20 international tourists lived by the adage, “Take nothing but pictures, kill nothing but time and leave nothing but footprints.” For four days in November, the small group traveled all the way to Boracay Island in the Philippines and collectively put in 54 hours of volunteer work. They invested not only their money, but more importantly, their time and their sweat to ensure that the needs of Boracay Island’s marginalized children are met.

Boracay, internationally hailed as one of the best beaches in the world, is synonymous to pristine white sand, picturesque scenery and the most glorious sunset. But unbeknownst to many, the small island paradise (only 7 km long) also has the highest population density of children living in poverty. To highlight the plight of the children of Boracay, the group got involved with Children’s Hour, a local NGO, and its volunt-tourism initiative, ”FOOTPRINTS”. Through its volun-tourism activity, Children’s Hour introduced the 20 tourists to a different kind of holiday. Instead of spending a morning sunbathing by the beach, these tourists collectively put in 54 hours of volunteer work building a community center for Boracay’s children. The four-storey community center will cater to the Philippine Red Cross, serve as classrooms for elementary school students and a recreation area for out-of-school youths.

“As the top travel destination in The Philippines, Boracay is a great place for Children’s Hour to garner international support for our nation’s marginalized children. While tourists come to our islands for rest and relaxation, it would be nice if they can spare a couple of hours involving themselves in volun-tourism activities like our ‘FOOTPRINTS,’” said Evangeline T. Mayuga, Children’s Hour Executive Director. ”We hope this will be the start of an onslaught of likeminded tourists who would want to make a difference in children’s lives while enjoying the best of what The Philippines has to offer as a tourist destination.”