Bikes for the Philippines Foundation

bikes for the philippines foundation (bfpf) is a non-profit foundation that provides bicycles to disadvantaged individuals in a country where poverty and access to education are critical social problems. it was created in 2011 when founder and program director joel uichico, a sports professional and businessman, noticed school children walking by the roadside in the town of baclayon, on the island of bohol. he discovered they were traveling long distances over unsafe terrain - walking well over an hour, and up to 7 kilometers per way, everyday - just to get to school. as expected, this distance affected their grades and attendance, putting them at risk of dropping out and never finishing school. after seeing their plight and checking with the school principals on the status of the students joel was inspired to make a difference and thought of a way to help out. with the help of his cousin jo grant who was based in the us, he coordinated with bikes for the world for the donation of bike