Calling all medical, non-medical, and youth volunteers
Registration is now open
Sign up now!
OUR MISSION:
Health Assistance
Uplifting the health and well-being of families affected by natural calamities in the Philippines through empowered, community-based healthcare.
OUR VISION:
Network Development
A network of resilient communities with self-sustaining healthcare that prioritizes holistic well-being as a catalyst for sustainable economic progress.
REBUILDING LIVES, RESTORING HOPE
Lending a Hand to Indigent Families Living in Calamity Zones in the Philippines
The Philippines, one of Asia's poorest nations, faces many challenges due to its vulnerable location. A staggering 18.1% of the 112 million Filipinos live below the poverty line. Additionally, the country bears the unfortunate burden of being exposed to a high frequency of typhoons, monsoonal floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. These natural disasters have earned the country the top position on the United Nations’ World Risk Index (WRI). Consequently, the communities we assist are also plagued by extreme poverty and have encountered numerous setbacks due to these calamities. Sadly, their limited resources and lack of political capital have impeded the recovery of vital medical, public health, and educational services. This one-two punch means without outside help, their chances for recovery are next to nil.
 Post-calamity Relief ProjectMrs. Happie Loberternos (center), one of our local partners, oversees the distribution of relief goods to survivors of Super Typhoon Rai in Barrio Tungod. |  Aftermath of Super Typhoon Rai.A lady who survived Super Typhoon Rai in one of the coastal barrios in our service area stands in front of what is left of her house, still beaming a smile despite the chaos and destruction. In December 2021, Super Typhoon Rai, equivalent to a category five hurricane, made landfall in northern Bohol and destroyed most of the houses and other structures in the area. |
|---|---|
 Preschoolers in Barrio Tungod play in a flooded schoolyard.Back-to-back calamities hit Barrio Tungod in late 2013 and early 2014. First was a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, followed by Super Typhoon Haiyan. The Rural Health Unit and Community Daycare Center (for preschool children) sank by almost two meters, resulting in flooding during high tide and after monsoonal rainstorms. |  Aftermath of Super Typhoon Rai.Villagers in a fishing community in our service area take shelter from the extreme heat in a makeshift shanty, which they assembled from the remains of the houses destroyed by the Super Typhoon. |
 Aftermath of Super Typhoon Rai.A family of five who survived the super typhoon and whose house was completely blown away by the strong winds repurposed their old tarps, blankets, and towels to create this tent as their temporary shelter. |
Going Beyond Humanitarian Aid
 Community Daycare ProgramMothers with their preschool children wait for their annual check-up in northern Bohol. HAND-Philippines supports and strengthens community-based feeding programs and early childhood education for preschool children. This photo was taken in Barrio Tungod, one of our partner communities since 2014. |  Post-calamity Relief ProgramA team of HAND-Philippines relief workers boards a motorized boat to distribute relief goods to survivors of Super Typhoon Rai in a small island community off the coast of northern Bohol. |
|---|---|
 Adopt a Rural Health Unit (RHU) ProgramOur HAND-Philippines local staff delivers donated medications, supplies, and equipment to a Rural Health Unit in our service area. RHUs are the backbone of healthcare delivery to indigent patients in the community. |  Repair and Reconstruction ProgramBoard of Directors Chairperson Ms. Brooke Harris, RN (left) and Mrs. Happie Loberternos survey the reconstruction project of Barrio Tungod’s Rural Health Unit and Community Daycare Center. |
 Foreign Surgical and Medical Mission (FSMM) ProgramDr. Esther Sandy Tutor-Hernandez, one of the co-founders, sees patients in one of our mobile clinics during a medical mission, officially known as the Foreign Surgical and Medical Mission (FSMM). Every year, HAND-Philippines brings together medical and non-medical volunteers from the US to work alongside their local counterparts in our FSMM Program. |  Medications and Supplies from the USAAmerican volunteers Ms. Renee Dolley (left) and Ms. Allie Jones, RN, carried these boxes of medications and supplies all the way from Maine, USA, for the Foreign Surgical and Medical Mission and Adopt an RHU Programs. |
At HAND-Philippines, our goal is to help communities recover and thrive after natural calamities by prioritizing the health and well-being of their constituents. We focus on delivering community-based healthcare through Rural Health Units (RHUs, which are village-level health stations) by involving community members, local health workers, and civic organizations in planning, delivering, and managing their healthcare programs. We prioritize repairing and rehabilitating RHUs and community childcare centers that natural calamities have destroyed. We provide technical expertise, financial support, essential equipment, medications, and supplies. We work with a team of US-based medical professionals through medical missions and telehealth consultations. Additionally, we organize under-five feeding programs and community childcare services, which address childhood malnutrition and enable mothers of young children to participate in economic activities, thereby supplementing family income. Education is also important to us, as we support early childhood education. Our comprehensive programs empower these communities, enhance healthcare infrastructure, and promote long-term recovery and development.
Inspired by the Bayanihan Spirit
Bayanihan is a concept deeply rooted in Filipino culture and tradition. It refers to the spirit of communal unity, cooperation, and helping one another in need. Derived from the word "Bayani," meaning hero, the essence of Bayanihan embodies the principles of mutual aid during adversity and holistic support for the community. This ethos revolves around the core values of generosity, compassion, and unity, fostering a profound sense of solidarity and social cohesion within the community. It was the Bayanihan Spirit that inspired a small group of doctors and nurses in Maine and California to form HAND-Philippines in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. It is the same Spirit that drives our officers, staff, and volunteers today to dedicate their time, talent, and resources to better the lives of people half a world away.
 Dr. James Trettin (right) performs minor surgery, assisted by Ms. Allie Jones, RN, in one of our mobAmerican volunteers selflessly donate their time, resources, and talent to render free services to patients in our mobile clinics. |  American volunteers Ms. Wendy Shields, RN (left) and Mr. Matthew Caldwell, RN, assess patients in ouAmerican nurses are the first liners in the mobile clinics and work with local staff to make clinical assessments to determine the need for further health screenings and consultations. |
|---|---|
 American volunteers Ms. Jennifer Evangelista, RN (left) and Mr. Bailey Frank, RN, treating a patientVolunteer nurses perform various tasks during an FSMM, including rendering urgent care to patients who might need to be sent to a local emergency department. |  Dr. Esther Sandy Tutor-Hernandez assesses a child with an ear complaint in the Consultation Area ofDr. Tutor-Garcia is one of the co-founders of HAND-Philippines. She went to Xavier University-Philippines School of Medicine with another co-founder, Dr. Lance Lanoy. |
 Board of Directors Chairperson Ms. Brooke Harris, RN (center), gets trained by a local general surgeOur local surgeons routinely teach American nurses and doctors common office minor surgical procedures such as skin biopsies and cyst excisions. |  American volunteer Ms. Ashley Couverette, RN, interviews patients in our mobile clinic's Triage andThis one clinic, in particular, was on a tiny remote island that Super Typhoon Rai decimated in December 2021. Seeing the hardship and poverty firsthand, our American volunteers come out of the mission trip with a sense of accomplishment and responsibility. Thus, they are one of the most effective champions in our fundraisers. |
You can make a difference today!
Join us in transforming the lives of vulnerable communities in the Philippines. Your donation to HAND-Philippines enables us to provide sustainable healthcare, empowering those affected by calamities and catalyzing economic development and resiliency.
