December 1, 2025 - Canadian Foodgrains Bank is partnering with the Canadian federal government in a seven-year program aimed at reducing disaster risk in the Philippines.
Foodgrains Bank executive director Andy Harrington acknowledged the importance of supporting Philippine communities in the face of climate-related disasters. “Every dollar invested in disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation helps to protect lives in the event of erratic weather and minimizes the long-term costs of these crises.” He added, “By strengthening the resilience of rural communities that are highly vulnerable to disasters, this program will help support faster recovery and improve the livelihoods of local farming communities.”
The Philippines is among the world’s most disaster-vulnerable countries. So far this year, eight typhoons have claimed hundreds of lives, caused mass flooding and displaced millions of Filipinos across the country, the most recent of these was typhoon Uwan (international name Fung Wong) that displaced 1.4 million people and killed at least 10 people in early November.
The $9.1 million program will fund climate-resilient and climate-adaptive projects for 15,000 rural farming households in northern Luzon and eastern Visayas through Foodgrains Bank partner organizations in the Philippines. The projects will be implemented by three local organizations in partnership with Foodgrains Bank members: ADRA Philippines (partner of ADRA Canada), Convoy of Hope (partner of Emergency Relief and Development Overseas) and E-CARE (partner of Alongside Hope).
“This initiative is about partnership - which is at the heart of the Foodgrains Bank mission - and brings together the deep local knowledge of Filipino partners and the technical expertise of Canadian organizations, along with the support of the Canadian government, to create sustainable solutions for generations to come,” said Harrington. “Together, we’re tackling the disaster risks that threaten food security and agri-food systems.”
Global Affairs Canada is providing the funding as part of its Disaster Risk Reduction initiative under the Indo-Pacific Strategy, with a five percent match from Foodgrains Bank. Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of 15 churches and agencies working with local partners in developing nations.
About the Author
Rachel-Reid Ramon started writing for magazines and newspapers when she was still a junior at the University of the Philippines’ Communication degree program majoring in Journalism. She continued to write in a public relations/corporate communications capacity in various private and government offices until moving out of the country in 1997 to work as Programme Officer for the arts and culture branch of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO-SPAFA) in Bangkok, Thailand. At the end of her term, Rachel found herself immigrating to Canada in the year 2000 and again searching for new beginnings.
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