Together We’re Building A Stronger
Community For Your Sponsored Child.
Country: The Philippines
Community: Cordillera Area
Cordillera Area, the ChildFund community partner
organization through which your sponsored child
participates, is located in the central portion of northern
Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines.
The Community at a Glance
With an estimated population of over a million people
Cordillera is a mountainous region prone to landslides
and erosion during the rainy season. ChildFund works
with 95 barangays (communities) in the provinces of
Ifugao and Mt. Province, one of the poorest areas in
the country. The region is home to indigenous tribes
known as the “Igorot,” and is renowned for its unique
musical instruments including the bamboo zither,
tongatong, and nose flute. Cordillera is famous also for
its rice terraces, ancient, sprawling, man-made
structures from 2,000 to 6,000 years old. Most of the
population is dependent on subsistence agriculture.
Some work as day laborers, market vendors, wood
carvers, and weavers. Families live in dilapidated,
one-room houses. Respiratory infections, neonatal
problems, diarrheal diseases, and malaria are key
factors contributing to child morbidity and mortality.
Twenty-two percent of children less than 5 years of
age are malnourished. Many women give birth at
home with unskilled attendants or husbands assisting
during the delivery. Approximately 5% of children
drop out of school to work and contribute to their
family’s income, or to help with farming and domestic
chores at home.
Healthy and Secure Infants
Early education and psychosocial stimulation have been
linked to school readiness and success. In areas without
daycare centers, supervised neighborhood play groups are
organized to teach parents developmentally appropriate
activities for children. In partnership with the Barangay
Water Services Association, Cordillera builds and maintains
communal water systems increasing the supply of clean
water and reducing waterborne illnesses. ChildFund
supports barangay health workers’ (BHW) training and
equips and supplies rural health units. BHWs make home
visits to promote prenatal care and safe delivery practices.
They teach parents home-based measures for managing
common childhood illnesses and to recognize warning signs
that medical care is needed. Quarterly growth monitoring
sessions verify a child’s immunization status and receipt of
vitamin supplementation, and record weight and height. The
mother or caregiver of a malnourished child is paired with a
“positive deviant,” a mother from the same community
whose children are healthy. Mothers share experiences and
learn to prepare healthy meals with locally available foods
and vegetables grown in backyard gardens.
Educated and Confident Children
Child Friendly Schools meet children’s needs by engaging
students, parents, and communities in school governance
and quality improvements. Cordillera leads workshops to
help teachers update their skills, and provides child
friendly instructional materials to inspire learning. Peer
tutoring programs help struggling students catch up and
improve academic skills. Savings clubs teach children
basic financial principles. “I am a member of the Kiddie
Savers. I learned to save money for my education.” (Mike,
Grade 4) Student-led child protection groups promote
awareness of children’s rights.
Skilled and Involved Youth
To make a successful transition to adulthood, adolescents
need vocational skills to earn a living, opportunities to
make positive contributions to their communities, and
support for making healthy decisions about their lives.
Participation in leadership, life skills, and job training
prepares today’s youth for the challenges of tomorrow.
Peer educators share their knowledge of reproductive
health issues with other adolescents to help them make
informed choices.
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