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The Philippines
The islands of the Philippines are home to 90 million people. Over one-quarter of the population lives in poverty, and 80% of people in rural areas depend on subsistence farming or fishing to earn a living. Much of the country is vulnerable to frequent typhoons and floods, food shortages and hunger.
Episcopal Relief & Development, in partnership with the Episcopal Church of the Philippines (ECP), addresses key development issues including food supply, health care, environmental awareness and gender sensitivity. Each of the six dioceses has a development staff person who works alongside community members to identify, implement and monitor programs.
Creating Economic Opportunities and Strengthening Communities
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Establishing cooperatives helps vegetable farmers increase income, access credit, and improve management and leadership skills.
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A bee-keeping coooperative will be established in the Namilangan Village where local farmers will be taught how to make feeder and hive boxes.
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The initial bee colony will be provided to each farmer as a loan, repayable once the colony has reproduced to form more bee colonies.
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Protective clothing and tools will be crafted locally and a Bee Center will be established to house equipment for processing and to ensure quality control.
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Marketable products will include honey, royal jelly and for medicinal purposes, beeswax and bee venom.
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In the province of Kaliwangagan, the BIBAK Multipurpose Cooperative has been established to construct a pig farm which will enhance capital build-up and a biogas system which will provide power to the facilities and demonstrate biogas production and energy use to the whole community.
Promoting Health and Fighting Disease
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New water systems transport potable water, freeing women to pursue income-generating opportunities.
Alleviating Hunger and Improving Food Supply
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Planting of seedlings protects the vulnerable watershed areas and promotes environmentally sustainable farming.
