Local community activities

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Sea and Sun wants to be actively involved in building and developing the community of Camiguin. We seek to bless and serve families in the local community. Through various livelihood programs and social projects, we aim to improve the living conditions for poor families. We have been in Camiguin for many years and have a long-term perspective on everything we do. We work closely with local authorities and know that they respect our work and appreciate what we do. Sea and Sun has received several awards from the province, the municipality and Department of Education.

Throughout the years we have developed a thorough understanding of local culture and customs. We participate in several municipal councils and committees. In these committees we have the opportunity to share our ideas and voice our opinions. We can act as representatives of the poor population and raise their concerns in important matters concerning their living conditions and the development of local communities.

Our work in Camiguin would not be possible without donations and a network of sponsors. Companies, churches and individuals contribute with expertise and money, enabling us to impact and bring about changes in local communities and individual lives in Camiguin.

In this section you can read about some of our social projects in Camiguin.

Renovation of the Pediatric Ward at Camiguin General Hospital

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The pediatric ward at Camiguin General Hospital was in desperate need of renovation and cleaning. Sea and Sun wanted to give the hospitalized children a clean and nice place to stay, so the children's ward was given a real face lift. All the rooms were cleaned and painted. The walls were decorated with colorful illustrations with playful and imaginative children’s motifs. The beds were cleaned and repainted, and the mattresses were given a new cover, improving the hygiene considerably. An air-conditioned playroom was also created and filled with toys given from partners in Norway.

Containers from Norway

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Sea and Sun has sent five containers with various new and second-hand goods from Norway. The containers were filled with hospital and medical aid equipment, computers, furniture, tools, toys, clothes, shoes and other things, all donated by individuals and professional partners in Norway. It has been a great joy and privilege to bless the people of Camiguin in this way.

Livelihood program

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17 employees are currently part of the Sea and Sun livelihood program. Most of our staff are unskilled, and some have not completed their schooling. We teach them the skills they need in order to work in the kitchen, the garden, the rental apartments and with guest services such as cleaning and laundry. Our staff are given financial assistance for house building. Some of the assistance is given as a gift, and some is given as a long term, interest free loan. All our staff are included in the national pension fund and have health insurance.

Family house

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Many children and teenagers in Camiguin live in dysfunctional families. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for parents to leave their children in order to start a new family or to work elsewhere. The children may be left behind to live with other members of the family or neighbors. Over the years, Sea and Sun has met many young people in need of a place to live; a place where they can be safe from violence and alcoholism, and a place where they will have enough food and receive support for schooling. Some of them have been invited to move to Sea and Sun. Sea and Sun houses about 10 young people at a time. The youth who live with us, are part of the Sea and Sun school aid program. We motivate and counsel them and try to provide them with a family atmosphere where they can feel safe and receive the support they need to master their lives and achieve their goals and dreams. The youth living in Sea and Sun, can stay here until they feel ready to move out.

Prison and hospital visitation

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Every week, Sea and Sun visits one of the two prisons on the island. The two prisons have about 60 inmates in total. The inmates are in custody and will be transferred out of the island when they receive their sentence. However, they can be held for up to 8 years without a sentence! The staff on our visitation team know the inmates well, and their visits are highly appreciated. We want to encourage and help the inmates in a difficult situation.

In 2018 Sea and Sun renovated the children's ward in the hospital. We developed a good relationship with the staff, and as a natural continuation of this project we visit the children's ward to talk to the children and their parents. Sometimes we will provide medicines and financial help for further hospital treatment. We also give out baby clothes and hand-knitted and quilted blankets.

Coffee farm

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For many years we have dreamed about growing and producing our own coffee. Camiguin is an ideal location for coffee production. Some decades ago, many farmers in Camiguin grew coffee beans. We know local people with knowledge and skills in coffee production. In December 2018 we were able to buy a lot of 5218 m2 in the area of Basiao, which is located in the mountains close to Sea and Sun. This location is good for coffee plants and many kinds of fruits and vegetables. We have planted more than 1500 coffee plants and lots of vegetables and fruit, and we have built ‘nipa hut’ (a local style house) in the farm. This is already a beautiful place with stunning views of White Island.

The farm provides livelihood for a neighboring family who looks after the farm. In a few years the coffee production will also generate income for people from the local community who will help out harvesting and refining the coffee. In two-three years we expect to reap the first coffee beans, and we will be delighted to welcome you to a wonderful cup of coffee with us!

Toilets

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Some years ago, new government regulations demand that every household has a toilet, in order to improve the hygiene of the villages. Sea and Sun was able to provide 70 families with a toilet. These were all families who could not afford to buy their own toilet.

Hospital garden

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Edith, one of the leaders of Sea and Sun, has designed and developed the beautiful garden of Sea and Sun. The garden is admired by many, and when the island had a new Governor, the Governor asked if Sea and Sun would make a garden for patients to enjoy, outside Camiguin General Hospital. This is a public hospital which is used by those who cannot afford to go outside the island for medical help. For six weeks Edith and a team from Sea and Sun worked on the garden. This hospital garden is now a source of inspiration and joy for both patients and hospital staff.

Renovation of day care schools

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In the Philippines all children must attend a day care school when they are 5 years old. Two of the day care schools close to Sea and Sun really needed an upgrade. Thanks to donations from sponsors in Norway, we were able to make the day care schools really nice. They were painted and filled with toys from Norway.

Medical and dental missions

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From time to time Sea and Sun arranges medical and dental missions in collaboration with visiting doctors and dentists. Many people from the local community have received medical and dental help through these missions.

Every year we give out medicines or give people money to buy medicines. Patients will get a prescription from the doctor, but they will have to buy the medicines themselves. Often they cannot afford to buy the medicines and need financial help to get the medicines they need.

Naasag Health Center

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The village of Naasag was the only barangay in Mambajao without a health center. Through a local school project, the elementary schools at Konnerud in Norway raised the money needed to build a new health center. The center is used for maternity and pregnancy control and is attended by a nurse once a week.

Running water

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In collaboration with a Norwegian waterworks company in Rogaland we installed running water and water meters to all of the 45 households in Tangub, which is the village where we are located.

Emergency relief

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The Philippines are located in an area of the world that regularly suffers from natural disasters. On three occasions Sea and Sun has provided emergency relief. When the Hayian typhoon devastated parts of the Philippines in 2013, we built houses and initiated a boat building project. We built fishing boats and lent them out to families so that they could fish and make money to buy their own fishing boat.

Guests contribute with their expertise

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Sometimes our visitors want to contribute with their skills and expertise. We know the local community well and know a lot about the needs of the community. One of our goals is to build and develop the local community, partnering with local offices and employees in creating a safe and thriving community for all inhabitants.

If you want to contribute with expertise and resources, we would love to hear from you. Maybe we can collaborate on a project that you or your business is passionate about.

Winter Wonderland

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From September to December, the entire Philippines is filled with Christmas lights and decorations. The Christmas season starts early, and they love to decorate with colors and lights. However, in Camiguin, most children do not have the opportunity to take part in Christmas festivities or visit places with beautiful Christmas decorations. At Sea and Sun, we want to give all children a beautiful Christmas experience, so each year we create a Winter Wonderland for them to visit.

Late November our library is transformed into a beautiful Winter Wonderland with Christmas lights, Christmas trees, Christmas village, fireplace, Christmas songs, snow and Christmas presents. Before visiting Winter Wonderland, the children visit the church to hear the gospel of the birth of Jesus told by some of our young leaders. Winter Wonderland has become very popular. Children and adults come in large numbers to visit us each year. During December 2019 Winter Wonderland had as many as 636 visitors.

Spiritual Formation

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Sea and Sun Ministries is at our core a Christian ministry, and we are frequently asked by the local community to teach spiritual formation to various groups and schools. We espouse biblical values for life, and hopefully by our personal actions as well as our teaching we present to all of our young people a positive view of the Christian faith. However, it is never required of any young person to become an adherent of the Christian faith. Yet many of the staff and as well as recipients of our outreach efforts, and also people who simply attend our church on Sundays, have found their lives greatly enriched by embracing the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.