TACLOBAN CITY – After Haiyan ravaged the Philippines in 2013, some rural areas still have not recovered until today. Most especially far-flung fishing villages in the worst-hit city, Leyte. Apart from the tragic loss of lives, among the biggest casualties are boats and schools both swept away by the super typhoon. Thousands of fishermen lost their source of income, while thousands of children were left with no place for learning.
“When the typhoon hit, many people lost their livelihoods. It was so much easier for a kid to stay out of school – there was either no school because of damage or there was no extra income for the kids to go back to school. To date, many schools still have not been rebuilt,” says Evelin Weber, founder of the Philippines Foundation.
Together with the national flag carrier Philippine Airlines and Ogilvy & Mather Philippines, the Learning Boats of Leyte project came to life. “Our vision is to rebuild livelihood and education – in the same boat,” says Donna Dimayuga, creative director of Ogilvy. An initial number of 100 fishing boats were donated, and PAL flew artists from Manila to Leyte to paint the boats with primary school lessons using creative graphic designs.
When fisherman park the boats on the shore after the morning catch, volunteer teachers gather children and conduct lessons in English, Phonetics, Math, Science, Art and more. Each boat is different, so lessons vary from boat to boat. “To date we have committed to transform 1000 boats. The first 100 boats are already being used and the other 900 will be rolled out in different areas. Each boat can help to generate more than $2400 a year for the fisherfolk,” says Weber. But more importantly, Learning Boats is not just a boat. It is education. It is livelihood. It is food. It is a chance to rebuild what was lost.
We are still accepting designs from artists, and donations can be made through thephilippinesfoundation.org. Learning Boats of Leyte is a joint project by Philippine Airlines, Philippines Foundation, and Ogilvy & Mather Philippines.
