Small Fires, Big Futures: Igniting Change with World Vision in Mandaue City

In the heart of Metro Cebu, Mandaue City rises as a bustling first-class coastal hub of industry, trade, and innovation, home to over 360,000 people. But tucked behind the glint of steel and progress lies an uncomfortable truth–the looming struggle of children facing malnutrition.

Despite the city’s rapid urban development, data reveals a stark and contrasting reality–malnutrition among children has climbed from 4.2% to 4.9%, with 2,653 children recorded as undernourished in 2020. This crisis is more pronounced in urban areas where poverty, limited access to nutritious food, and systematic inequality create a complex challenge that grows less visible but no less dangerous. Children here face what’s known as ‘hidden hunger,’ a form of micronutrient deficiency that stunts growth, impairs cognitive development, and robs their futures before they’ve even begun. 

Amid this pressing challenge, one organization is planting seeds of hope in the cracks of hardship–World Vision Philippines. For more than 67 years, it has been a beacon of compassion put into action, working alongside families and communities to help the most vulnerable children reach their full potential. As the most prominent Christian non-profit organization in the country, World Vision’s impact is far-reaching. In 2023 alone, it operated across 43 provinces, 18 cities, 102 municipalities, and 925 barangays–directly touching the lives of 409,792 Filipino children. 

“Ang main mission sa world vision kay ang child welfare and development,” shares Project Officer Mr. Rey Angelo B. Dahonan. “Kabalo man jud ta kinsay vulnerable sa mga communities, syempre mga bata kay wala man silay kaugalingong will…mag rely lang sila sa mga parents. Wherein ang mga parents pud partly nahimong challenge pud siguro sa financial status nila or sa educational status nila…wala kay kwarta lisod jud kaayo.” [The main mission of World Vision is child welfare and development…We know who the most vulnerable are—children—because they don’t have a will of their own. They rely entirely on their parents, who themselves often face challenges due to their financial or educational status. If you don’t have money, life becomes very difficult]

In Dahonan’s words, the heartbeat of World Vision is made clear—to walk beside those whose voices are often unheard, and build a future where no child goes to bed hungry. 

With this reality in mind, World Vision partnered with Nature’s Spring Foundation, Inc. to launch the ‘Positive Deviance/Hearth (PDH) Project.’ This initiative zeroes in on improving feeding practices, hygiene, caregiving, and health-seeking behaviors among children aged 0-59 months. Its approach is two-fold: offer immediate nutritional support while empowering communities to discover solutions within their means, fueling change through changed behavior, not just resources. 

In the context of Mandaue City’s rapid urban expansion, such change becomes crucial. Behind its glistening industrial skyline, pockets of vulnerability grow deeper—from informal settler communities lining wetlands, to neighborhoods where saltwater intrusion and poor drainage compound daily hardship. For families living in these conditions, nutritious food is often out of reach.

Dahonan sees this daily. 

He shares how sugar-laden meals—such as sodas, fast food, and artificial snacks—become the default options in the absence of healthier, more affordable alternatives. “Naay mga bata dagko kaayo,” he says, “Pero dili siya sakto sa timbang tungod kay walay nisulod na nutrisyon sa iyaha, sugar rajud siya.” [Some children look big, but they’re not the correct weight because they haven’t consumed proper nutrition—just sugar.] It’s a pattern intensified by the financial and educational struggles of parents, who, despite good intentions, are left navigating a landscape where every decision is dictated by limited means. 

Here, PDH’s work goes beyond counting calories—it challenges the systems that have made nutritious living feel unattainable. Through practical coaching, meal mapping, and parent empowerment, it reframes nutrition as a right, not a privilege. 

And when families see themselves not as beneficiaries of aid but as drivers of change, the landscape shifts. The Hearth sessions are the lifeblood of PDH’s implementation. Held monthly for 12 consecutive days in barangay gyms and health centers, these gatherings are more than nutrition classes—they’re spaces for empowerment. Here, caregivers learn how to prepare nourishing meals using accessible ingredients, guided by community health workers who are trained not only in technical know-how but in empathy and cultural context. It’s hands-on, heart-first learning.

Each session begins with baseline weight assessments and incorporates essential programs, such as Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) and “Go Baby Go” orientations. Beyond food preparation, families are introduced to hygiene and sanitation through WASH modules, reducing the risk of infection and illness that often exacerbate undernutrition.

For those with deeper health concerns, the PDH project collaborates closely with the Mandaue City Health Office, connecting children and parents to vital services, including vaccinations, vitamin supplements, breastfeeding support, and psychological aid. Cases requiring developmental attention are referred to the appropriate government channels. 

One of its revolutions is FAITH Gardening–“Food Always In The Home.” While its official name may be “FORWARD gardening,” Project Officer Mr. Rey prefers FAITH, as it captures the spirit of food security built through trust, time, and soil. Seeds are given to families to grow vegetables in yards, balconies, or improvised hanging gardens. “Kung ila iconvert into money dako jud siya na possible income.” Dahonan explains, “Ug mananum bitaw ka kung naa kay surplus, pwede ra pud nila ibaligya so mu income gihapon sila aside sa ilang gi consume.” [But if they convert it into money, it’s a huge possible income…If they have surplus from their harvests, they could sell it to gain income, aside from what they consume].

And to sustain these changes, UDP introduces CoMSCA—Community-Managed Savings and Credit Associations—building financial literacy and resilience among caregivers. It’s not just about having money; it’s about understanding it, using it wisely, and leveraging it toward nutrition, education, and health.

That vision of continuity — communities sustaining change beyond external support—is precisely where Nature’s Spring Foundation Inc. (NSFI) steps in. For NSFI, the journey with World Vision is more than just corporate philanthropy–it is a profound commitment to nurturing lives at their most vulnerable. By contributing financially to the PDH project, NSFI empowered thousands of families to break cycles of undernutrition.

Through their support, PDH activities didn’t remain confined to planning documents—they became real, tangible moments: children receiving nourishing meals, caregivers learning how to prepare balanced food, barangay health centers buzzing with Hearth sessions, and young mothers planting their first vegetable seeds with purpose and hope. Every hygiene kit delivered, every vitamin distributed, every referral completed carries NSFI’s invisible signature—the belief that every child deserves a healthy start. 

In every testimonial from grateful parents and in every smile of a child who now thrives, the partnership finds its truest validation.

Looking ahead, NSFI and World Vision share a unified vision: a future where community-based models like PDH are replicated, scaled, and embedded in public health strategies—not just in Mandaue City, but in communities nationwide. Both organizations recognize that investing in child nutrition is equivalent to investing in intelligence, resilience, and long-term human capital.

As Dahonan aptly puts it, “Kita as mga CSO naa lang ta diri para kitay martilyo na magpukpok nila.” [We, as civil society organizations, are here to be the hammers that drive them] And NSFI has proven that its hand is steady and its strike—purposeful.

Together, they dream of a tomorrow where no child is defined by what they lack, but by the possibilities they carry—and where simple acts, like planting a garden or cooking a meal, continue to light fires of hope across generations.