Farming Hands, Forming Hearts: Supporting Mangyan Youth in Mindoro

At WE Foundation, we believe that every young person deserves the chance to dream big and live a life full of purpose. That’s why we’re proud to support the amazing work being done by the Mary Help of Christians School (MHCS) in Calapan City, Mindoro—a place where learning goes beyond books and straight into the heart of the land.

This school, lovingly run by the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, serves as a home and training ground for disadvantaged youth, especially from the indigenous Mangyan tribe. Many of these young people come from remote mountain communities where education is often a distant hope. At MHCS, they are not only receiving technical agricultural training, but they are also being guided to grow spiritually, emotionally, and socially.

These students are being transformed into young farmer-entrepreneurs—equipped with life skills, values, and hope.

But education doesn’t stop in the classroom or the fields around the school. Just this March, WE Foundation was honored to help fund their Lakbay-Aral, an educational immersion trip to UP Los Baños. This trip gave 24 trainees the chance to visit PhilRice and Organic Agriculture Research and Development Centers. Imagine—students who have never left their home province walking through advanced research farms, seeing up close what sustainable agriculture can look like when science, heart, and community come together.

This kind of exposure plants deep inspiration. It gives students a vision of what’s possible and connects them with practical techniques they can bring back to their own land and families.

As Sr. Leila Montero, the school’s Technical Directress, shared—it’s not just about farming, it’s about forming "good and responsible Christians, and honest, productive citizens." That’s exactly the kind of impact we strive for at WE Foundation.

Our mission is to support underserved communities in the Philippines through education and community growth. Partnering with MHCS allows us to live out that mission in a real and meaningful way. Together, we are helping young people take charge of their future—with dignity, with skill, and with faith.

Because when we come together—with open hands and hopeful hearts—we don’t just change lives, we grow a better future for all.