As early as 1970, seaweed, known locally as “agar-agar”, was abundant in the Philippines, especially in the southern region of the archipelago. Collecting and selling seaweed became a source of livelihood among the people living in the coastal areas. Today, gathering has given way to farming the economically important plants. One group of refugees living in a transient camp in the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), rely heavily on the farming as a source of income. Attacks by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) forced these refugees and thousands of others to flee their homes and jobs in search of safety.

With more than 500 families and so few livelihood opportunities, the residents of the Internally Displaced People camp in Taluksangay are vulnerable to exploitation by malign actors. A US Army team, working in cooperation with the Philippine Armed Forces and Government, determined that one of the best ways to decrease the vulnerability of the refugee population was to improve upon their existing seaweed processing capability. A drying dock will allow the farmers to dry their harvest in half the time and earn up to ten times what they earn when selling their harvest wet. By funding the construction of a concrete drying dock Spirit of America will be able to improve the economic situation of the least fortunate members of Philippine society, who have been negatively impacted by an ongoing conflict.