For the past few years, Philam Foundation has been playing an active role in helping underdeveloped communities as well as those ravaged by natural calamities. From the Smokey Mountainvillage called Payatas to the desolate town of Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro, Philam has never stopped bringing out hope to people who seem to have lost it.

The whole year of 2005 was filled with inspiring feats as the Foundation showered its blessings to communities within Metro Manila as well as to far-flung provinces. At the onset, the Foundation has already committed to several housebuilding projects in cooperation with Gawad Kalinga (GK) Foundation. Among the first was Philam’s commitment to build 100 units of houses in Brookside, Payatas in Quezon City. The Philam Volunteer Corps also participated in a series of GK builds in Sitio Ruby, East Fairview, Quezon City as well as in Brgy. Cambunang, Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro.

During the 20th anniversary of EDSA People Power, the Philam Group took the streets, not to topple yet another administration, but to participate in the GK Isang Milyong Bayani (GK IMB) which was held at the Quezon City Circle. On the same day, a part of the Philam group took part in a medical mission conducted in Sitio Ruby.

The Philam Group and Philam Foundation trekked towards the rocky foothills of Oriental Mindoro last May to help fund and set up a GK Village in Oriental Mindoro. Brgy. Cambunance in Bulalacao is the location of one of the Gawad Kalinga Villages under the GK 777 project, which aims to build 700,000 houses in 7,000 communities in seven years. Through the concerted effort of the GK volunteers and Philam employees, a total of 50 families can now call this colorful village in Brgy. Cambunang their own home. Sixteen of the houses were granted to Hanunuo-Mangyans, one of the Mindoro tribes that live in the area.

In conjunction with its mission to rebuild lives, the Foundation also embarked on an ambitious task to develop the livelihood of small and underprivileged communities in the provinces. Livelihood projects through the Upland Marketing Foundation Inc. have helped alleviate poverty in upland communities in the different provinces in Luzon.

The Philam Foundation also continued its microfinance activities in Mindanao through the Baba’s Foundation in Davao City, Hagdan sa Paguswag Foundation in Lanao del Sur and North Cotabato and MASS-SPECC-Kauyagan Saver’s Cooperative in Impasugon, Bukidnon.