Our Story

The Philippine Health Initiative was founded by Nayla Jimenez at the age of 12. 

Inspired by her mother's adamant efforts to collect unused & secondhand items for the Philippines, Nayla encountered the Filipino-American concept of Balikbayan (“going home” in Filipino) at a young age.

Instead of dropping off her clothes at the nearest Salvation Army, her family kept large Balikbayan boxes in our garage. They shipped these heavy boxes annually to Cebu, Philippines – her parents’ hometown. This process is common among millions of Filipino-American homes across the nation.

The Bailkbayan concept is the foundation of the Philippine Health Initiative. We began our donation efforts in middle school through grassroots efforts and have continued ever since. As our personal interests in medicine, empathy, and equity grew, PHI began to embody Balikbayan – gathering donations, returning home, sharing pasalubong (gifts in Filipino), and strengthening transnational connections.

The Philippine Health Initiative's founder and team continue their work of uniting multiple Balikbayan efforts into one organization to bridge pediatric health inequity in the Philippines today.

From Nayla Jimenez

"I would give myself a pat on the back, consider it my good deed for the day, and grin at my clean, empty closet back home. 

It wasn’t until I actually visited Cebu in 2019 where I recognized the roots of my mother’s fiery dedication to service. Children on the unpaved street wore battered clothes and shoes, the same apparel that I easily rendered useless. I quickly realized my privilege as a student in the United States, equipped with education, yet so unaware of how I took my life for granted. Knowing that my clothes packed an entire Balikbayan box, I wondered how many people I could help if I involved my friends and family in the cause."

PHI Today!

Under the guidance and hard work of our Executive Board, PHI has expanded to include 4 programs dedicated to alleviate pediatric health care inequity and 4 youth teams committed to carry out the PHI mission in their communities. 

Learn more about each branch of our team and programs here on our website!