Canada has announced a major investment of over 76.4 million Canadian dollars—approximately 3.2 billion pesos—in 12 new development initiatives across the Philippines, according to Canadian Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai, who described this as one of Canada's largest commitments since launching its Indo-Pacific Strategy.
The comprehensive package targets critical areas including disaster risk reduction, climate resilience, water and food security, greenhouse gas emission reductions, and energy security, with special emphasis on supporting women-led small and medium enterprises, Indigenous communities, and climate-vulnerable populations in regions like Northern Luzon and Eastern Visayas.
Notable projects include a 9.1 million dollar investment to strengthen food systems for 15,000 smallholder farmers through the Disaster Resilient and Climate Adaptive Food Systems initiative, an 11.15 million dollar program empowering women in marine conservation across the Coral Triangle, and 11 million dollars dedicated to reducing emissions from electricity generation and transportation in partnership with the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
The funding will also expand access to sexual and reproductive health services for approximately 100,000 people, address childhood stunting affecting 140,000 individuals including pregnant women and children under five, and provide peace education to 44,000 conflict-affected children through innovative programs developed with partners like Nutrition International and Big Bad Boo Studios.
Canada currently ranks as the Philippines' sixth-largest donor, having provided 45.82 million Canadian dollars in international assistance from 2023 to 2024, with previous investments helping 65,994 Filipino women access family planning services and supporting smallholder cacao farmers achieve a 50 percent increase in income and yields.
