The Philippines


  • Population - 101,833,938
  • Infant Mortality Rate - 19.34 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Life Expectancy – 71.66 years
  • Population below poverty line – 32.9%
  • Year ChildFund entered Philippines – 1954

Quick Facts

  • The Philippines consists of 7,107 islands lying between the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
  • Its capital city is Manila, which has a population of approximately 10,677,000.
  • The Philippines lies just north of the world’s largest Muslim state, Indonesia, however its population is about 94% Christian. Surprisingly only about 5% of Filipinos are Muslim.
  • The main industries in the Philippines are: textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and wood products. The main agricultural sources are: Rice, coconuts, corn, sugarcane, pork and fish. The Philippines main exports are:  electronic equipment, machinery and transport equipment, garments and coconut products.
  • The Philippines has a Tropical with 2 distinct seasons: wet and dry. The dry season is from November to May and the wet season from June to October.
  • The currency is the Philippine peso.
  • The main language in the Philippines is Filipino. English along with 87 ethnic are spoken too.

Priority Issues

  • Early learning for children below 6 years old remains a major concern; with only 3 out of 10 children attend pre-school or day care services.
  • According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) 480,000 people had contracted Tuberculosis (TB).
  • Approximately 21% of children under 5 are victims of poverty and hunger.
  • The Philippines is prone to natural disasters, such as landslides, floods, typhoons, active volcanoes and earthquakes.
  • The Philippines population is growing at an annual rate of 2.11%, this rapid population growth puts stress on the country’s economic resources and affects social and health services.
  • The number of new HIV infections has been rising every year, from one new HIV infection every three days in 2000, to one per day in 2007 and two per day in 2009.
  • Violence against women both physically and sexually is a huge problem in the Philippines. In addition to this, there is a predominance of female abuse victims, trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation and forced female labour.

ChildFund Intervention

ChildFund Philippines has been assisting children and families since 1954. Currently, 35,000 children in 53 project locations are receiving support, over 400 of them through ChildFund Ireland.

The projects supported by ChildFund sponsors from Ireland and other members of ChildFund Alliance conduct day care centres for girls and boys ages three to six. At the day care centres, the children receive good care and nutritious meals while their parents work. Older children are able to attend school through payment of tuition and disbursement of school supplies. Parents participate in classes on literacy, health, family life and leadership.

Children in assisted areas have access to early childhood stimulation activities and toys. Parents and caregivers are trained in early childhood care and the importance of early childhood stimulation in healthy growth and development. ChildFund Philippines also offers children an opportunity for social and physical growth by providing for educational activities. This is a particularly important component of the programme because many children would not otherwise be able to play.

Children in the Philippines face a number of daily challenges including malnutrition, exposure to unsanitary environments, and lack of food. ChildFund and ChildFund assisted projects have medical centres that provide check-ups, vitamins, immunisations and medicines. Children receive supplementary food to improve their diets, and families are educated about the importance of health and nutrition. Project areas participate in targeted reduction of malnutrition among children under five. Additionally, funds are provided for families who need to make improvements to their homes for the health and safety of their children.

Our health care programs teach women – both mothers and those who have yet to have children – healthy pre-natal and post-natal practices as well as birth spacing and family planning methods, including providing access to contraceptives.  Peer education has proven to be a highly effective method of teaching reproductive health to young people ages 12 to 24.

We also teach mothers how to prepare healthy meals on a tight budget.  Children’s health is regularly assessed and those children who are properly nourished are presented to the community as examples of successful feeding practices.  But proper nourishment can be challenging when there is limited food security.  By providing grants for growing crops and educating farmers regarding more effective agricultural strategies, we attempt to transform small-scale production into income-generating ventures. Supplemental feeding programs are also available during emergencies.

But learning starts before children even reach school. Day care centres throughout the Philippines have been renovated and upgraded with new learning materials. And in 23 program areas without day care centres, an alternative method of Early Childhood Development is used:  supervised neighbourhood play. Encouraged to form play groups, parents are taught developmentally appropriate activities for engaging their children and inspiring learning.

An important component of keeping children healthy is access to safe water, both for drinking and sanitation.  Programs like the Barangay Water Services Association (BAWASA), a communal water system, provide children with easy access to clean water, protecting them from water-borne diseases and other illnesses. When children are healthy, they are able to grow developmentally and participate in school.

 

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