Across the Philippines’ mist-shrouded highlands and tranquil valleys spans a formidable sanctuary for its tight-knit communities. However, for children in these remote areas, the right to learn is often obscured by miles of rugged terrain. The scarcity of academic ventures and geographic isolation leaves the youth severely disenfranchised from budding opportunities beyond the mountain peaks.
Project Linang PH, a volunteer-led initiative, seeks to bridge this chasm. By building foundational literacy in secluded regions—beginning with the Dumagat tribe in Tanay, Rizal—the organization bypasses physical and educational barriers, gradually forging new ground.
“Our dream is to reach out to various underserved communities, both in [the] mountains and urban poor communities, to help them stand on their own feet, and to continue the legacy of hope through reading,” Founder Clarenz “Sunny” Nalaunan emphasizes in Filipino. By tailoring initiatives to the children’s lived realities, Project Linang PH promotes remote learning that is anchored in community, continuity, and meaningful engagement.
In the trenches
For the Dumagat tribe, geographic obstacles are a daily lesson in distance and limitation. Steep trails winding through dense forests, rivers cutting across rocky paths, and unpredictable weather turn familiar routes into dangerous territory.
“Para makapag-aral [ang isang bata] sa elementarya kailangan muna niyang tumawid sa anim na ilog para […] makapasok sa paaralan,” Nalaunan explains. This drives rifts between children and their classrooms, forcing many to forgo formal schooling altogether.
(For a child to be able to study in elementary school, they need to cross six rivers to get to school.)
The resulting gaps in education uproot children from the essential anchors of identity. Nalauan noted that a significant number of Dumagat children were unable to provide fundamental personal information. When asked about their full name or age, they would merely smile at him or exclaim an unlikely number. Unequipped with basic literacy and numeracy, they are left vulnerable to exploitation and unstable livelihoods that offer little mobility later on.
This is precisely why Project Linang PH deems these skills the primary blueprint for autonomy and all other forms of learning: “If the kids can read, it will land them different opportunities and lend them different skills,” Nalauan asserts. Through long-term empowerment and sustainable progression, they cultivate the child’s self-sufficiency to break the cycle of marginalization.
From the ground up
Education, for Project Linang PH, must begin on the ground. Guided by its roadmap—“tanaw-tuklas,” “hubog-husay,” and “lakbay-linang”—learning is not reduced to a simple one-shot intervention. Rather, it is a sustained process to which the children participate willingly.
Spurred by this resolve, Nalaunan ensures that the learning sessions are a lasting and reciprocal experience for everyone involved. “In Project Linang [PH], hindi lang natin nililinang ‘yung mga bata,” he emphasizes. “Nililinang din natin ‘yung volunteers.” Through sufficient volunteer training and sessions held in places familiar to the Dumagat community, schooling sheds its formal edges, forging a space that invites children to explore at their own pace.
(In Project Linang PH, we’re not just nurturing the children. We’re also nurturing the volunteers.)
While they only seem to teach the basics, Nalaunan upholds that foundational skills are stepping stones to an empowered future. Behind this goal lies a deeply personal wish: that no child would be taken advantage of in the wider world. “Sana matutu[h]an ng mga bata magkuwenta at magbasa,” he expresses, echoing what drove him to this mission for six years and counting.
(I hope the children learn to do basic math and read.)
Families, too, are woven into this process. During the sessions, parents and older siblings stay to observe, digesting how to guide the children themselves. Nalaunan explains that while this is not yet a formal structure, it is an intentional practice: “[Kahit] wala ang Project Linang, alam na ng [mga] magulang kung paano turuan ang mga bata.” This way, they strengthen the community’s ability to sustain learning on its own.
(Even if Project Linang is not around, the parents know how to teach the children.)
Through this tireless network of support, Project Linang PH brings its advocacy to life. As local teachers, parents, and guardians work together and alongside the Dumagat youth, they create a living classroom where lessons are shared and extend far beyond one session. Ultimately, Naulanan traces everyone’s collective effort back to one familiar saying: “It takes a village to raise a child.”
The quiet work of hope
For Nalaunan, education is slow, deliberate work—often unseen and exhausting, but rooted in unwavering commitment. As he firmly puts it, “Oportunidad kaysa ayuda.” Project Linang PH was built on the belief that real change happens not through fleeting acts of charity, but through long-term, community-based education.
(Opportunity over charity.)
It is the children who ultimately harvest the fruit of this labor. With each visit, their confidence blooms—hesitant voices grow steadier, curious hands rise continually, and learning closes the distance into familiarity. Nalaunan recalls a moving experience from their first outreach, when he was asked, “Kuya Clarenz, kailan po kayo babalik sa amin?” For him, that question signaled the growing trust between them. The children had begun to see the volunteers not as visitors, but as valuable people on their learning journey.
(Kuya Clarenz, when will you come back here?)
At its core, Project Linang PH is guided by a simple yet profound idea: that showing up already carries meaning. Reflecting on their work, Nalaunan shares, ‘’Yung presensya lang, na may mga taong handang umakyat para magpaabot ng pag-asa, ay isang malaking bagay na.” It is the consistency grounded in patience and care that ensures the lasting legacy of their initiative.
(The presence of people who are willing to go up to give hope is a big thing already.)
While the work of the organization may not always be loud or immediately visible, its impact runs deep. Through continual presence and enduring hope, Project Linang PH nurtures not only young learners, but entire communities—ones that are steadfastly building bright futures for themselves and for each other.
This article was published in The LaSallian‘s January 2026 issue. To read more, visit bit.ly/TLSJan2026.
