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PHILIPPINES

North SamarWest Samar

Occidental Mindoro

Camotes Islands, Cebu

Masbate (Central and South)

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Country OfficeProgramme Unit

PHILIPPINES

North SamarWest Samar

Occidental Mindoro

Camotes Islands, Cebu

Masbate (Central and South)

East Samar

Southern Leyte

3 GOOD REASONS why Plan works in Philippines

PHILIPPINES FACTS

• Over40%ofpeopleinruralareasdonothaveadequatesanitation

• 17%ofchildrendonotenrolinprimaryschool

• Recordsshowariseinlevelsofphysicalandsexualabuse,neglect andexploitationofchildren

Our priorities in Philippines• Protectingthehealthofchildrenandyoungpeoplethroughbetter

waterandsanitationpractises

• Helpingtoimproveeducationforchildrenfromnurserylevelonwards

• Supportingcommunitiestodealwiththeeffectsofdisasterssuchasfloodingandlandslides

• Helpingpoorfamiliesincreasetheirincomes.

• Helpinglocalgovernmentofficialstoprotectchildren’srightsand gettheminvolvedincommunitydevelopment

Capital:Manila

Population:86million

Language: Filipino

Climate:ThePhilippineshasatropicalclimateandisusuallyhotandhumid.Theaverageyearlytemperatureisaround26.5°C.Therearethreerecognizedseasons:‘Tag-init’or‘Tag-araw’(thehotseasonorsummerfromMarchtoMay),‘Tag-ulan’(therainyseasonfromJune

toNovember),and‘Tag-lamig’(thecoldseasonfromDecembertoFebruary).Thesouthwestmonsoon(fromMaytoOctober)isknownasthe‘Habagat’,andthedrywindsofthenortheastmonsoon(fromNovembertoApril)asthe‘Amihan’.

Economy:ThePhilippinesisanewlyindustrializedcountrywithaneconomyanchoredinagriculture.Therearesubstantialcontributions

frommanufacturing,mining,remittancesfromoverseasFilipinos,andserviceindustriessuchastourismandbusinessprocessoutsourcing.Thedailyincomefor45%ofthepopulationofThePhilippinesislessthanUS$2aday.

PHILIPPINESA YEAR IN

SUMMARY REPORT09

AWaterAssociation chartstheirprogress.

Afatherandsonheadoftothefarmfortheday.

Plan is working in the poorest areas of the Philippines to promote children’s rights, keep children and young people safe from harm and support those who are particularly vulnerable. We promote birth registration initiatives, so children receive a birth certificate and with it a recognised identity and rights. We offer training on parenting skills to strengthen family relationships. We raise awareness of child protection issues in communities and assist local support groups. We also help communities to put systems in place to prevent abuse and support children who are recovering from it.

The Bigger Picture

FOCUS ON:

Planisworkingwithchildren,familiesandwholecommunitiestoaddresstheproblemsthatPhilippinesfaces.Thisreportcanonlytellasmallpartofthatstory.Asafurtherinsight,lastyearwealso:

• Raisedthequalityofhealthcareforchildrenbysupportingtrainingforhealthworkersandrefurbishmentofhealthfacilities

• Improvedaccesstoeducationbyestablishing76village-basedlearningcentresprovidingbasicliteracyandlifeskillstrainingto2,344studentsunabletoattendformalschooling

• Helpedtoprotectchildrenfromharmbytrainingsocialworkers,villageleaders,communityvolunteers,childrenandothersonchildprotectionissues

• Supportedtheproductionofavideoseriesontyphoons,floodsandclimatechangetohelpschoolsteachchildrenaboutnaturaldisastersandhowtheircommunitiescanprepareforthem.

Yoursupportasasponsoriscrucialtoachievingthesepositiveresults.Soonbehalfofthecommunities,partnerorganisations,andmostofallthechildrenweworkwith–thankyou!

Childrenlearntoprotectfishhabitat.

A YEAR IN

SUMMARY REPORT 09

ProducedforPhilippinesbytheAustralianNationalOffice.

plan.org.au

MAKE STRONGER FAMILIES

PROTECTING VULNERABLE CHILDREN

Gina has just shared an unusual sighting with the wives in her village, Salcedo in east Samar,

eastern Philippines:: “I woke up one morning surprised to see my husband walking towards the stream with our dirty laundry,” she exclaims. “He has never done the laundry before.”

It’ssurprisingbecauseinruralvillagesinPhilippinesfamiliestendtoberunontraditionallines.Womentakecareofthechildrenandthehomewhilemenbringinthefamilyincome.Followingtraditionmayworkforsomefamilies,butit’snotalwaysthebestthingfortheirchildren.

Working together

That’swhyPlanhasbeensupportingparentingtraininginGina’sarea.Thetrainingbringstogetherparentstolearnmoreabouteachother’srolesandhowtheycanworktogethertoprovideasecureandstimulatingenvironmentfortheirchildrentogrowupin.

Over1,300coupleshavetakenpartinthe training,whichisajointprojectwithschoolsinSalcedo,theEasternSamarStateUniversity,themunicipalgovernmentandthelocalChurchCharismaticCommunity.

Theprojecthasfocussedongivingparentstheinformationandskillstheyneedtogivetheirchildrenamorepositivefuture.Becomingmoreinvolvedintheirchildren’seducationhasbeenjustoneaspectoftheprogrammethatparentshaveembraced,anditisalreadypayingdividends.

“Parentsarenowmindingtheirchildren’sassignmentsandlessons,”saysRoseBaganes,SalcedoDistrictSupervisorfortheDepartmentofEducation.Teachersarenotingthatchildrenarrive

atschoolearlier,bettergroomedandwiththeir homeworkdone.Parentsarealsotakingagreaterinterestinschoolactivitiesandinbeingpartofparent-teacherandcommunityassociations.

Involving fathers

AlargepartofPlan’sparentingtrainingfocusesonencouragingfatherstoplayamoreactiveroleinbringinguptheirchildren.Teachershadlongbeenconvincedthatchildrenbenefitedwhentheirfatherswereinvolvedintheircareandeducation.Changinggenerationsofbeliefsaroundfatherhoodhasnotbeeneasy,butgraduallyparticipantsarefindingnewwaystointeractwiththeirchildren.

Normandorealisesnowthatthewayheusedtodisciplinehissoncouldnotonlyhavecausedhimphysicalharmbutwasnotaseffectiveasmorepositivewaysofencouraginggoodbehaviour.

“IfeelguiltynowaboutthewayIdisciplinedmyson,”hesays.“IlearneditfrommyparentsandIthoughtitwastherightway.IwillapologisetohimwhenIgethome.”

Asparentsputtheirnewskillsintopracticeandshareresponsibilities,theirfamiliesarebecomingstronger.“Wetalkalotaboutourplansforourfamily,”saysGina’shusbandArjay.

GinaandArjayarepositiverolemodelsfortheirchildren,asarealltheparentswho’vetakenpartinthetraining.Lettinggoofolderideasonparentingtomakewayforfreshapproacheshassometimesbeenachallenge,butRonald,atrainerandfatherofsevenexplains:“Whatisimportantisthatwehavestartedonthatroadandwehaveseenpositiveresults.Wearebankingonthat.”Somenameshavebeenchanged forchildprotectionandprivacypurposes.

PHILIPPINES

“I feel guilty now about the way I disciplined my son, I learned it from my parents and I thought it was the right way. I will apologise to him when I get home.”

“Changing generations of beliefs around fatherhood has not been easy, but gradually participants are finding new ways to interact with their children.”

Tolearnmoreabout Plan’sworkinPhilippinesvisit plan.org.au/ourwork/asia/philippines

BETTER PARENTS