As a tropical country, the Philippines usually enjoys a sunny climate most days of the year. Thanks to Mr. Sun, Filipinos have thought of many ways to beat the scorching heat. Head to the beach, dive into the pool or dip your spoon into a flavorful mound of halo-halo. What is halo-halo? It’s the ultimate...

…how you make a living! And that’s not easy! Most ultrapoor families struggle with even keeping food on the table and a roof over their heads. Things like buying medicine, sending children to school and paying for electricity are difficult, if not impossible. In Transform’s Livelihood lessons, trainers teach the participants how to bring in...

Tell us a little about yourself. I am originally from Jakarta, Indonesia and I came to Hong Kong to study Psychology and Marketing as an undergraduate at HKU. I have always been interested in people and that pushed me to study Psychology as I wish to understand how people feel and act in their daily...

Widowed and living with her two children and three grandchildren, Dolores had every excuse to lose hope. Only she and her son had jobs, and even with their combined income, they only had PHP19 (USD 0.40) a day per person to cover their daily expenses. But instead of faltering, she persevered and now her story...

Every Monday, there was a stirring in Sitio Kanggabok, a small sleepy village in the mountainous part of Santa Catalina in Negros Oriental. The first day of the week, the community became a host for ICM’s Transform program. There were signs when it is a Transform day. Motorcycles rented by ICM trainers arrive, rambling through...

For the past few years, Soapcycling has been partnering with ICM by providing soap for our programs. Established in 2011, Soapcycling’s main goal is to encourage students in the University of Hong Kong to achieve a quality internship experience while recycling used soap for people in need. Soaps are collected from more than 100 partner...

Equipped with unwavering determination and a servant heart, 47-year-old Pastor Eliseo has changed the lives of many in the district of Mangorocoro, Iloilo, through his church and the Transform program. With 13 years of experience serving as a pastor and four years as a member of ICM’s Thrive pastor network Eliseo can unquestionably testify to...

Bless understood what it meant to live in poverty from an early age. At the time of her birth, her parents didn’t even have a permanent home and were forced to move from place to place, staying with members of the church her father pastored. This is a common story. Many pastors who minister in...

How much difference can four months really make? Transform, our core program which delivers lessons on values, health livelihood, lasts for four months. A significant number of our stories show the transformation that happens at the end of the program. Businesses started, relationships restored, health regained. But what about when the four months is over?...

Roxas City in Capiz province is not only famous for being the seafood capital of the Philippines but also because of its namesake. The city was named after the late Manuel A. Roxas, the first Filipino president of the third Republic who was born in the same city. In honor of him, the locals from...