Lajala is a beautiful, indigenous fishing village in the Philippines. You can get there by taking a boat from the city of Coron, Palawan to Uson Island. When you get to the village, you won’t find cars, motorbikes, or any other form of transportation. The people there live simply. They walk everywhere, live in bamboo huts, and wash all of their clothes by hand.
Despite having so little, they possess an incredible amount of joy and generosity. The locals are very friendly to visitors and are quick to welcome them in like family.
Many in the village are from the Tagbanwa community, a group known to be one of the original native inhabitants of The Philippines. The families make most of their living through fishing or driving boats for tourists who want to explore the surrounding islands. Coron is a close boat ride away and has become a hotspot for tourism.
The main language spoken is Tagalog, and English has become important for them to learn as tourism increases. The kids learn english at La Jala Elementary School where they learn about health, writing, math, and reading skills.
It is common for many kids to drop out of school to support their families, but through our organization we aim to lower these dropout rates and give students the empowerment they need to break the cycle of poverty that affect many of them.
