WEEK THREE: MA Founders Volunteer with All Hands and Hearts
Thu 25 Jun 2026
Annie Gault, MA, Marketing Coordinator
Mark & Lynda Bridge, founders of Mark Antony Estates, are spending 6 weeks volunteering on the remote Philippine island of Catanduanes, helping to build a school for children in need. The island is frequently hit by typhoons, leaving communities reliant on disaster relief charities - like All Hands And Hearts - to rebuild their infrastructure. Working six days a week, their efforts highlight a meaningful commitment to supporting vulnerable communities despite challenging conditions.
CLICK HERE to read more about what inspired Mark & Lyn to dedicate themselves to this cause.
Week Three - Journal
If week two was about surviving the initial shock of the tropical climate and hard work of the building site... week three has been a masterclass in hitting personal limits and pushing right past them!The novelty of communal living has officially worn off, and been replaced by the gritty reality of zero privacy and bucket flush toilets. Mark and Lyn have hit a wall with the local high-carb low-protein food, where every meal is accompanied with rice or noodles and sweetened by sugar or MSG. "We are deeply missing the comforts of home; a decent mattress and a meal that doesn't revolve around carbs."
Yet, as the physical exhaustion peaked, the work shifted gear. They have moved away from learning the ropes to taking on major leadership roles within the project, solving massive structural issues on the spot, and integrating themselves directly into the village culture.
Before we get into discussing the daily grind... the biggest news of the week happened right inside the cramped communal living quarters!
A litter of newborn kittens was discovered hidden right underneath their bunk bed! A local camp cat decided the crowded 2m x 3m room was the safest and driest spot on base to give birth. "Having these tiny fluffballs nesting right under our bed has brought a massive smile to the whole cabin and given us a much-needed morale boost amidst the chaos."
Thursday: Stepping up to leadership.
Mark was assigned a team of four to lead on the canteen construction project. Taking on management responsibility on top of the existing physical labour, wasn't exactly in the original plan, but the team was very eager. Their group pushed ahead and finished the main joinery and the first coat of varnish. Lyn worked incredibly hard, taking on intense manual back-filling and earth compaction in the blazing sun.
Friday: Running safety briefings and riverbank karaoke.
"A chaotic but highly productive day!" One teammate, Tu, fell ill from the heat, so Mark stepped in to run a 90 minute power tools safety orientation for the new international arrivals. Once Tu recovered, she was kept off the ladders and instead Mark taught her how to use a chop-saw to build cutting lists. By the end of the day, the exterior bamboo Amakan framing on the canteen was fully completed.
The highlight of the day: after dark, the volunteers headed up to the river where the local masons they work with had set up benches, a makeshift table, and a massive battery powered LED light show! There ensued a beautiful evening belting out Queen and ABBA under the moonlight with the locals, that Mark describes as a "beautiful, multi-generational family culture with absolutely no phones in sight".
Saturday: 'Just OK' engineering.
Mark spent the morning hanging the first construction door and window in 15 years! All the way out in Catanduanes, speed and structural integrity matter far more than just cosmetics. Working with warped wood, irregular handmade bamboo panels, and zero screws means hitting the camp standard of 'just ok' engineering is an achievement in itself! At the end of the work day, Mark & Lyn checked out of camp for their mandatory weekend rest gap at a basic 2-star coastal hotel to clear their heads.
Sunday: Deep island insights.
They woke up at 8:30 AM to a neighboring beach hut blasting karaoke (a song called "Ding Dong", no less), but the day was saved by the hotel owner, Emmalyn. She shared incredible insights with them about the island’s resilience; how the community church acts as an interest-free bank to help families recover from typhoons, and how the recurring destruction actually knits the community closer together. Best of all? Breakfast was fried Spam, eggs, and actual toast—no rice or noodles in sight!
Monday: Fighting the deluge.
The tropical rain arrived right on cue, dumping inches of water across the site and turning the pathways into a hazardous mess. Because the canteen finally has a roof, Mark's new helper Lil, and him were able to keep working in the dry. She picked up their system instantly and hung their first window together, completely ignoring the massive, muddy moat developing right outside the workspace.
Tuesday: Shovels, army troops, and delivery pizza!
Lyn spent a grueling day sifting a massive lorry load of sand alongside members of the Filipino Army. Meanwhile, Lil and Mark's team officially finished hanging all the remaining windows and doors on the canteen. To celebrate the milestone, the staff broke into the site budget and ordered pizza delivered all the way from Virac (a 90-minute drive away!), which was a massive morale booster for the whole camp.
Wednesday: Partition framing and neat gin street parties
Lyn was back on the tedious but essential task of hand-painting hundreds of nuts and washers to prevent rust. Mark's team moved inside the canteen with Lil to begin the internal stud wall framing, successfully completing the first four partition walls.
Highlight of the day: ending the night learning to make authentic pasta from scratch with Enricho, an Italian volunteer. Afterward, they were invited to a local family's front-porch birthday party. The locals kept pouring neat gin and pulling them into the street to dance, and sending everyone home with goodie bags. No screens, no stress, just pure joy and street games.
"I hope you’re both doing okay and remembering that what you’re doing is such an incredible achievement. You’re making such a huge difference and helping so many people! Keep going, it will all be so worth it in the end.
Keep smashing it!"
- Georgia Ganly, Sales Negotiator
How can YOU help?
If you can spare anything at all, please donate by clicking the banner below.You can rest assured that every single penny donated through Mark & Lyn's official fundraiser page goes directly to the project. Even just a couple of pounds buys essential building materials like bags of plaster or nails that simply aren't available otherwise.
It's support from back home that keeps volunteers going through the heat and hard work!
