The drowning rate in the Philippines is seen to be increasing every year. According to a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) survey, drowning is the second leading cause of death among Filipino children aged 14 years and below, and is the fourth leading cause of death from injury in the Philippines.
Every year the country experiences 20-25 typhoons, and emergency workers have noted the high proportion of children among the fatalities, many of whom were lost through drowning.
An average of 3,276 accidental drowning and submersion occurred annually in the Philippines from 2006-201. This translates to 6 to 7 incidents in every 1,000 deaths. It is believed that many would have survived if they possessed basic swimming skills.
As a response to these reports, the Bert Lozada Foundation (BLF) has conducted free swimming lessons for children and adults who were able or with special needs in the past years. Our projects include Libreng Palangoy ni Enchong (twice a year), JCI Handog Palangoy (annually) and the newest project of JCI Manila- Project Hero (quarterly). Because of the growing need and the positive impact that the projects contributed to the nation to reduced drowning rate, the BLF is aiming now to double the number of beneficiaries from the previous years. The goal is to expand the area of coverage and the number of beneficiaries of these projects.
This is Bert Lozada Foundation’s vision for the country: to be a Drown-Free Nation. As such, we are offering:
- Free swimming & water safety courses for indigents.
- Seminars and Talks on Drowning Prevention.
- Free Summer Program for Public School Students.
Beneficiaries:
- Male or Female ; young & old (ages: 7-50)
- Indigent resident of NCR
- Persons with Disabilities
- Special Children & Adults identified in the SPED program
