Filipino Poverty

We are three University of California, Irvine students, studying the Filipino Experience and attempting to bring awareness to poverty in the Philippines. We will focus especially on how poverty affects Filipino children, feature charities, and share news on poverty in the Philippines.

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Would you like to give the GIFT of education? Project Pearls is committed to assisting Filipino children dream big for their children and give them a poverty-free future. What is extraordinary is that children from Pre-K until college have the chance to receive an education scholarship! This year, 8 college graduates from the Ulingan in Tondo, Manila completed their college studies and will now use their education to dream outside their previous future charcoal factory worker. These college graduates are also using their education to give back and will be tutoring/mentoring the smaller children in the program.

Please consider this holiday season the gift of education and become a sponsor of a student in need. Below is a table of how much USD it takes for each student and what those precious dollars will provide. 

Pre-School (Nursery scholars at Project PEARLS Learning Center in  Bulacan) $130 USD or PHP 5500

Elementary School (Kindergarten to Grade 6)  $225 USD or PHP 10,000 

Middle School & High School (Grade 7 to 4th Year High School)  $280 USD or PHP 12,000

SCHOLARS WILL GET: 

PRE-SCHOOL • School supplies: 1 set of school uniform, pair of shoes, 2 pairs of socks, backpack, notebook, pencils, crayons • Scholarship certificate • School ID • Daily Breakfast (Early Childhood Education and Nourishment Program)* • Food for Learning Program ** 

ELEMENTARY • School supplies: 1 set of uniform, pair of shoes, 2 pair of  socks, backpack, school supplies as required by their class advisor • Scholarship certificate • Food for Learning Program ** • Vouchers for additional school supplies needed for school projects • Opportunity for special field trips for top scholars 

MIDDLE SCHOOL & HIGH SCHOOL: • School supplies: 1 set of uniform, pair of shoes, 2 pair of  socks, backpack, school supplies as required by their class advisor • Scholarship certificate • Food for Learning Program ** • Vouchers for additional school supplies needed for school projects • Opportunity for special field trips for top scholars 

SPONSORS WILL GET: • Donation receipt • Certificate of gratitude for sponsorship to include scholar’s name and photo • Quarterly updates of scholar’s school standing; letter and photos from scholars • Opportunity to write/email and build mentoring relationship with their scholars -

 See more at: http://www.projectpearls.org/scholarship/#sthash.3gy2aLDS.dpuf - See more at: http://www.projectpearls.org/scholarship/#sthash.XLGdmIir.dpuf

-Joanne

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UNICEF Aid Relief for Typhoon Victims in Philippines

UNICEF will conduct an assessment of the destruction of plantations in the most affected areas to estimate the extent of the needs of the typhoon victims.

On October 19th 2015, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) appealed $2.8 million to help victims devastated by the Typhoon Koppu. They helped both children and their families but their main focus was the children’s well being and education. They focus on the educational facilities that was destroyed by the typhoon which will now be rebuilt. They also gave school supplies to the children as seen on the picture.

to read more, click on the picture or this link: http://borgenproject.org/typhoon-victims-philippines/

- Robin

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This video shows the reality of poverty in the Philippines. It prompts awareness of what is really happening around in the Philippines. The face of poverty is different from what people can imagine, even people with good educational background like Mr. Manuel (the homeless teacher who was interviewed and documented in this video) struggles in poverty. People on the streets get by through begging, salvaging trash, or even stealing. The direct message of this video was of the corrupt politicians of the Philippines who make empty promises but one can be aware of the tragedies of poverty due from it.

- Robin

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Cassie Eng and Bag of Dreams believe Philippine children can escape poverty by getting an education. To make learning a little easier for the “Daniels” out there, Cassie raised funds to purchase “one high quality backpack filled with school supplies” for 300 Lucena children. For a small donation of $20, you can celebrate Cassie’s 12th birthday as she hands out this year’s backpack. 

Donate $20 thru Paypal

Or by check to:

U.S. DONATIONS 

Checks should be made payable to Project Pearls, Inc., please put Bag of Dreams on the memo line and mailed to: 

PROJECT PEARLS 8010 Pinot Noir Ct. San Jose, CA 95135 

PHILIPPINE DONATIONS ​

Bank Deposit to any BPI Branch 

Account Name: Project Pearls, Inc. Account #4253-4268-91

(Please email a photo of the deposit slip to: [email protected]) 

Learn more about Cassie here.

See more at:

http://www.projectpearls.org/cassies-bag-ofdreams/#sthash.sv8leThS.dpuf

-Joanne

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(UPDATED) Under the lights of a nearby fast food restaurant, the young boy diligently works on his homework

Do you remember this photo of a 9-year-old boy doing whatever it takes to do his homework...despite being homeless and without electricity? Meet Daniel Cabrera who lives in Cebu City, Philippines. A McDonald’s manager explained that Daniel, his 7-year-old brother Gabriel beg for food outside the establishment. Sometimes, they have to sleep in a nearby food stall where his mother works. The boys do their homework using a makeshift bench and light illuminating from the restaurant. McDonald’s encourage the studious boys with toys as rewards for getting “star” paper as well as providing water when they need it. Daniel became a worldwide inspiration when his picture was taken by a university student passerby who posted on Facebook. Thanks to the photo going viral, Daniel was flooded with donation aid in cash, school supplies, and a college scholarship. All this help will surely help him achieve his dream to become a policeman and escape from poverty

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/philippines/11730467/Filipino-boy-receives-scholarship-after-photograph-of-him-studying-on-the-street-goes-viral.html)

Would you like to help a “Daniel”? Do you have $20 to spare? Eleven year old Cassie Eng is the creator of “My Bag of Dreams.” Read the next post on how  you can make the pursuit of education a little easier for a Filipino child. 

-Joanne

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Philippine Red Cross

Since 1947, the Philippine Red Cross has aided in blood crises, disaster management, safety, health, social services, and international humanitarian law (Philippine Red Cross). The organization targets youth to volunteer with its offered Basic First Aid training and activities to engage in their community. With so many children in poverty, it helps to have a peer who can provide goods and guidance. With its online resources and large scale fundraising events, the Philippine Red Cross is well established. Since this organization is associated with the International Red Cross, it checks out! Please check out the Philippine Red Cross with this link: http://www.redcross.org.ph/

-Sydney 

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Filipino Charities of North America

Based in Michigan and operating through both Philippine government and nongovernmental bodies, Filipino Charities of North America, Inc. (FCNA) is a registered 501(c)(3) organization that supplies basic necessities to areas hit with typhoons, hurricanes, mudslides and other natural disasters. FCNA extends their services to include students who are unable to fund their education as well, so that those students can support their families. You could help a student attend college! FCNA empowers people through education from health and nutrition programs to vocational and livelihood training. Please learn more and contribute to the charity by following this link: http://fcnausa.org/about-filipino-charities/ 

-Sydney

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The Philippines' Cemetery Slums | VICE | United States

VICE Japan visited a massive slum on the outskirts of Manila where an estimated 6,000 people currently live and work amid graves and human bones.

Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released the latest report on the country’s official poverty statistics in March 2015. One of their reports included subsistence poverty rates for the first semester of 2014.

Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) sets the minimum income needed to meet basic food and nutritional requirements called the food threshold. Food threshold also measure extreme or subsistence poverty. Filipino families living in extreme poverty (subsistence incidence) was estimated at 7.6 percent during the first semester of 2014.

http://www.nscb.gov.ph/pressreleases/2015/PSA-20150306-SS2-01_poverty.asp

It is estimated that a family of five would need an average of 6125 PHP(Philippine Pesos) a month to meet basic food requirements. That is about $130.05 in USD(US Dollars). Poverty threshold holds the same concept but involves basic non-food items such as clothing, housing, transportation, health & education expenses. For an additional 2653 PHP (or $56.33USD), these basic necessities would also be covered alongside food.

Statistics bring the facts to reality but visual documentation delivers reality to our hearts. Open your hearts and educate yourself on the reality of poverty facing Filipinos everyday in the year 2015.

Please take the time and watch VICE Japan’s documentary titled Philippines’ Cemetery Slums. Navotas Cemetery evolved into its own community when Filipinos from the provinces needed a rent-free place near Manila to escape from poverty with the promise of jobs. The cemetery services the poor in two ways: for the dead and as a slum for the living. Due to the Philippines’ fragile social infrastructure (unable to support its own citizens), Navotas has become a product of the country’s rapid economic growth. It is inspiring how in the face of extreme poverty, Navotas exemplifies humanity’s will to survive and carry on everyday life with a smile and song.

-Joanne

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Charity: Children’s Shelter of Cebu

Since 1979, Children’s Shelter of Cebu has provided homes for “orphaned, abandoned, and surrendered children in the Philippines” (Children’s Shelter of Cebu). Accredited by the ECFA, the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, the company lives by the motto that “every child deserves a family” (Children’s Shelter of Cebu). 

The organization began when a missionary couple from the United States visited the Philippines and were struck by the plight of children particularly in Cebu. Fundraising on different college campuses, the couple inspired a student who donated a whopping amount of $40,000, and the organization took off.

You could be like that student! Please give what you can, and click the following link to see how you can contribute to relieving the poor conditions for children in the Philippines: http://www.cscshelter.org/ 

-Sydney 

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Take a Peek for New Charities Each Week!

Each week we will highlight a few reputable charities, both based in the Philippines and the United States, so please keep a look out on how we can help aid Filipinos living in poverty, especially the children. 

-Sydney

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Poverty in the Philippines

In the past couple of years, poverty rates have increased in the Philippines to an astonishing 26% of the population, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA.)

To provide some context, the United States rate of poverty is 15% as found by the United States Census Bureau. Poverty in the Philippines rose recently due to the hike in food prices, specifically for rice. The typhoons and other natural disasters that hit the Philippines also hinder the country’s ability to provide for itself. With over one third of children in the Philippines living in poverty, it is imperative that assistance arrive.

-Sydney