We are getting nautical for our fifth entry as we sit down with sailor Joe Martino, who is never shy to get hands on. His work ethic and love for bursting into song is renown around camp.

Week 4 goes to a very special lady, Aurora Alferez. Our camp momma who’s looked after the team since day one and is an irreplaceable part of the family and member of the YPDR board. If you ever ask her how she is, her answer is “Always good”.

This week we launched our new Housing Retrofit program with the support of the International Labor Organization (ILO). For the next six weeks our Retrofit Team of 32 carpenters will be going door-to-door in seven Barangays assisting families to storm-strengthen their homes, strengthening their structures with hurricane strapping, gussets, timber cleats, cross bracing in the roofs

For our 2nd entrance in our ‘Meet the YPDR Team’ series we interviewed Gerry Caraballe, the legendary international driver of YPDR, his smile and laugh infects everyone who comes here. Let’s see what he had to say.

Last weekend representatives of JCI Manila organization visited YPDR camp with a purpose of checking out our Marine Restoration Program. What was intended to be a simple weekend turned out to be a gathering of epic proportions.

Here is the first of our new “Meet the Team” interview series, where we interview members of Young Pioneer Disaster Response to share their story with everyone. Marking our first entry we have invited Joel Trask to take centre stage.

Today Young Pioneer Disaster Response (YPDR) and Polish Humanitarian Action (PAH) hosted a ground breaking ceremony to celebrate beginning the final stage of repairs at Santa Fe High National School at 10 am, attended by Honorable Department of Cebu Province School Division Superintendent Dr. Arden D. Monisit, Principal Mr. Marianico Ilustrisimo, and partner organization Polish Humanitarian

Designed in partnership with University of San Carlos, our Phase 3 storm-strengthened houses are comprised of selective construction components and techniques which all lend a hand to the integral quality of these typhoon -resistant structures.

Did you know that the walls of our newly re-designed homes are comprised of locally sourced bamboo fiber which is woven into a matting called, amakan?

Bantayan Island,Cebu, Philippines,June 10, 2014 – Young Pioneer Disaster Response delivered $250,000 USD (10,942,499.35 php) worth of medical supplies to Bantayan District Hospital, Santa Fe Health Services and Madridejos Health Services in honor of our 6 month anniversary on June 7, 2014. The goods have were donated by CarePoint Health, of Hudson County, New Jersey,

YPDR is proud to announce that we will be working with TIGRA, Damgo, Mayor Chris Escario of Bantayan, and 40 local fisherfolk on a recycling awareness and dumpsite rehabilitation project at the Bantayan Municipal Dumpsite on June 4th and 5th.

Our amazing supporter, Magdalena Fijalkowska, continues helping to spread the word about our initiative in Philippines. This time her article and podcast in english appeared in the blog of DW (Deutsche Welle). The focus of this podcast is Maria Lukowska who, being the representative of PAH NGO, is YPDR’s main partner in Bantayan Island. Check

It’s that time of the year again, the summer has come to end which means it back to school for children all across the Philippines. YPDR joined forces with three elementary schools last week in support of Brigada Eskwela 2014 before school starts June 2.

Nothing worth having ever comes easy! YPDR has overcome a lot since our humble beginnings last December. We have persisted through rough conditions in a disaster zone, illness, a constant struggle for funding, and, worst of all, slanderous remarks from people who want to undermine all of our hard work for their own selfish gain.

Cliff Villa, an adjunct professor at Seattle University School of Law and an attorney for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, traveled to the Philippines to mark the reopening of the School of the SEA (Sea and Earth Advocates). During his trip he also visited us in Bantayan Island and checked what has been done here

Our team prepared the latest data about what is going on the Bantayan Island as well as YPDR Key Figures and Facts. Check it out and help us out with your donation!

One of our volunteers (Magdalena Fijalkowska) happens to be a radio journalist at Polskie Radio Lublin, public radio from Poland. If you speak Polish, read or listen to a report on her experience with YPDR, broadcasted in the Radio News Programme, here. Also check out her photo report.

Great news for YPDR! Today Carmel L. Durano, the Honorary Consul for Poland in the Philippines, Red H. Durano, the former congressman of the 5th district in Cebu and the current Vice Mayor of Danao City, and their friends from Singapore Olivier and Tess Grawehr came to take a look at our housing and school

Today we started creating our pilot permaculture garden next to our first Phase 3 model house. It was a hot sunny day but our volunteers nonetheless vigorously built garden beds and paths. Thanks to our resident permaculturist Nick Brown for leading this awesome project which we hope to duplicate in other homes.

We are happy to announce our new partnership with Radyo Natin Madridejos, 102.9 fm!! Every Wednesday at 10am Katlyn Murray and Carlos Lo Pez will bring you Pioneer Power Hour, a new radio show featuring YPDR’s projects and activities as well as useful information and interesting content regarding Bantayan Island, with special focus on the

YPDR is currently developing its Phase 3 model house. The first Phase 3 model home, which is being built for our facilitator Chad and his family, contains structural improvements designed to make the home safer and more functional. The new model contains concrete posts which make the foundation stronger and slanted walls which give the