Category: ICM Bases

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...

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...

Melmar took a huge leap for love when she married Clino and moved away to Zamboanga more than thousand kilometers away from her hometown in Bicol. She had met her husband while working in Manila, fallen in love, married and eventually moved to Clino’s hometown. But the storybook ending started to unravel when the couple’s...

Dennis Kyle and Wen Heart come from very different parts of the Philippines but were brought together in Hong Kong to receive surgery for clubfoot. The boys have a lot in common, from their interest in soccer to their experiences with bullies. As a child, Dennis Kyle was called “bali paa” or “twisted foot” by...

  Tell us a little about yourself. My name is Zara Denham, and I’m 17 years old, currently doing the IB programme at French International School of Hong Kong. I’ve been volunteering at ICM since last October. How did you first get involved with ICM? I got involved with ICM through school. My school connects...

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...

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...