Our purpose
Mission statement
Project PEARLS breaks the cycle of poverty for children and families in the Philippines by providing food, education, healthcare, and livelihood opportunities, so that no child’s future is limited by where they were born.
Our story
A promise that grew into a movement.
In 2008, Melissa Villa learned that her childhood friend Luz, who was deaf and mute and raising two young daughters, was struggling alone. Melissa and her daughter Francesca didn’t hesitate. They simply started helping. It was a small act. It would not stay small.
In 2010, a photograph broke Melissa’s heart open. Photojournalist Sidney Snoeck had captured Ulingan, a “charcoal factory” slum in Tondo, where children breathed toxic smoke and lived in soot-covered skin, and families survived on less than $2 a day. Looking into those children’s eyes, Melissa knew she couldn’t unsee this. So she and her family walked in, and Project PEARLS was born, with her husband, Clif, her brother, Juan, and Sidney standing fully behind her from the very start.
Three years later, hope answered. In 2013, the families of Ulingan were relocated to a clean, safe community in Bulacan. Children who had only ever known smoke and soot finally breathed clear air, then ran, played and laughed.
But Project PEARLS didn’t just rescue a community, it built one, then another, then another. Today it feeds thousands of children weekly, opens classroom doors, funds scholarships that turn survival into ambition, and gives women the tools to stand on their own, now reaching five communities across the Philippines.
One friend. One photograph. One decision to act. That is all it took to light a fire that now lights up thousands of lives.
Project PEARLS: Peace, Education, Aspiration, Respect, Love, Smiles.
MEET THE STAFF AND BOARDOur vision
A world where no child goes hungry.
Not for food, education, shelter, medical care, or opportunities to reach their full potential.
One mission, two organizations
One purpose. One direction.
Project PEARLS is made up of two separate, legally registered nonprofits: Project PEARLS Philippines and Project PEARLS USA. Each one manages its own governance, operations, and compliance under local law, but both work toward the same mission and stay closely aligned in direction. Melissa Villa serves as Co-Founder and CEO of both organizations, which keeps the two entities working in sync and upholding the same standards of integrity.
Project PEARLS Philippines
Its on-the-ground mission is to help the poorest of the poor children build better lives by giving them PEARLS: Peace, Education, Aspiration, Respect, Love and Smiles through education, empowerment, nutrition, nourishment, and healthcare.
Transparency that earns trust
Project PEARLS USA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 27-2624202), which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is held to U.S. federal standards for nonprofit governance and financial accountability.
Project PEARLS Inc. in the Philippines is accredited by the Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC), meaning it has met recognized standards of governance, financial management, and accountability.
Project PEARLS USA
Project PEARLS USA is where global compassion becomes local change. We connect communities and partners across the world to power life-changing programs in the Philippines and the U.S., feeding, educating, and empowering children and families in need.
Through the iSTORYA Storytelling Program, we uplift the voices of Filipinos and the Filipino diaspora across the USA and around the world, using art, culture, and creative expression to build bridges of shared humanity and lasting change.
Philanthropy that empowers. Impact that multiplies.
See the programs