Category: ICM Bases

A girl’s 18th birthday in the Philippines is a much-anticipated passage from adolescence to adulthood.  For Lotlot, this was an especially unforgettable day as she glowed in the excitement of a surprise 18th birthday party thrown by her sixteen “sisters and brothers” at ICM’s Excel House, in Bacolod.  Lotlot, who suffers from cerebral palsy, looked...

“This is my second time going with ICM and I’ve been there four times with my family,” said ten-year-old Xavier, who was part of a recent group of parents and children from the Kellett School in Hong Kong.  Xavier helped build houses at the ICM slum reconstruction site and also helped dig a sewage ditch...

Diary Entry by Rebecka Kaltenbach, KIVU Gap Year Participant Camp KIVU is a Christian adventure camp in Colorado, USA where teenagers go to experience the great outdoors.  One of their programs, called KIVU Gap Year, reaches out to students taking a year off in between high school and college.  These students spend the year traveling...

Story by Lily Talaban, ICM CO, Bacolod Many Filipinos dream about working abroad in order to provide more for their families.  ICM’s Malnourished Children Outreach program leader in Bacolod, Dolores Gagatam, had this very opportunity. She had been working with ICM since 1993, but in 2007 she accepted a job in Canada.  While in Canada, Dolores...

Union Church in Manila graciously donated individual gifts of 6,000 pesos each to 37 pastors from 5 ICM regions.  Story & Photo by Kathleen Hilado, ICM CO, Koronadal Pastor Laurel Lina Piang of T’boli, South Cotabato is one of the pastors in Koronadal who received a gift of 6,000 pesos. He has been serving as...

Tess Lyons has been a dedicated volunteer with ICM for the past three years.  Tess and her husband, Charles Caldwell, are currently sponsoring their 4th ICM preschool. They have taken their four children down to the Philippines several times to visit their students and to participate in the ongoing slum reconstruction building project cosponsored by ICM and Gawad...

Story by Deanna Sutherland, ICM Program Support  //  Footage by Kathleen Hilado, ICM CO, Koronadal Imagine how frightening being pregnant at 14-years-old would be.  This is the reality for the young women in the mountain-dwelling tribal community called T’boli, in Southern Mindanao, Philippines.  The families in this tribe traditionally arrange for their daughters to be married...

Throughout the month of March, 1804 proud graduates of ICM’s 80 Learning Centers marched across the stage in their cap and gowns to receive their “diplomas”.   The students finished their year of learning with formal graduation celebrations held in each region.  Songs were sung, dances danced and poems and verses recited.   And family members and...

Story by Julie Turner, ICM Executive Director // Photos & Videos by Heather Elliott, ICM Media Officer Over 100 kids from the slums of Dumaguete and Bacolod came together prior to Easter for four action packed days of fun, craft, sport and song.  The ICM’s Children’s Shelter and a few local staff kids were added to...

Story by ICM CO Team “I love her and that’s the beginning of everything,” said 88-year-old Andres about his beautiful 71-year-old bride, Rosalia, as they stood at the altar.  For Andres and Rosalia, this day was a dream come true!  They have been living as husband and wife for over 60 years but were never...