The Balud Project
A Model in Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

The Balud Project is one of our major initiatives to create a model of breaking the cycle of poverty. We adopted a poor community in rural Samar where make use of all the principles we adhere to in developing the community and its people. This is BALUD’s UN MDG in action. Our approach is holistic thus we cover many of the identified needs of the community. The Project components are: the improvement of the elementary school and benchmarking it to be a Center of Excellence for Rural Public Elementary Education, youth leadership and youth educational and economic opportunities, microfinance and financial assistance (with a major focus on women), health, water and sanitation development and environmental awareness. The learning and outcomes will impact on other communities and will serve as our model in developing other marginalized communities.

The name Balud Project originates from the name of the poor village of Balud on the island of Samar in the Philippines. Balud literally means 'waves' in Waray-Waray, the local language. Balud is the first and pioneering project site and is deemed to provide a model framework on holistic development of underprivileged and marginalized communities.

Project Location

The community of Balud (official named: Barangay Balud) is part of the Municipality of Basey in the Province of Samar. Samar is considered one of the least developed and poorest islands of the Philippines. Being in the typhoon belt, the village is battered by tropical storms all year round. The rebel insurgency in the past as well as government corruption contributed to the slow development. The island of Samar faces the western part of the Pacific Ocean. Its location is very idyllic. Balud is between the sea and a pristine waterway, the Golden River. Coconut trees and rice fields are common sights in the village. The community got connected to electricity and to the main road only a few years ago. People used to walk, cycle or use the water transport since there was neither automobile nor roads.

How to get there...

The most convenient way to travel to the village of Balud from abroad is to fly to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Many airline companies fly to this airport from various cities of the world. From Manila, one takes a one-hour flight to Tacloban City in the island of Leyte by Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines. From Tacloban City Airport, the site can be reached in 30 minutes using the local transport, jeepney. The vehicle will cross to the island of Samar (from the island of Leyte) via the beautiful San Juanico Bridge. Alternatively, one can take a 20-hour ride from Manila to Tacloban by bus. Click here for to find out the location of Balud on Google Maps.

The Development Team will facilitate the whole trip.