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published on March 13, 2019
The Philippines consists of 7,641 islands. The rapidly growing population of this island country is now approx. 105 million people. The Philippines is not only known for its world-famous beaches and robust economic growth, but unfortunately also for its high poverty rate. 19.2 percent of the population live below the poverty line and usually have to live on less than 1.25 US dollars per day (equivalent to about 1.10 euro). In some rural regions, the number of families below the poverty line exceeds 50 percent. Nevertheless, one is surprised again and again by the positive energy of the Filipinos.
As in many other countries, also in the Philippines, children and young people are among the groups most affected by poverty. Especially access to education is a big challenge for many reasons. Even though education is generally seen as one of the most important “equalizers” helping children and young people escape poverty. Therefore, the Rödl & Partner Children’s Fund decided to implement an educational project in a rural region of the island state this year.
In close cooperation with the “Angat Buhay” program of Leni Robredo, Vice President of the Philippines, guided by the principle "Working for the least privileged and against poverty", the staff of Rödl Philippines went to Kiangan in the province of Ifugao on 29 and 30 January 2019. The region is particularly known for its more than 200-year-old rice terraces, which are occasionally called the Eighth Wonder of the World and have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. Kiangan is the oldest town of the province and is of historical significance: In this small town, on 2 September 1945, the Japanese armed forces officially surrendered to the Filipino people and the US armed forces. Kiangan is also particularly known for its traditional weaving art. Because the town and the region are difficult to reach (they are about 8 hours drive from Manila), they are still not much popular among tourists.
The employees of Rödl & Partner together with members of the Philippine and Singapore national teams organised a Frisbee Clinic for about 40 children of the Kiangan Central School, aged 10 to 16. The children came from the nearby schools; some of them were from middle-class families and some of them from difficult social circumstances. A small group of children did not go to school at all for various reasons.
The goal of the Frisbee Clinic was –besides the diversification of their everyday life – to teach the children team spirit, self-confidence, discipline and fair play through sport. Ultimate Frisbee is a sport that was recognised in 2015 by the International Olympic Committee as one of the Olympic sports disciplines, which, in addition to the physical exercise itself, is characterised by “gender inclusion” and the so-called “Spirit of the Game”. The latter is a principle where, despite fierce competition, the respect for the sport and the opponent is most important, which is why Ultimate Frisbee is the only sport that is "self-officiated", which means that there are no referees.
The Frisbee Clinic was visited by Leni Robredo and the mayor Joselito “Josel” Guyguyon, who took the opportunity to do a few Frisbee throws with the children themselves and – just like the children – obviously had fun with it.
The children were allowed to take the Frisbee discs home with them. They also received a bag with a drinking bottle, a lunch box and various medical and personal hygiene items. The children also received T-shirts with the inscription “Ba Ya Ni” (Tagalog for “hero”) handed over by Rödl & Partner, which they were very proud to wear. The T-shirts were purchased by a social enterprise of the Gawat Kalinga Foundation, whose mission is to combat poverty by supporting the promotion and training of "young entrepreneurs" from poor backgrounds, among others.
In order to ensure that the Frisbee fun does not remain a one-off experience, Frisbee discs were also donated to the schools. Also the contact with the teaching staff and the social workers will be maintained.
Immediately after the Frisbee training we went to the Duit Elementary School in Kiangan. The school had to vacate its former school building due to the danger of collapse. After several years in temporary premises, a new school building with 2 classrooms was handed over on 30 January 2019 in a solemn ceremony attended by the Vice President of the Philippines, the Mayor, the Vice Mayor, the Head of the School Authority and other officials of the local authorities. Under the auspices of Angat Buhay, the school building was donated by the Philippine corporate foundations of the insurance company Philam and the logistics company LBC. The Rödl & Partner Children's Fund donated part of classroom and school equipment for that.
“Kiangan's future rests in its children, and we are filled with hope that the community has the chance to rise from poverty as the students and faculty of Duit Elementary School are starting over.”
With the support of the Rödl & Partner Children’s Fund and our partners and clients, Rödl Philippines will continue to support educational projects in the Philippines also in the future.
The Rödl Employee Fund for Children’s Aid, established in 1994 on the initiative of Rödl & Partner colleagues, has made it its core mission to bring help to people, especially children, in a quick and non-bureaucratic fashion. Personal involvement and setting an example of dedication to helping others – this has been at the heart of our mission from the outset. Read more »
Dr. Marian Norbert Majer
Associate Partner
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