2016 Philippines Projects

The Philippines is an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands. Its population is over 105 million and it is the only predominantly Christian country in Southeast Asia.

Its geographical location make the Philippines very prone to earthquakes and typhoons, but also gives it many natural resources with some of the world’s greatest biodiversity.  It is ranked the third most disaster-prone country in the world according to United Nations reports.

The Philippines is still mainly an agricultural society and most of the poor live in rural areas, with little access to government services including health care, clean water and sanitation. The leading causes of death are heart disease, pneumonia, vascular disease, tuberculosis, cancer, and diarrhoea.

ABM works through the Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP). Episcopalians are a small minority compared to other Christian denominations in the country. ECP’s ministry started and remains strongly focused on certain indigenous peoples in the North (the Igorots) and the South (the Tedurays). The ECP has seven dioceses, with the newest being the Diocese of Davao. The church sees community development and social justice as part of its mission.

ABM also partners with the Philippine Independent Church (Iglesia Filipina Independiente or IFI) and works through its social development arm, the IFI Visayas-Mindanao Regional Office for Development (IFI-VIMROD).