Our Story
The roots of Lift PH Up Organization, Inc. were planted unexpectedly in early April 2024, far from any boardroom, in the quiet municipality of Paluan, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines.
We were invited to Paluan, a third-class municipality of roughly 17,000 residents, where nearly 35% of the population are the Mangyan people, the Indigenous inhabitants of Mindoro.
“for many children, the simple meal provided was their first and only nourishment for the entire day.”
Jane Evangelista
Volunteer
1,980
Children At Risk of Hunger and Health
84%
Literacy/Education Gap-Lowest in the Region
3-7
Years Old
the “Golden Window”-Often Only One Meal a Day
Beyond the Statistics: A Sheer Reality
That initial meeting was our first, raw introduction to the Mangyans. We weren’t interested in textbook facts; we wanted to understand the unspoken realities—the statistics that fail to capture the human condition. The meeting quickly zeroed in on two critical, repeating issues: education and hunger
What was revealed was stark:
1. Poverty and Land: The Mangyan people are primarily surviving through kaingin farming. While they are traditionally agrarian, most do not own the land they till. This lack of ownership over the means of production results in a precarious hand-to-mouth existence, particularly during the grueling pre-harvest periods.
2. The Hunger Cycle: Families scramble for food, especially during the pre-harvest periods. Compounded by non-viable farm-gate prices for rice, hunger is rampant, reportedly among the highest in Mindoro.
3. Barriers to Education: Despite exhibiting a high rate of literacy for the island, many children are excluded from formal schooling simply because their parents lack the birth certificates required for enrollment or are too poor to sustain their child’s attendance.
The Defining Moment
The resolve to act solidified months later. In November 2024, collaborating with Rise Against Hunger Philippines, we participated in a feeding program for approximately 300 Mangyan children in Sitio Hinugasan, Barangay Harrison. It was a single, shattering observation from a volunteer that cemented our purpose: for many of these children, the meal we served was either their very first or their only meal of the entire day.
This heartbreaking scene was repeated as we moved to other impoverished communities in Paluan throughout early 2025. It was in the face of this persistent, utter poverty that we made a firm and solemn decision: we had to do something.
Lift PH Up Organization, Inc. was officially formed later in 2025. We started with no deep pockets, no significant assets, and no large foundation—just a simple, unyielding resolve born from seeing the kindest people living in the harshest conditions.
For the Mangyan people of Paluan, Occidental Mindoro, our mission is now clear: To mobilize direct aid and community resources to address the urgent challenges of hunger and educational barriers facing the Indigenous Mangyan people of Mindoro. We want to see a Philippines where the Mangyan people thrive with food security, equal access to education, and the dignity of self-sufficiency.
Our Solution: A Children’s Discovery Camp
The “ Children’s Discovery Camp” model, Lift PH Up’s flagship project, is a culturally integrated, solar-powered, self-directed, independent and sovereign private sanctuary that provides a triple-purpose intervention: Nutrition as a Gateway, Digital Windows to the World, and Identity for Education.
What We Care For
Bringing Dreams within Reach for Children.
Boys and Girls Rise to Greatness.
The Children who Break New Ground.
Finding New Life.
Why We’re Different
🛖
Community First, Always
We don’t bring solutions to communities—we build them with them. Every Children’s Discovery Camp is shaped by indigenous voices, guided by local leaders, and sustained through shared ownership.
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Nutrition Comes First
A child cannot learn on an empty stomach. That’s why we treat food not as a supplement, but as the starting point—fueling both attendance and brain development.
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Reaching the Last Mile
In places where roads, and internet cannot reach, we bring education through solar-powered, satellite-enabled learning—turning even the most remote camps into learning centers without borders.
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From Invisible to Included
Education begins with identity. We help children secure birth certificates so they can finally access the formal school system and claim their rightful place in society.
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Simple Tech, Transformative Impact
By using accessible tools like television and curated educational content, we deliver high-quality learning in a way that is scalable, cost-effective, and easy to sustain.
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Built to Last
Our model is designed to outlive us—powered by the Lift PH Up Orgganization, Inc. and the Mangyan communities of Paluan themselves, ensuring long-term impact beyond any single project.
Our Mission:
To foster dignified and equitable empowerment for underserved Filipino communities by advancing literacy, combating hunger, and championing sustainable, place-based development.
Our Vision:
A Philippines where communities thrive with food security, equal access to education, and the dignity of self-sufficiency..
