It has been two years since the COVID-19 pandemic began, yet the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF) – Philippine Branch continues to uphold its goal of assisting vulnerable children and their families in partnerships with different organizations and private and local agencies in the Philippines.
Among the main achievements of the TFCF is the installation of a Solar-Powered Clean Water System and Emergency Relief Program to support the Espoir School of Life in Barangay Lobogon, Del Carmen, Siargao Island which was greatly affected by Typhoon Odette (Rai) last December 2021. Various in-kind donations from individuals and private sectors were also mobilized. To this day, the TFCF continues to keep close coordination with the school to keep track of its progress.
The TFCF also launched its Vocational Training Program in partnership with Negoskwela. This program aims to empower unemployed parents by ensuring productivity, financial stability, and decent employment among its sponsored families. Throughout 2021, half of the sponsored parents were able to acquire decent work after completing the program’s training course. This year, the TFCF continues to reach out to more families for them to become more self-sustaining in the long run.
At the community level, the TFCF implemented its Community Environment Improvement Program in three pioneering blocks in Barangay Addition Hills, Mandaluyong City. The TFCF tapped the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to conduct a series of fire safety trainings with community volunteers and to provide necessary equipment. Above all, the TFCF, its stakeholders, and the community strengthened their preparedness and capacity as they work hand-in-hand to find solutions to the challenges brought by COVID-19.