Bioborjan Settlers - known locally as Borjan (bore-hawn) - is a rural village on the northern tip of the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines. Located on a tidal flood plain, it's a squatter's area as the land has no value due to constant flooding.
Launched in 2012, we're an independently run organization dedicated to improving the lives of children living in Mindanao's extreme poverty. It is staffed by its founder/director, one local staffer and a small cadre of volunteers. The Borjan Children's Fund is an approved public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Please help with our mission to uplift the lives of children in Mindanao through education, healthcare, and nutrition.
Regional Crises
We are currently experiencing a "rice crisis". Extreme weather events have wiped out hundreds of local growers - ironically from drought, flooding, or both. Despite one in four Filipinos working in farming, the Philippines has become the world's top importer of rice according to the USDA. The resulting reliance on foreign rice has driven prices up 60% - far more than most of our villagers can afford. Recent typhoons have forced government rationing.
Terrorist Threats
There are no fewer than nine groups operating in Mindanao that are designated as terrorist organizations by the Anti-Terrorist Council which reported over 200 incidents it considers atrocities between 2020 and 2023.
Natural Disasters
The Philippines is the most at-risk country globally for 16 straight years the latest edition of the world at-risk index (WRI) by the Institute for International Law and Peace and Armed Conflict showed. The report covers 193 United Nations member states based on 100 prinary indicators that link a country's exposure to natural disasters and societal capacity to respond.
