Category: Bacolod

Happy International Women’s Day! Today, we celebrate women making extraordinary impact by standing up to say, “I can be better. I will not remain in poverty!” Though she had lived in ultra-poverty all her life, Hazel was determined to succeed against all odds. At 33, and with four children, her journey with International Care Ministries...

Stories from the survivors of the recent Typhoon Odette are coming in. Typhoon Odette, 2021’s strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines, cut a swath of destruction across the provinces where ICM has been holding Transform programs among ultra-poor communities. Too many of our communities are now suffering in the aftermath of the typhoon, including our...

Typhoon Odette (international name “Rai”), the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2021 had carved out a trail of destruction across several provinces in the central Philippines last December 17. It left 407 dead as of January 3, and over half a million displaced. The provinces are far from recovered. Power is still not...

Scattered in small communities throughout the mountainous island of Negros Occidental are an indigenous people called the Ati. They are the first settlers of the island but being a small minority, they are seldom seen and almost forgotten. Like many other indigenous peoples, they are among the poorest in the Philippines, often experiencing neglect and...

While these are common necessities to most, tubes of toothpaste can sometimes be scarce in households where the ultra-poor live. To help them develop healthy habits, part of ICM’s Transform program educates participants about proper hygiene. Since 1992, ICM has been in the business of transforming lives from a physical, social, and spiritual standpoint. Indeed,...

Padayon! Is the rallying cry of ICM through this pandemic. It is a Visayan word often used as an encouragement to keep on going, especially whenever times get tough. Pre-COVID, Pastor Jessie’s church in Banago, Bacolod City had 60-70 people at Sunday services, not including kids. In his 16 years as a pastor, Pastor Jessie lived...

A partnership between International Care Ministries, De La Salle Medical & Health Sciences Institute, and the Canadian Government will boost hospital workers’ safety during the pandemic Healthcare workers bear a much greater risk of exposure to COVID-19, with 15% of all coronavirus cases in the Philippines being hospital or health care workers as of DOH’s...

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...

Dona, a housewife in Bacolod, became worried for her young son when he didn’t seem to be gaining the proper weight for his age. “When he was around 7-months-old, we noticed that he was really thin. His weight was really light, so light. We went for a check-up but felt like the doctor was in...

When we stepped off the ferry, a crowd of tricycle drivers were waiting to offer their services. An ICM van was waiting for us, though, and whisked us away to our hotel. During dinner that night, we got to see the ICM choir kids perform, decked out in Filipiniana dresses and barongs. The performance alternated...