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Philippines

Humanitarian needs in the Philippines, Red Cross Support, Ways to Support communities

 

Humanitarian needs in the Philippines


Photo: Alanah Torraldo / IFRC

The Philippines is among the top countries in the world today facing significant vulnerability to natural disasters because of its geographical location.

Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, the region is prone to volcanic eruptions due to frequent seismic activity, and is often exposed to typhoons, earthquakes, floods, landslides, and tsunamis that cause widespread damage. With a growing population and more than half of its territory exposed to multiple hazards, the country’s resources, infrastructure, and most importantly its people, are at constant risk.

When disasters strike these communities, homes are destroyed, livelihoods are lost, and families are devastated and displaced. People then face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives from scratch, often with limited resources and support. Access to clean water, food, and medical care becomes difficult, increasing the risk of illness and malnutrition, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly.

Having to endure repeated disasters takes a heavy toll on people’s mental health, leaving individuals to cope with the psychosocial impact of climate change. This cycle of devastation and recovery becomes a harsh reality for many Filipinos, emphasizing the urgent need for inclusive and robust disaster preparedness and response efforts.

Red Cross humanitarian initiatives play a critical role in effectively responding to challenges faced by people across the region. Through support in the form of shelter, food, aid, clean water, medical assistance, and psychosocial support to cope with the impact of disasters, we help the Philippine Red Cross address immediate and long-term needs at the individual and societal level. 


2025 Earthquake

In 2025, Philippines was hit by a devastating earthquake and aftershocks, as well as multiple climate-related emergencies in quick succession, causing widespread humanitarian needs. The Philippines Red Cross is on the ground working around the clock to deliver life-saving assistance, with Red Cross Red Crescent Movement partners responding. 

Those wishing to support response efforts in the Philippines can make a donation to the Canadian Red Cross Philippines Appeal. 


Humanitarian partnership in action: Philippine Red Cross and Canadian Red Cross support in the Philippines

A team of medical delegates wearing Red Cross vests treating a patient on a bed Photo: Diana Coulter / Canadian Red Cross

The Canadian Red Cross has a long history of partnering with the Philippine Red Cross National Society on initiatives that enhance disaster preparedness, response, and recovery within local communities.

The Philippine Red Cross is the country’s largest humanitarian organization, with a nationwide network of staff and volunteers delivering health care, disaster response and community-based services. This local reach allows humanitarian assistance to be delivered quickly and effectively, including in hard-to-reach areas.

Current Canadian Red Cross support focuses on: 

  • Strengthening community-based disaster preparedness and emergency response capacity;
  • Improving access to primary health care and emergency medical services;
  • Strengthening protection services and improving access to multi-sectoral services for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence;
  • Building volunteer capacity and operational readiness;
  • Enhancing digitalization of volunteer services to support volunteer capacity and operational readiness;
  • Building climate and disaster resilience in vulnerable communities by promoting inclusive, community-driven approaches.

Together with the Philippine Red Cross and with support from the Government of Canada, the Canadian Red Cross also contributes technical expertise to help ensure local responders are prepared to respond safely and effectively when disasters occur.

In response to the 2025 earthquake in the Philippines, the Canadian Red Cross provided additional funding and technical support to strengthen local response capacity, including the mobilization of relief supplies and deployment of a shelter delegate.


Past Canadian Red Cross support in the Philippines

The Canadian Red Cross has a long-standing partnership with the Philippine Red Cross, supporting humanitarian response, recovery and capacity-building efforts across the country for several decades.

A major expansion of Canadian Red Cross support followed Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, one of the strongest typhoons ever recorded. With funding from the Government of Canada, the Canadian Red Cross deployed a mobile field hospital and a multidisciplinary team of humanitarian specialists to provide emergency medical care to affected communities in the Visayas. This included trauma care, maternal and child health services, and support for people with chronic health conditions during the acute emergency phase.

As the response shifted from emergency relief to recovery, the Canadian Red Cross donated the mobile field hospital and medical equipment to the Philippine Red Cross. Canadian Red Cross teams also trained Philippine Red Cross staff and volunteers in emergency health care, logistics and field hospital operations. This investment significantly strengthened local capacity and enabled the Philippine Red Cross to deliver emergency health services to communities of up to 30,000 people during future disasters.

Beyond Typhoon Haiyan, the Canadian Red Cross has supported a range of recovery and resilience initiatives in disaster-affected areas of the Philippines. These efforts have included:

  • Supporting water, sanitation and hygiene readiness in disaster prone areas;
  • Reconstructing community infrastructure;
  • Improving water, sanitation and hygiene facilities;
  • Supporting livelihood recovery and skills training;
  • Providing psychosocial support and mental health services; and
  • Implementing community-based violence prevention initiatives.

The Canadian Red Cross has also worked with Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners to strengthen Philippine Red Cross disaster preparedness and response systems. This has included support for contingency planning, volunteer training and emergency response coordination, helping ensure local responders are better prepared to respond to typhoons, floods, earthquakes and other emergencies.

Through these long-term partnerships and investments, the Canadian Red Cross has contributed to strengthening the Philippine Red Cross’s ability to respond to disasters at scale, not only within the Philippines but across the region. Philippine Red Cross staff and volunteers trained through these programs have gone on to support emergency responses in other countries, including Nepal and Bangladesh.

The best way to support Canadian Red Cross programming in countries like the Philippines is to make a donation to the International Programs Fund.

Donate to the International Programs Fund

Your gift helps us establish health care and water and sanitation programs and contributes to making families and communities more resilient against future disasters, climate crisis or conflict situations. Donations allows us to help prevent, prepare for, and alleviate the suffering of those impacted by disasters and crises by responding to humanitarian needs, promoting community agencies to address humanitarian crises, strengthening local capacity, and investing in preparedness. Your support will contribute to building more resilient communities in areas around the world.

Read more about how International Program Fund donations have helped Canadian Red Cross deliver programming around the world.