Philippines
In the Philippines, we focus on supporting civil society and farmers and reducing the harm caused by natural disasters.
Primarily we support 34 civil society organisations to enhance their role in public decision-making processes through technical assistance, collaboration with local government units, and financial assistance. We target small and emerging local Civil Society Organizations and networks, enabling them to engage in and monitor public decision-making processes effectively. We strongly advocate for citizens' awareness and exercise of their rights.
In the agricultural sector, we support coffee and seaweed farmers, cooperatives, traders, and decision-makers in the three remote islands of the Philippines to contribute to the peaceful, cohesive, secure, and inclusive development of agri- and aqua-culture value chains.
Through our work on Early Warning Systems, we are working on a system that will provide timely and accurate flood information to responsible authorities in affected areas. Similarly, we are mapping and analysing landslides and providing technical expertise to responsible agencies to enable effective emergency response.
In line with disaster response efforts enable efficient dissemination of warnings to vulnerable people and communities. We are also involved in promoting localised humanitarian leadership and emergency response efforts, aiming to equip local frontline workers for effective response and advocacy.
Our help in the Philippines since 2013
We have been working in the Philippines since 2013 when Typhoon Haiyan (also known as Yolanda) devastated Eastern Samar. Since then, we have focused on the long-term recovery of the Philippines. For example, we introduced cocoa farming and connected poor farmers with customers and suppliers without the intervention of third parties and intermediaries.
In 2017, hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes as a result of the Battle of Marawi. We helped young people affected by the conflict, distributing school uniforms and providing legal counselling and psychosocial support. We also provided sub-grants to local civil society organisations and organised initiatives to empower young people towards promoting greater tolerance and respect for other religions and cultures.
We also helped in some of the poorest and most climate-challenged areas of the country, such as Northern Samar, to ensure access to renewable energy sources capable of providing electricity to households and livelihoods. This is to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities and their ability to cope with the effects of future disasters.
As an island nation located in the tropics, the Philippines is vulnerable to climate change. The 2013 typhoon remains one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded—people are still recovering from its effects today. In addition, Filipinos suffer from political and social conflict and poverty, which affects up to a fifth of the population, thus increasing their need for support.
