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Transforming Lives

Integrity Campaign Offshoots from EdGE Project

The call for local government executives to keep a high level of integrity was never more apparent among peers than during local school board workshops conducted in the Philippines in November 2013 under a USAID project.

Financial Literacy Trainers Lead the Way to Economic Success

July 2014—Jessie Lebanan, Elizabeth Entienza, and Emerlita Balasbas are clearing a path for Filipino micro-entrepreneurs and cooperatives to better manage their money and receive loan proceeds through a new, unconventional method.

Bridging the gap with mobile phones: Rural moms save with mobile money

July 2014—Maylene Reyes, 21, is a mother and full-time micro-entrepreneur. She lives in the rural town of Benito Soliven in the Philippines’ Isabela province. She runs a sari-sari store—a convenience store that sells a variety of goods that serve the daily needs of her community.

Photo of children eating emergency food bars

A once-in-a-generation typhoon made landfall in the Philippines on Nov. 8, 2013, leaving a trail of devastation. Category 5 typhoon Haiyan, known locally as Yolanda, affected 14 million people, or 17 percent of the population. Yolanda killed 6,000 people, displaced 4.1 million others and caused billions of dollars in damages to local infrastructure and livelihoods.

Male participants ask questions about male involvement in family health during an open forum.

While pregnancy and childbirth are traditionally the domain of Filipino women, decisions surrounding these issues are often strongly influenced by their male partners. Recognizing the role of men in household decision making, USAID spearheaded a congress on family health to encourage and reinforce male involvement in family planning and maternal and child health. The Alban Men's Congress, dubbed “Macho Talk: Responsible Father, Caring Husband,” took place in Tabaco City in 2010 with 110 male participants—local officials, teachers, farmers, fishermen, vendors and others.

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