This is the face of poverty in the Philippines.

Smokey Mountain is a 7-storey-high mountain of garbage that is home to more than 20,000 people and more than 7,000 families. Residents, especially children, are at high risk of contracting deadly diseases everyday; most are uneducated and make their living out of scavenging fresh, dumped garbage from the cities. Despite this, hope shimmers in the eyes of the children of Smokey Mountain thanks to organisations like UCCP-Tondo and people like AYAD Elizabeth Mullan.

With Christmas just around the corner, DevConcepts PH plans to share the real meaning of the holidays with the children of Smokey Mountain in Tondo, Manila on December 11, 2009. Join us for a day full of games, celebration, gift giving and tons of love this Friday at the UCCP-Tondo social hall in 224 R.Fernandez corner Antipolo Streets, Gagalangin, Tondo, Manila from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm.

Seeing the children aglow and making sure their dreams of a good future happens should be our mission, with at least one act of kindness at a time.

See you on December 11!

 How would you feel if your HO described you as the answer to their prayers? RAYAD Melissa Bull of Intake 23 was caught completely surprised.

On October 19, 2009, the Municipality of San Juan unanimously passed SB Resolution No. 131,8.2009 adopting Melissa Bull, Australian Youth Ambassador for Development, as special daughter of the Municipality of San Juan, Province of Southern Leyte, Philippines.

By Edson C. Tandoc Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:26:00 07/12/2009

MANILA, Philippines—The mighty carabao challenged a snail to a race on the rice terraces in Kalinga. He was confident of victory, but was surprised to see the snail alongside him no matter how fast he ran. Tired and frustrated, the carabao finally accepted defeat, not knowing there was a snail crawling on every step of the rice terraces.

When AYAD Dan Skehan went on assignment to the Philippines he knew he had three main tasks to achieve: to develop a sustainable agricultural manual, to train his counterparts and to research alternative marketing systems for sustainable agricultural produce. This work alone would be a challenge to achieve but in living and working in the Philippines he discovered that there was so much to give, to share and to learn and that his work there would include so much more than he originally believed.