Backgrounder: New investments in the Philippines and ASEAN Region

Canada is investing over $76.45 million in 12 new projects in the Philippines and the region that will strengthen climate resilience, improve health outcomes, and foster inclusive economic growth. Canada is working to expand trade and investment ties, recognizing the Indo-Pacific region—and the Philippines in particular—as central to its efforts to build mutual prosperity and economic resilience.

Project name: Climate Resilient Agri-Food Trade Promotion Support (CRAFTS)
Funding: $5 million (2025-2031)
Partner: Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) Canada
Geographic region: Philippines

This project supports the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the processed food sector, with a focus on those led by women and underrepresented groups. It strengthens trade support services delivered by local institutions and enhances access to climate-resilient technologies provided by agri-tech providers. Support to trade support institutions and other enablers for trade will help SMEs improve productivity and sustainability while expanding their access to international markets. By targeting barriers faced by women-led businesses, the project promotes more equitable participation in regional and global trade.

Project name: Economic Linkages for Enhance Value, Trade and Exports (ELEVaTE)
Funding: $5 million (2025-2031)
Partner: Catalyste+
Geographic region: Philippines

This project helps 400 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) grow their businesses internationally, with a focus on those led by women. In partnership with national trade ministries, it provides targeted capacity building to SMEs to boost export readiness and competitiveness. The initiative strengthens economic ties between SMEs in Canada and Southeast Asia, promoting inclusive trade and investment.

Project name: Disaster Resilient and Climate Adaptive Food Systems (DRCAFS)
Funding: $9.1 million (2025-2032)
Partner: Canadian Foodgrains Bank
Geographic region: Philippines

This project strengthens disaster risk management and resilient food systems for 15,000 smallholder farmers in communities vulnerable to climate and disaster impacts in Northern Luzon and Eastern Visayas, Philippines. It promotes disaster-resilient approaches in the agri-value chain, including climate-smart innovations, post-harvest systems, and sustainable market access. With a focus on women and Indigenous People, the initiative supports livelihoods for smallholder farmers by strengthening community organizations, savings groups, and cooperatives. It also fosters stronger collaboration and enhances the capacity of communities and local authorities in disaster preparedness and management, ensuring they are better equipped to withstand climate and disaster impacts.

Project name: Building Capacities for Eco-Resilience in the Philippines
Funding: $3.1 million (2025-2032)
Partner: Center for Conservation Innovation PH
Geographic region: Philippines

This project strengthens ecosystem and community resilience in disaster-prone areas of the Philippines, with a focus on Indigenous Peoples and women and girls who rely on ecosystem services. It promotes ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) by supporting nature-based solutions for disaster planning, response, and recovery. Activities include training and technology for ecosystem rehabilitation, establishing Eco-DRR command centres and incubator sites, and launching a leadership fellows’ program for women. The initiative aims to restore at least 125,000 hectares of ecosystems and train 3,500 people, benefiting over 3.5 million Filipinos in high-biodiversity, climate-vulnerable provinces. It also strengthens inclusive leadership and rights-based approaches to disaster resilience and ecosystem restoration.

Project name: Addressing Stunting in the Philippines
Funding: $7.1 million (2025-2029)
Partner: Nutrition International
Geographic region: Philippines

This project supports the Government of the Philippines in reducing childhood stunting by strengthening local health systems and nutrition services. It focuses on the first 1,000 days of life, helping local governments plan and deliver multisectoral, gender-responsive nutrition programs aligned with national priorities. Activities include training health providers, promoting shared caregiving responsibilities, integrating nutrition into social protection programs, and improving data tracking across sectors. The initiative reaches approximately 140,000 people, particularly pregnant women and children under five in four provinces.

Project name: Isla Maganda “Beautiful Island”: Peace Education for Conflict-Affected Children
Funding: $3.1 million (2025-2029)
Partner: Big Bad Boo Studios
Geographic region: Philippines

This project delivers peace education to young children in conflict-affected regions of the Philippines through Isla Maganda, an animated educational program. It promotes values such as empathy, non-violence, gender equality, and critical thinking among kindergarten to Grade 3 students during their formative years. The initiative includes producing 20 new episodes, training educators, and distributing learning materials to schools across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and Lanao del Norte. The project reaches 44,000 children and 5,500 educators, aiming to strengthen social cohesion and gender-sensitive peace education delivery.

Project name: Sustainable and Transformative Action to Realize SRHR (STARS)
Funding: $7.1 million (2025-2031)
Partner: Inter Pares
Geographic region: Philippines

This project improves access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services for women, girls, and LGBTQI+ individuals in disaster-prone and urban-poor communities in the Philippines. It strengthens community-based clinics, trains health volunteers and educators, and supports advocacy for inclusive SRH policies and education. The initiative promotes healthy behaviours and empowers individuals to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health and rights. It also enhances the effectiveness of women’s rights and community organizations in shaping SRH policy and service delivery. Approximately 100,000 people benefit from improved access to services such as family planning, STI/HIV treatment, post-abortion counselling and maternal care.

Project name: Building Resilience through Inclusive Development and Gender Equality (BRIDGE)
Funding: $3.7 million (2025-2029)
Partner: Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation
Geographic region: Philippines

This project addresses disaster and climate induced water stress in the Philippines through integrated water resource management. In partnership with the private sector, it supports disaster risk management risk-informed planning, technology installation, and training for communities, including women and Indigenous Peoples, in Antipolo, Baguio, and San Jose Del Monte. The initiative develops a public-private roadmap and fosters peer networks to strengthen local coordination and advocacy. It benefits 4,000 households, 600 government officials, 300 civil society members, and 50 private sector representatives. The project promotes gender-responsive disaster and climate-resilient water management and strengthens local policies and practices.

Project name: Agsama Kape (Together for Coffee)
Funding: $9.1 million (2025-2030)
Partner: SOCODEVI
Geographic region: Philippines

This project aims to enhance the climate change adaptation for coffee farmers in the Philippines, with a focus on Indigenous women working in the coffee value chain. Through the Agsama Kape initiative, it promotes farming practices that support biodiversity and strengthen cooperative performance in support of climate resilience and increase indigenous women’s participation in decision-making. Activities include training farmers, building cooperative capacity to meet the needs of Indigenous women, and addressing barriers to their participation in climate and biodiversity decision-making. The project aims to directly benefit 4,000 coffee farmers and indirectly reach 150,000 members of coffee cooperatives and local communities.

Project name: Empowering Stewardship in the Coral Triangle
Funding: $11.15 million (2025-2029)
Partner: The Nature Conservancy
Geographic region: Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Malaysia

This project aims to empower women to lead and implement initiatives focused on natural resource management and climate actions. It seeks to build resilience and restore, conserve, and sustainably manage key biodiversity and protected areas in the Coral Triangle, a region that is believed to be the epicentre of the planet's marine biodiversity. The project aims to benefit more than 11,000 vulnerable women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples, and supports improved management of 65,000 hectares of terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Women-led conservation measures are developed and applied in at least 22,300 hectares of Protected Areas in the Coral Triangle.

Project name: Energy is the Key to a Climate Stable Future (EnerKey)
Funding: $11 million (2025-2030)
Partner: International Institute for Sustainable Development
Geographic region: Philippines, Indonesia

This project supports the Philippines and Indonesia in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation and transportation, in line with their climate commitments. It promotes transport electrification while ensuring power systems remain financially and environmentally sustainable. The initiative aims to strengthen local capacity to design inclusive strategies, regulations and investment plans in the power and transport sectors. It also aims to improve climate policy implementation and build broad support for reforms in these sectors. Project activities include technical assistance on policy gap analysis, gender and social inclusion assessments, and training for national and sub-national stakeholders to support a just transition in both power and transport sectors.

Project name: Toward Sustainable Energy Security in ASEAN
Funding: $2 million (2025-2028)
Partner: Asian Development Bank
Geographic region: Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

Canada's contribution to the Regional Connectivity Fund - Trust Fund aims to support project preparation for the development of sustainable regional energy infrastructure in ASEAN member states, including the Philippines. It focuses on enhancing regional energy connectivity and growth in Southeast Asia by contributing to the objectives of the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) for ASEAN’s transition to a low-carbon, integrated, and resilient regional economy. Through the development and implementation of both public- and private sector-led projects, the initiative seeks to strengthen energy security and resilience, while fostering regional inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Project activities include providing project preparation support, facilitating project readiness and investment planning, and strengthening capacity building and knowledge exchange.