This story is part of a new series highlighting the work of Equity Initiative (EI) Fellows during the Community Building phase of the Equity Initiative program-a lifelong commitment to advancing health equity across Southeast Asia and China. Through China Medical Board(CMB)/EI grants like the Community Building Fund, Fellows lead innovative, locally grounded solutions that address pressing social and health challenges.

Pictured aboved: The site where the Community Savings Group operates for its beneficiaries

Siargao, Philippines, is known worldwide for its stunning beaches and thriving tourism. But beyond the postcard-perfect image, many coastal communities struggle with deep inequities. Fisherfolk, the backbone of the local economy, face worsening financial instability and health crises—challenges made even more severe by climate change. With no safety nets in place for crises like the COVID pandemic or Typhoon Odette, many fishers continued to work in unsafe or unsustainable conditions just to make ends meet. Amid this landscape of uncertainty and hardship, Equity Initiative Fellow Mayor Alfredo “JR” Coro II (2019, Philippines) saw not just a crisis, but a mandate for bold, community-led change.

Having spent over a decade working alongside coastal communitiesas Mayor of Del Carmen, JR understood that sustainable change couldn’t come from outside solutions alone. It had to be built by the community, for the community—and designed to last. What drove JR was a question posed by a young girl: Did her grandfather have to fish forever? It was a simple question that JR couldn’t answer and revealed a deeper truth—that many fishing families had no viable exit from generational hardship. JR saw that the issue wasn’t just about livelihoods, but about dignity, long-term security, and the fundamental health and well-being of individuals. Without financial security or social protection, health risks compound.“Why couldn’t our fishers have the same right to prepare for their futures as anyone else?” he asked. That question became the foundation for a new approach—onerooted in trust, collective action, and the belief that social protection is not a handout, but a pathway to self-determination and health equity.

Under JR’s leadership, the China Medical Board (CMB)/Equity Initiative (EI)-funded project Building Equitable Health and Financial Access for Coastal Fishers took root across all nine municipalities of Siargao. Supported by CMB/EI’s Community Building Fund and implemented by RARE Philippines’ Fish Forever program, the project focused on addressing one of the most basic and persistent challenges for small-scale fishers: lack of access to financial systems and social protection., the project focused on addressing one of the most basic and persistent challenges for small-scale fishers: lack of access tofinancial systems and social protection.

Many households in Siargao live day-to-day, with limited ability to save or respond to emergencies. JR and his team began working with community members to establish and strengthen village savings clubs—informal, locally-run groups that enable members to contribute small amounts of money and access low-interest loans. Over time, these clubs became critical spaces for economic resilience and social connection. In Siargao’s coastal communities, women often manage household finances, yet historically had limited access to formal financial tools or decision-making spaces. By centering women as members, leaders, and organizers withinthe savings clubs, the project not only expanded financial security but also strengthened gender equity—giving women greater agency, resilience, and solidarity within their communities.

Women like Meralyn, a daycare worker from Barangay Bitoon, used the savings club to buy rice, pay school fees, and support her family when her husband couldn’t find work. ForJennifer, a dried fish vendor in Salvacion, the club helped cover hospital expenses and rebuild her home after a typhoon. For Helen Española, a retired grandmother, the savings club became a safety net. Without a husband to rely on, she contributed what she could.Her savings, especially the December interest, helped put food on the table during the leanest months and gave her peace of mind during crises. These were not isolated stories—they reflected the lived experiences of more than 2,700 members, 81% of whom were women, who joined 113 savings and loan clubs (67 new, 46 existing) across the island.ⁱ

But JR and RARE didn’t stop at local implementation. Recognizing that these community efforts needed structural support,they pushed for the adoption of local ordinances recognizing fisher IDs as official identification, enabling access to formal banking, loans, and insurance. Their leadership helped connect grassroots innovations to national systems. Through strategic partnerships, 2,092 fishers enrolled in social protection programs as of May 2024.ⁱⁱ

They also invested in people. The Fish Forever Community Educators program (Fish ForCE) trained local leaders as community educators, equipping them to guide their peers through financial literacy, social protection, and sustainable fisheries management. These educators—many of them women—helped drive behavior change and build trust where it mattered most: among neighbors and families.

For JR, equity is not just about programs or policies. It’s about dignity, agency, and creating space for people to take control of their futures. By linking community action with systems-level change, JR’s vision has led to real, measurable outcomes—from increased fisher registration and insurance coverage to reductions in household poverty. For many, the struggle isn’t just about making ends meet; it’s about survival. With increasingly unpredictable weather patterns and intensifying typhoons, a single storm can erase years of hard work in just a few hours. At the heart of this transformation is JR, a passionate local leader whose belief in equity and community-led solutions has led to one of the most promising initiatives on the island: the establishment of community savings clubs.

Despite meaningful progress, coastal communities continue to grapple with the urgent challenges of climate resilience and health equity and the Siargao model has proven that when communities have access to financial and social protections, they can withstand the storms ahead.

JR’s guidance in this initiative reflects the mission of the Equity Initiative, which fosters transformative leaders working in collaboration with others to address systemic health and social inequities. Through its Fellowship program and community-driven partnerships, the Equity Initiative is empowering equity champions like JR to create sustainable solutions that strengthen communities for the long term.

Call to action: To learn more about the Equity Initiative and how you can become part of this community, see here.

ⁱ Rare, Inc. (2024). Building equitable health and financial access for coastal fishers in the Island of Siargao, Philippines: Final report to China Medical Board (March 1, 2022–May 31, 2024)(Grant No. 21-404). Prepared  by Kristine B. Ramirez.

ⁱⁱIbid.