Although Rhona’s savings group in Bacolod has only been running for two years, it has become hugely successful. The group, established during Transform, began by selling detergent powder and dishwashing liquid and then later transitioned into selling rice and fertilizer. Extending loans to its members is one of the group’s main functions, vital in a...

Tragedy seemed to follow Cristita. Four years ago, her husband died from kidney and liver problems. Her 30-year-old son, traumatized by troubles in life, could no longer work or even walk, sitting at home and rarely speaking. With her 26-year-old daughter unemployed, the burden of caring for her two children and one grandson fell on...

The province of Iloilo is famously known as the Heart of the Philippines since it is located in the middle of the archipelago. Its capital, Iloilo City, is also known as the City of Love, and Ilonggos are famous for being soft-spoken and sweet. Unknown to many, Iloilo is not only rich in beautiful beaches...

Once you set foot in Negros Island, you often hear about the people’s staple food, Law-oy. If you ask a tricycle driver or a peddler in the streets about what most people from Negros eat, no doubt they would all shout “Law-oy!” in unison. Law-oy is a simple but sumptuous soup served in most homes...

Seven-year-old Jenny Mae born with Hirschsprung’s Disease, a condition that almost took her life when she was still a newborn. Her mother Jeanalyn rushed her to the hospital, and they found out that Jenny Mae needed a major operation. She was able to receive the initial operation, since her mother’s employment insurance and donations from...

Life for elderly couple, Rosalina and her husband was tough with a weekly income of just US$15 (PHP700) from selling goods in a small sari-sari store. Due to their physical health deteriorating, Rosalina and her husband, both aged 67, were unable to do jobs involving heavy lifting. When Rosalina was invited to join ICM’s Transform...

The idea of gardening is appealing to many. What’s not to love about saving money while growing your own food? Eating healthy is effortless when you have grown juicy tomatoes and leafy lettuce yourself. While gardening sounds tempting, not everyone has the luxury of enough land to start their own vegetable plot. Many of our...

Happy Nutrition Month! During the month of March, dieticians and health workers all over the world are gearing up to focus on the importance of proper nutrition in living a healthy lifestyle. Healthy eating is an important aspect of ICM’s Health curriculum, which emphasizes good nutrition. Irene, a participant in Palawan shared, “Now I cook...

Whether it’s for a person or a school or company, 25 years of existence is reason to celebrate. ICM is no different! Since ICM’s humble beginnings, 1,000,000 million beneficiaries have been impacted by the core Transform program, and 100,000,000 individuals have been positively affected during ICM’s 25 years. None of this impact would have been...

ICM is pleased to announce that the six-month results of a large scale randomized controlled trial on ICM’s Transform program were released on February 19th as a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper. This paper was also reviewed by the Economist in the Feb 22nd print edition – read it here. The study was also mentioned in this article...