PHINLA holds National Stakeholders Conference, calls for joint effort to continue improving solid waste management in the Philippines

Waste is a problem that has an impact on economics, the environment, and people's lives and livelihoods. Because a huge amount of garbage is openly disposed of or burnt in low-income nations, the poor and most vulnerable people suffer disproportionately.

Under the rapidly expanding urbanization, the solid waste management industry in emerging nations will experience rising strain. The pursuit for progress and economic growth by developing countries like the Philippines has resulted in the manufacture, distribution and use of products and generation of waste, more than half of which is openly dumped in landfill sites. This contributes to environmental degradation and poses negative implications to health and prosperity. 

In response, World Vision Development Foundation and EcoWaste Coalition, with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Global Development (BMZ), are implementing the PHINLA Project, a global program to develop livelihood for poverty affected population through a multi-sectoral established and monitored waste management system. PHINLA (an acronym for Philippines, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka where the program is being implemented) aims to assist the government in the implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and the National Framework Plan for the Informal Waste Sector in the Philippines, specifically in three pilot barangays in the country: Bagong Silangan in Quezon City; Cugman in Cagayan De Oro City; and Mintal in Davao City. 

Bring joy to the most vulnerable children this Christmas through World Vision’s Noche Buena Campaign

With the Yuletide season around the corner, World Vision is once again bringing the Noche Buena campaign, which aims to give bountiful meals to the most vulnerable children and their families this Christmas.

As the country continues to recover from the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Christmas is a wonderful occasion to encourage and uplift one another over a Noche Buena feast.

Since the campaign’s launch in 2006, World Vision has been able to give Noche Buena packs to countless Filipino families with the help of thousands of generous sponsors and donors. Along with Noche Buena, World Vision also extends their support to the Filipino children through its child sponsorship program.

World Vision receives 20th Manuel Luis Quezon Gawad Parangal Award

The local government of Quezon City awards World Vision for its service to children in the 20th Manuel Luis Quezon Gawad Parangal ceremony held at the EVM Convention Center in Quezon City. The award is bestowed to outstanding Quezon City-based citizens and organizations that have made significant contributions to the betterment of the city and the nation as a whole.

Leading the ceremony were Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and Vice Mayor Gian Sotto. Aside from World Vision, the following individuals and organizations were also recognized during the event:

Philippine Coast Guard wins in Family Feud, benefits World Vision’s cause for children

They came, they fought, and they conquered.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) won big time against Philippine Air Force when they competed on GMA Network’s Family Feud. The Air Force were triumphant in the first round but the Coast Guards took the steal and headed for the win until the last set.

PCG dedicated their game for children and have identified World Vision as their charitable institution to receive a portion of their total winnings. Their pledge will go a long way in helping out the most vulnerable children in the country.

World Vision honors LBC Hari ng Padala Foundation, Inc. with One For Children Seal

From left: World Vision Development Foundation Resource Director Jun Godornes, LBC Express NEMM Area Manager Richard Gonato and LBC Foundation Program Officer Melissa Ann Macarubbo

World Vision awarded the One for Children seal to LBC Hari ng Padala Foundation, Inc. in a Project Salute ceremony. The award was given to recognize the overwhelming support that LBC has provided over the years. The plaque was handed over by World Vision Development Foundation Resource Director Jun Godornes to LBC Express NEMM Area Manager Richard Gonato and LBC Foundation Program Officer Melissa Ann Macarubbo.

During the awarding, Godornes said, “We express our overwhelming gratitude to LBC for their support, not just through sponsorship, but through campaigns and through emergency relief response.”

World Vision Celebrates 65th Anniversary by Launching the Childhood Rescue Campaign

(From Top Left) World Vision Advocacy and Campaign Specialist Caroline Veronilla, World Vision Resource Development Director Jun Godornes, World Vision Field Operations Manager in Mindanao Beth Delgado and  World Vision Operations Director Ajab Macapagat

In celebration of its 65th year milestone, World Vision Philippines shared over six decades’ worth of providing better future for vulnerable children through a virtual media launch held last May 30, 2022. The event featured an impactful campaign launch for “Childhood Rescue” with Bianca Umali as the campaign’s lead celebrity ambassador.

World Vision’s “Childhood Rescue” aims to focus on the most dangerous places where children and their communities have been greatly affected by armed conflicts such as Marawi.

The Marawi siege in 2017 has caused thousands of young Filipinos to live amidst armed conflict, political unrest, and ongoing instability even until today. It has displaced at least 350,000 people, including at least 200,000 children, according to the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DREAMB).

World Vision’s 2021 in review: More than 300,000 Filipino children directly assisted

Christian relief, development, and advocacy agency World Vision in the Philippines recently released its Year 2021 impact report highlighting milestones of directly assisting thousands of  children and reaching millions of children through its various child-focused and community-based programs and advocacies implemented in over 30 provinces across the country.

World Vision National Director Rommel V. Fuerte shared, “In seeking and bearing witness to God’s kingdom, the ministry that we have built with all of our partners directly served more than 300,000 children by end of our fiscal year 2021. This is while the five national policies on child well-being World Vision has influenced to benefit  more than 32 million children in the Philippines.”

“God has been faithful to each and every one of us for enabling us to do so much, despite the limitations and challenges in year 2021,” said Eduardo C. Jimenez , last year’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees for World Vision Development Foundation, Inc. “We praise Him for giving us the opportunity to work alongside thousands of partners and volunteers across the country to make this happen.”

World Vision, partners and ambassadors continue to provide emergency aid for Typhoon Odette survivors

Nearly 50,000 typhoon survivors assisted by relief efforts

Three months have passed since the Philippines was hit by torrential rains, violent winds, floods and storm surges due to Typhoon Odette (international name Rai). Overnight, the Typhoon displaced thousands of families, resulting in billions worth of damages as the country is still recovering from the effects of the pandemic. Since then, World Vision ambassadors continue to show their support for typhoon-affected communities through heartfelt activities to help raise funds for World Vision’s relief efforts.

Ogie Alcasid held a fundraising concert entitled Online Caroling for a Cause; Quest held the Bagong Yugto fundraising concert through Facebook Live in partnership with When In Manila; Christine and Julius Babao organized ArtReach 2021, a fundraising auction held by their Art PH advocacy in partnership with Art Rocks; and other World Vision ambassadors such as Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Joyce Pring, Juancho Trivino, and Marc Nelson provided donations to the relief efforts.

World Vision joins Child Rights organizations in lauding passage of End Child Rape Law

"Happy faces of children who feel protected and secured as we bring hope, joy and justice for their fullness of life."

For years, the age to determine statutory rape in the Philippines has been the lowest in Asia and one of the lowest in the world. The passage of Republic Act 116481 or an act “providing for stronger protection against rape and sexual exploitation and abuse, increasing the age for determining the commission of statutory rape” responds not only to the Philippines’ obligation to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, but most importantly, to the call for stronger protection for victim-survivors of sexual violence.

“The passage of RA 116481 is an answered prayer and a timely gift to women and girls as we celebrate International Women’s Month. For more than 90 years, many young survivors of sexual abuse—both girls and boys—were victimized by an outdated system that either silenced them or forced them to relive their suffering. We are hopeful that with this new law in place, many will be given justice and children will be further protected from sexual exploitation and abuse,” says World Vision Executive Director, Rommel V. Fuerte.

World Vision conducts climate change summit to intensify waste management in Cotabato

“Sustainability means leaving something for our children,” says guest speaker Ryan Fabay, Mindanao State University Faculty, in the recently concluded Climate Change Summit in Cotabato City.

The Climate Change Summit aims to engage identified communities in improving their mechanisms on waste collection, waste segregation, recycling and other climate change adaptation practices. The initiative is organized through World Vision’s Adapting Solid Waste Management as Climate Crises Solution project in partnership with local government unit of Cotabato City.

“Basically the Climate Change Summit is the effort of World Vision and the local government unit to reach the communities and involve them in managing, conserving and protecting the city environment,” says Fabay. According to him, bridging the gap between the government and our community partners to work together will bring effective and sustainable output to the citizens, most especially the children of Cotabato.

Children remind peers about online safety

Adhering to local hygiene protocols and social distancing, children in some World Vision communities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao gathered to teach and learn about online safety to prevent online abuses and sexual exploitation of children.

Using the hashtag term “#MayForeverOnline”, children and youth leaders led the orientation about online safety, reminding their peers to be extra careful when posting information on the Internet and social media.

“The #MayForeverOnline campaign is our way of reaching out and telling other children and youth to be extra careful when posting information online because anything we post online are there forever even if we deleted them from our social media pages,” Francis, 21, World Vision’s National Children’s Federation president, explains referring to the digital footprints that leave trails on the Internet which can be used by other people to steal personal information and take advantage of a child.

World Vision lauds new Philippine law prohibiting Child Marriage

Globally, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18 each year^[I]. Despite the recent decline in its prevalence, the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact to families have placed children—especially girls—at a higher risk of being forced into marriage to make ends meet.

Studies have shown that marrying at an early age hinders children from reaching their potential and experiencing full lives. It not only discourages them from pursuing their education, but it also makes them prone to domestic violence and to several health risks.

As a child-focused organization and member of the Child Rights Network in the Philippines, World Vision lauds the recent passing of Republic Act (RA) 11596 or An Act Prohibiting the Practice of Child Marriage. This new law recognizes child marriage as a form of abuse that debases, degrades, and demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of children and repeals all laws, decrees, executive orders, issuances, and rules and regulations inconsistent with the provisions stated in the Act.

One month on: World Vision assists more than 9,000 Typhoon Odette-affected families

 

·       - World Vision supported more than 9,000 typhoon-affected families in the provinces of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Occidental, and Surigao del Norte

·      -  World Vision provided life-saving essentials including emergency shelter kits, hygiene kits, kitchen kits, water purification kits, food packs, and non-food items including mosquito nets and blankets.

·       - World Vision is concerned with the wellbeing of the affected population especially children, as many communities are still reeling from the impact of the typhoon.

A month after Typhoon Odette (international name Rai) entered Philippine shores and left billions worth of agriculture and infrastructure damages, World Vision supported more than 9,000 families including 10,912 children with life-saving relief aid in the provinces of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Occidental, and Surigao del Norte.

World Vision launches emergency appeal as Typhoon Odette leaves thousands of families affected in the Visayas

 

In the aftermath of Typhoon Odette (international name Rai), World Vision in the Philippines mobilizes its team to dispatch and respond to the emergency as several provinces in southern Philippines are left with destroyed homes and thousands of families displaced.

“Our house lost the entire second floor because of Typhoon Odette. I felt fear and the weariness in my heart,” shared World Vision staff Lucille Antonio based in Cebu. “While the strong winds were raging, I received a message from my son, Jorrel, asking for help. I felt so limited, so helpless,” added Antonio.

World Vision’s Noche Buena Campaign Shares the Joy of Christmas to the Most Vulnerable Children

 

World Vision is once again bringing the holiday spirit to our most vulnerable children and their families as it continues its annual Christmas tradition with the Noche Buena campaign.

Since 2006, Christmas has been celebrated by World Vision’s supported children and their community with joyful memories of the generosity of sponsors and donors through the annual distribution of Noche Buena gifts.

But due to the adverse impacts of the pandemic, many families were forced to face heavy financial burdens due to quarantine restrictions and scarcity or loss of jobs.

World Vision and DepEd launch mobile library to give children in slum areas access to learning materials

Child-focused organization World Vision partners with the Department of Education (DepEd) to launch a mobile library in Mandaue City. The library named as Learn and Play Hub is officially launched to the community at the DepEd Mandaue City Division Office.

Under the organization’s Urban Development Project, with the funding from the World Vision Singapore office, the hub aims to cater children on the streets and those who are living in the slums and give them access to learning resources, opportunities for play and life skills development.

“World Vision is grateful and excited to embark in its first Mobile Learn and Play Hub with DepEd Mandaue City Division. We are expectant that this intervention will bring more value in helping and reaching kids in the communities even during this pandemic,” shares Faith Richelle Sy, Program Manager of the World Vision Urban Development Project.

Student Fundraiser helps thousands of learners in World Vision’s 5K Campaign Challenge

 

Students across the Philippines once again showed their support for fellow learners whose education were affected by the pandemic by joining World Vision’s 2020 5K Campaign Challenge, a fundraising initiative for the benefit of the child-focused organization’s COVID-19 emergency response.

Going above and beyond their goals, World Vision’s student ambassadors were able to raise more than PHP 300,000 and the total amount of donations will be used to help over 3,000 learners all over the country

The 5K Campaign Challenge’s objective is to encourage the participating students to fundraise among their peers and relatives to help children receive modules and gadgets to continue their education.

World Vision helps empower more children with Chosen™ through partnership with PascualLab

Six months after international non-profit organization World Vision joined hands with 

Pascual Laboratories, Inc. (PascualLalb), the organization has been able to help 77 more children to enable themselves to choose their future via the program Chosen™

Chosen™ the campaign which was launched last year in various World Vision offices, has been changing lives around the world by empowering children to contribute to the course of their future by giving them the power to choose their sponsors.  

PascualLab, one of the top-of-mind pharma companies for health and wellness products and manufacturing services, known for its unwavering passion for health and life, shares in World Vision’s belief that every child deserves access to healthcare, nutrition, and quality education.

World Vision concerned by trending Covid-19 cases among children, urges more priority to their well-being

 

With latest health reports of increasing number of COVID-19 infection among children, World Vision urges family members especially the parents and adult caregivers to be mindful of the prescribed minimum health standards even while at home to also protect children and prevent viral transmission amidst the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

World Vision, an international child-focused NGO, also expressed its support to all stakeholders in upholding everyone’s welfare especially of children amidst the ECQ and heightened restrictions in selected areas threatened by the more contagious Delta variant.

World Vision National Director Rommel V. Fuerte raised the need for adults to take this development seriously and be aware of children’s risks if they remain complacent.

As of August 12, the Department of Health (DOH) records 87,663 active COVID-19 cases, making the overall total number of cases in the Philippines since last year to 1,700,363. Infected children nine years old and below comprise 4% or 65,558 cases while those between 10 to 19 years old represent 7% or 116,035.

World Vision’s Global 6K Run extends registration to August 31, 2021!

World Vision in the Philippines is extending the registration for the Global 6K Run to August 31, 2021. Global 6K Run is a virtual run that invites the public to unite for clean water in the country, especially in the most vulnerable communities. 

World Vision, through the Global 6K Run, aims to make clean water more accessible by raising funds to build multiple water facilities in Laurel, Batangas, and other communities in need. These facilities will not only provide drinking water but also water for hygiene and sanitation purposes, especially since one effective way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is through proper handwashing and hygienic practices.

This virtual running event also aims to promote fitness and health during the pandemic while raising funds for the needs of World Vision’s most vulnerable children and communities.