By Miranda Hubbs, Board Chair Member, Canadian Red Cross
In January, I had the opportunity to travel to the Philippines with Kelsey Lemon, Vice President, International Cooperation at the Canadian Red Cross. The purpose of our visit was to reinforce shared commitments with the Philippine Red Cross, identify future opportunities, and gain a better understanding of the programs and strategic directions of the Philippine Red Cross.
(Photo credit: Miranda Hubbs, Canadian Red Cross)
The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. The 2024 typhoon season (September to November) was particularly devastating, with eight cyclones making landfall in just over a month, impacting 15 million people. While we were visiting, two earthquakes of over 5.0 magnitude were recorded in the country.
The Philippine Red Cross is the leading humanitarian organization in the country with 103 Chapters, which represent regions of the Philippines where Red Cross teams are available to respond. The Philippine Red Cross currently contains approximately 1,000 staff and 300,000 dedicated volunteers.
During a disaster, this volunteer network reports through the Chapters to the National Headquarters and enables the Philippine Red Cross to respond to disasters and support those in need quickly and effectively. We were able to see a real-time demonstration in the headquarters control room of the earthquakes and any other issues taking place around the country, as volunteers sent photos and videos of the local conditions.
There are several Red Cross Red Crescent Movement partners working to support people impacted by emergencies in the Philippines. During our trip we met with several partners including the President and Secretary-General of Philippine Red Cross, members of the American Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, all on the ground in the Philippines.
This showcases the strength of the Movement. Having partners present in country provides the opportunity for collaboration during times of emergency, making use of the Movement’s expertise, resources and multilateral networks. It allows Philippines Red Cross teams to access regional and global surge systems and tools when they need, including field hospitals, rosters of humanitarian experts, pre-positioned stocks, funding, and logistical assets. We also met with the Canadian Ambassador, David Hartman, to reinforce the work of the partnership and the strength of the Movement in the country.
The Canadian Red Cross has been working in the Philippines for over 30 years and has a longstanding partnership with the Philippine Red Cross, starting in the 1990s with community-based disaster response. Many will remember the $48 million appeal for Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, which supported sending a field hospital.
We visited the equipment from that field hospital, which is still used today to respond to emergencies. It has been deployed twice in the previous two weeks and is available to be deployed whenever necessary. During the first 10 days of the hospital’s initial set up in 2013, 100 babies were born, and it has seen very good use over the past more than a decade.
(Photo credit: Philippine Red Cross)
During our visit, a team of surgeons and medical professionals were conducting inspections of the surgical tent to ensure that they would have the right equipment and tools necessary and were ready to be deployed.
(Photo credit: Miranda Hubbs, Canadian Red Cross)
During disasters, damage to water and sanitation systems can have devastating impacts on communities as they try to recover. Our joint initiative has supported establishing eight WASH Hubs to provide more timely assistance in disasters, rehabilitating communal WASH facilities, and an increase in general WASH knowledge in the six targeted communities of 50,000 people. We visited three of these new projects—a latrine, a handwashing station, and a water treatment station.
To learn more about the work of the Canadian Red Cross in the Philippines and our partnership with the Philippine Red Cross, visit our Philippines page.
The Canadian Red Cross relies on funding to the International Programs Fund to respond to urgent needs around the world. Make a donation to the International Programs Fund today to support communities like those in the Philippines.
In January, I had the opportunity to travel to the Philippines with Kelsey Lemon, Vice President, International Cooperation at the Canadian Red Cross. The purpose of our visit was to reinforce shared commitments with the Philippine Red Cross, identify future opportunities, and gain a better understanding of the programs and strategic directions of the Philippine Red Cross.
(Photo credit: Miranda Hubbs, Canadian Red Cross)
The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. The 2024 typhoon season (September to November) was particularly devastating, with eight cyclones making landfall in just over a month, impacting 15 million people. While we were visiting, two earthquakes of over 5.0 magnitude were recorded in the country.
The Leading Humanitarian Organization in the Philippines
The Philippine Red Cross is the leading humanitarian organization in the country with 103 Chapters, which represent regions of the Philippines where Red Cross teams are available to respond. The Philippine Red Cross currently contains approximately 1,000 staff and 300,000 dedicated volunteers. During a disaster, this volunteer network reports through the Chapters to the National Headquarters and enables the Philippine Red Cross to respond to disasters and support those in need quickly and effectively. We were able to see a real-time demonstration in the headquarters control room of the earthquakes and any other issues taking place around the country, as volunteers sent photos and videos of the local conditions.
The Red Cross Movement’s Ability to Work in a Localized Manner
There are several Red Cross Red Crescent Movement partners working to support people impacted by emergencies in the Philippines. During our trip we met with several partners including the President and Secretary-General of Philippine Red Cross, members of the American Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, all on the ground in the Philippines. This showcases the strength of the Movement. Having partners present in country provides the opportunity for collaboration during times of emergency, making use of the Movement’s expertise, resources and multilateral networks. It allows Philippines Red Cross teams to access regional and global surge systems and tools when they need, including field hospitals, rosters of humanitarian experts, pre-positioned stocks, funding, and logistical assets. We also met with the Canadian Ambassador, David Hartman, to reinforce the work of the partnership and the strength of the Movement in the country.
A Longstanding and Valuable Partnership
The Canadian Red Cross has been working in the Philippines for over 30 years and has a longstanding partnership with the Philippine Red Cross, starting in the 1990s with community-based disaster response. Many will remember the $48 million appeal for Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, which supported sending a field hospital. We visited the equipment from that field hospital, which is still used today to respond to emergencies. It has been deployed twice in the previous two weeks and is available to be deployed whenever necessary. During the first 10 days of the hospital’s initial set up in 2013, 100 babies were born, and it has seen very good use over the past more than a decade.
(Photo credit: Philippine Red Cross)
During our visit, a team of surgeons and medical professionals were conducting inspections of the surgical tent to ensure that they would have the right equipment and tools necessary and were ready to be deployed.
Important Contributions to Humanitarian Efforts in the Philippines
The Canadian Red Cross believes that investing in local humanitarian actors is vital to reducing risk, building resilience, and strengthening response and recovery initiatives. To this end, the Canadian Red Cross has been investing in the Philippine Red Cross’s ability to reduce disaster risks, specifically in regards to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH).(Photo credit: Miranda Hubbs, Canadian Red Cross)
During disasters, damage to water and sanitation systems can have devastating impacts on communities as they try to recover. Our joint initiative has supported establishing eight WASH Hubs to provide more timely assistance in disasters, rehabilitating communal WASH facilities, and an increase in general WASH knowledge in the six targeted communities of 50,000 people. We visited three of these new projects—a latrine, a handwashing station, and a water treatment station.
New Humanitarian Initiatives Being Launched in the Philippines
There are a number of pilot projects in the early stages, including:- Improving the Philippine Red Cross’s preparedness and readiness using simulations and increasing training.
- Enhancing digitalization of PRC volunteer services to better recruit, retain, and engage their approximately 300,000 volunteer base.
- A sexual- and gender-based violence project to improve prevention, safety, awareness and coping mechanisms for the community.
- Greening disaster risk reduction using nature-based solutions to increase resilience to climate change.
To learn more about the work of the Canadian Red Cross in the Philippines and our partnership with the Philippine Red Cross, visit our Philippines page.
The Canadian Red Cross relies on funding to the International Programs Fund to respond to urgent needs around the world. Make a donation to the International Programs Fund today to support communities like those in the Philippines.
