According to the National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB), 27.9 percent of Filipinos live below the poverty line.
In the spring of 2015 PCF visited the slums of Navotas, a coastal city located north of Manila and home to some of the Philippines’ most vulnerable. Thousands of slum and shanty town dwellers live in makeshift homes built from scrap in areas most at risk of natural disaster. A major source of income is scavenging for scrap metal in the polluted waters of Manila Bay for sale to Chinese recycling plants. Sifting through this waste is a perilous trade for thousands of young Filipinos – paradoxically risking their lives in heavily polluted waters in order to survive.
These children are at constant risk of contracting respiratory infections, pneumonia and tuberculosis, wading through contaminated waters or working on neighbouring garbage dumps.
To help address this urgent need, PCF has partnered with a local outreach program launched by the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (SOLPH). SOLPH, a Christian aid ministry, established its outreach centre in 2010 to provide meals for more than 130 of Navotas’ most vulnerable children. With PCF’s support, the centre is committed to expanding its meal programs and providing educational services over the coming year.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
