping her to overcome what happened. |
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Lydia shows it's never too late to learn Lydia dropped out of school when she was very young because she could not afford to continue. Her story is shared by millions of people in the Philippines, but Lydia has been given the chance to make up for lost time. |
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A thousand little red thumbs Children from Masbate, in the Philippines have come up with an innovative idea for opening up discussions about the HIV/AIDS with their friends and families through an awareness camapign called ‘A Thousand Little Red Thumbs’ |
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New initiatives to fight child-trafficking In the Philippines a significant number of children from poor provinces are forced into the sex trade or exploited. Plan is launching a new project to fight child-trafficking
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