HISTORICAL BACKGROUND In 1985, our former president, MR. ANDRY K. LIM with some of his friends, visited the Matigsalug tribes in the mountain districts of Davao, Southern Mindanao in the Philippines. In this visit he saw the vast needs of the tribes and it gave him a sense of mission - a call from God that revolutionized his life. In April 1987, Tribal Mission Philippines, Incorporated (TMPI) was registered with SEC as a Non-Stock, Non-Profit, Religious, Charitable & Educational Christian Organization. Recently, the mission evolved to Tribal Mission Foundation International (TMFI). Andry Lim The initial involvement of the mission through TMPI was relief work providing food, clothes, and other basic needs, as well as conducting free medical and dental clinics and spiritual seminars. These efforts were done almost every month. But more needs were arising faster than the mission could provide. Aside from the short of funds, the mission realized that it needed to teach the people how to catch fish - not just to give them fish. In 1990 a Tribal Training Center was built in Davao City. The mission adopted training programs like: Food Always In The Home (FAITH), Gardening and Sloping Land Agricultural Technology (SALT) from Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center in Bansalan, Davao del Sur. Through the help of DOH, IPHC, and the Red Cross, the staff were also trained to teach on Primary Health Care. TMFI's philosophy is to train the tribes to reach out their own people - properly trained and given the tools, they are most effective to reach out their own people. A new Tribal Training Center was opened in July, 1997 in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. Initial projects were: a Health Program, Tribal Workers and Mountain Movers Training, and Demonstration Farming. As the organization grew in scope, its vision widened so that it became actively engaged in community development projects like Functional Literacy, Feeding programs, Tree Planting, Lectures on Health, Environmental Awareness, and other community services. RATIONALE A great wave of environmentalism is happening worldwide. At no other time has individuals, governments, private institutions, companies, and schools been as concerned about saving the environment. The reason is obvious - the earth, which we live in, is less and less able to support life. Worldwide, is a worsening problem of, among others: desertification, lake, river and ocean pollution, the dwindling of agricultural lands, and floods and droughts. Poverty and illiteracy are two sides of a coin that hasten environmental deterioration. Furthermore, these two factors lead to conflicts and fighting among peoples and greater poverty. POVERTY People who are hungry have no interest in what happens to the environment so long as they can first satisfy their hunger. The situation is common, particularly with mountain tribes who rely their surroundings for food and other basic needs. ILLITERACY The lack of knowledge and understanding of the consequences arising from misdeeds leads to a poor attitude towards the environment. People's indiscriminate cutting of trees and improper disposal of garbage for example, result in flash floods and droughts. In remote areas, the absence of toilet facilities coupled with ignorance in health care results to a host of human diseases.  Information, mobilization, and empowerment to indigenous tribes are the keys in abolishing poverty and the rapid deterioration of our environment.