Lanao del Sur Community Sponsorship

About the Lanao del Sur community

Lanao del Sur is a province on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines, where conflict and displacement have reshaped everyday life and where Plan International works with communities that are facing ongoing climate-related risks. We work in the municipalities of Marantao and Sagueran, near Lake Lanao and Marawi City – communities that welcomed families displaced by the 2017 Marawi siege. Set between the lake and surrounding hills, these areas experience heavy rainfall that can quickly trigger flooding and landslides, adding constant pressure to daily life.

Our long-term partnership builds trust

Conflict and climate-driven disasters have made recovery slower and more uncertain. By working alongside communities since 2017, Plan has built trust, supported local leadership, and helped families manage ongoing risks while protecting children’s education and long-term stability here.

Challenges facing the Lanao del Sur community

In Lanao del Sur, crises didn’t come one at a time – they piled on. During the five-month Marawi siege in 2017, the community opened its doors to families fleeing the conflict. Just months later, Typhoon Vinta brought severe flooding and landslides, deepening the hardship people were already facing. Together, these shocks left families dealing with three major losses:

Loss of identity and legal documentation

Many families lost birth certificates and other legal documents while fleeing violence or during displacement due to floods. Without these papers, children can’t enrol in school, access health care, or receive support during emergencies.

Loss of education due to poverty and ongoing crises

Multiple crises and ongoing poverty have meant families often have to choose food and survival over school supplies. Overcrowded classrooms, limited learning materials, and under-resourced teachers make it even harder for children, especially girls, to stay in school and keep learning.

Loss of local support and access to protection

Before community advocacy efforts began, families – particularly women and children – had few ways to seek help against violence or raise concerns regarding their safety. Weak links between communities and local systems meant many people went without timely protection or support.

What your support helps make possible

Through Plan’s ongoing presence, your support helps communities respond with immediate, locally led solutions that bring stability when life is disrupted, such as:

Restoring legal identity for children

Working with trusted local partners, Plan helped families replace lost documents and understand how birth registration protects children’s rights to education and health care. Mobile registration caravans travelled to two municipalities, completing 375 registrations in two months and getting children the documents they need to move forward.

Supporting children’s learning

Twenty-four schools received essential classroom furniture such as desks and chairs, blackboards, and storage shelves, along with learning materials that reached more than 4,500 students. More than 150 teachers were also equipped with practical teaching tools, including lesson-planning guides, strategies for managing large or mixed-age classrooms, and visual aids such as alphabet and number charts, picture cards for reading practice, and reusable activity sheets that help children stay engaged in their learning.

Strengthening local support through women’s leadership

With support from Plan, a local women’s group successfully advocated for a “civil society” support desk at their town hall – a dedicated space where families can raise concerns, ask for help, and be connected to local services. The desk is now up and running, giving women and children a clear, trusted place to turn when they need support and ensuring that community issues are heard and acted on.

How Women’s Voices Shape Community Rebuilding

How Women’s Voices Shape Community Rebuilding

Sanira was 13 when the Marawi siege forced her family to flee. The 2017 conflict between militia groups and the government devastated the city, displacing thousands of people. Sanira escaped with 11 family members a motorcycle with a sidecar.

In the months that followed, she found stability in a local dance group, reconnecting with her Maranao traditions and earning small income.

As she rebuilt, she saw how recovery decisions were made – often without women and young people.

Today, she’s studying to become a lawyer to advocate for women and girls rights.

When there are discussions that affect us, let us be part of those conversations,” she says. “Whether it’s about rebuilding our communities or rebuilding Marawi City, let us sit at the table."