The Balikbayan Project

Balikbayan: From Victims To Survivors

Watch the sizzler for the award-winning feature film documentary, Balikbayan: From Victims To Survivors, which chronicles the remarkable epic journey of a group of Canadians who return to the city of Tacloban, Philippines to help street children heal from trauma following Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan.

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The Balikbayan Project

Balikbayan: From Victims To Survivors

Sizzle reel for Balikbayan: From Victims To Survivors documentary. Produced by Qi Creative and Echolands Creative Directed by Rob Hillstead

Vision

Return with service

Mission

Believe in youth resilience through positive self-expression and play

Pre-game huddle with Kuya Rob and Ate Po.jpg

The term “balikbayan” is a Tagalog word used to describe a country person who has left their homeland for whatever reason and has come back. For this project, “balikbayan” was chosen as the name to describe 1st generation Filipino-Canadians (and their collaborators of various ethnic backgrounds) who are dedicated to returning to their homeland with service through the use of their individual expertise, talents, and skills.

Since 2007, The Balikbayan Project has focused on the development and sustainability of three self-expression program initiatives: My Name Is Trauma Workshop, the “Pagpasabot” Self- Expression Festival, and the I AM SPECIAL rehabilitation medicine workshop series in collaboration with Streetlight Philippines Inc., to increase the quality of life of the urban street youth in Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines. By engaging in meaningful and purposeful activities of daily living with respect to self-care, productivity, and leisure, youth have developed their self-esteem and talents through expressive arts, athletic development, and physical activity pursuits to increase their quality of life.

The Balikbayan Project has collaborated with local social workers, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, nurses, doctors, and educators to create and/or expand on existing community programs for youth. Specifically, a major goal was to promote constructive and empowering activities with a focus on self-expression and creativity that heals physiological trauma in the body. The project has demonstrated that when youth channel energy into activities that allow them to positively express themselves, there is a widespread and positive impact on many different aspects of their lives. By believing in youth resilience, this creates hope for the future, and shifts trauma victims to become survivors.

Return With Service

RISE UP, Tacloban!

Watch the inspiring music video that was written by Alex Mabulay and produced with the help of our Balikbayan Project Team, Streetlight Philippines, and features the talents of Tacloban locals.

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