What if...?

What if instead of going to war we could plant a tomato or grow a tree?

What if instead of all the big-man grandstanding we could teach prosperity and instill a shared vision for the future?

World's most radical garden. By "Freedomland" architects, BCL Asia, Ltd.




What if instead of mutually assured destruction we could decide on a starting line altogether different?

Why not join forces to build a library for instance or a lighthouse or a marine laboratory? And instead of littering the seas with spent munitions and killing off vast stretches of endangered coral; what if we could use solar energy to provide drinking water enough for the 305 islanders scattered across the island chain the Filipinos call Kalayaan or, "Freedomland?"

Seems easy enough right? Well, this is exactly what we aim to do. With the help of Eugenio B. Bito-onon Jr.—municipal mayor to the Spratly Islands, we will be venturing out into the middle of the sea with one simple goal: to change the world. We don’t mean to be naive—just unapologetically idealistic. And hey, why not?

Mayor Bito-onon shows us how it's done—standing his ground.

The Situation...

Right now there are eight malnourished Marines stranded on a grounded ship over a coral reef called Ayungin. They are surrounded by warships and barely have enough water to drink let alone ammunition to fight with...

Right now there are fewer than 100 villagers stuck on a tiny island, a whopping 579 nautical miles southwest of Manila. And though smaller than a football field it lays claim to the only municipality in the Spratlys--and is therefore enormously important to Philippine sovereignty. Again, it is surrounded by warships. The 19 schoolchildren stationed there barely have enough to eat let alone the proper textbooks to learn with...

Max, one of 19 elementary-school-aged children on Pag-asa Island.

But time is of the essence…



Because right now we can still do something! Right now we can help. But in a few months time—the truth is, well...everything could change. This is a rare opportunity for us to act together to create and promote sustainability in a region of the world that desperately needs it! We can still bring supplies and technology. We can still bring relief aid and medical know-how. We can still let these people know that the world hasn’t forgotten about them.

Carlos Celdran and Mayor Bito-onon seal the deal.

The Film. The Fun...

In tandem to our humanitarian mission we will be making a film headed up by none other than Mr. Carlos Celdran—a famous tour guide and Filipino cultural activist. If his past work is any indication, it’ll be a tour de force steeped in political history and satire and not unlike his American counterparts—Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart—Mr. Celdran is poised to make a mighty debut onto the world stage. But most importantly, our cinematic efforts will strive for cohesion and awareness at a time when trends across the globe seem tinged in darkness. And if all goes well, our film—FREEDOMLAND—may just help to allay regional hostilities and divert the inevitability of a war.

Hey, c'mon, it can't hurt to dream a little can it?

No Illusions…

We harbor no illusions. We know we can’t change the world in a single day but we can start to move in the right direction—and by helping to support our "mission," our "garden" and our "film" you will become part of this momentum—in fact, you are exactly what the world needs to achieve something small and good. As we've mentioned, this is a unique moment in time—the light before the storm, a small delay prior to a very real-world conflict—and we should seize the opportunity to come together as a community and do a small thing that’ll actually make a big difference--and not just for the people of Pag-asa and it’s smaller neighbors (Patag, Lawak, Likas, Parola) but to the people of the Philippines as a whole.

Philippine Marines flip China the peace sign.

Yes We Can…

If we can make a film prior to the outbreak of war we may just give this 21st century tinderbox a much-needed injection of humanity and comic relief—virtues that are in dangerously short supply as of late.

If we can deliver just five solar-powered desalination units to Ayungin we can help build a garden on the Sierra Madre and we can ensure the eight brave men standing guard over the Philippines proper nutrition as well as enough water to take the occasional shower...

If we can deliver library books and kitchenware to the island of Pag-asa we can ensure the education and health of 19 children who still have yet to learn how to stand tall...

So please. Please help us to help them and together we will say, “Yes we can...”

Donate whatever amount you can and we promise to invest it into a really really good cause.

Thank you. And we know that Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon will thank you too!