The Philippines comprise a vast island nation in Southeast Asia. This archipelago of more than 7,000 islands boasts sandy beaches, towering mountains and volcanoes, tropical rainforests and an incredible wealth of natural resources and biodiversity. Humans have called these islands home for thousands of years, predating historic records. Today, the Philippines incorporate a staggering number of languages, ethnic groups, religions and cultures.

Despite its status as an emerging market, however, nearly half of all Filipinos still earn less than $2 a day. Adequate sanitation, access to healthcare and access to potable water are still daily challenges in this widely underdeveloped country, which is also prone to typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic activity. The city of Tagaytay, located on the Island of Luzon, is no exception to these maladies. For this reason, the Pinagpala Children’s Center serves as a beacon of hope. Members of a local church established the center (whose name, Pinagpala, means “blessed”) in 2000 to provide educational assistance to local needy children and their families.

The Pinagpala Children’s Center recognizes that providing for the educational needs of impoverished children is an important step in giving these deserving young minds the tools necessary to break the cycle of poverty and rise above the difficult socioeconomic circumstances that they face. The center receives its funding from individual contributions and organizations like Children Incorporated. They envision many goals for future growth, including building a multipurpose community center with a media center/library. This will facilitate training programs, afterschool care and recreational activities for children and their families, expanding their educational assistance programs to further improve the children’s lives, and providing safe transportation to and from school each day.