Canada grants P700 M for Yolanda-hit communities

MANILA, Philippines – Canada has announced the allocation of Cad$20.6 million, approximately P700 million, to support long-term economic recovery initiatives for communities hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) in November 2013. 

Canadian Ambassador Neil Reeder said Wednesday that this amount is the second tranche of funds pledged by the Canadian government through its Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund. 

“Canada took immediate action at the onset of the crisis to assist the Philippines. Two days after Yolanda’s landfall, our government established the Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund, a mechanism through which every eligible dollar donated by individual Canadians and Canadian businesses to registered Canadian charities responding to the impact of the typhoon, would be matched by the government of Canada,” Reeder said.

According to Reeder, individual Canadians contributed a total of Cad$90.6 million, or P3.2 billion, in donations that were matched by the government.

From the government’s commitment of Cad$90.6 million, Cad$70 million had been released to several UN agencies and other international and Canadian humanitarian organizations that were operating relief and early recovery projects in Yolanda-affected areas.

The remaining Cad$20.6 million has been reserved to support the longer-term economic recovery of affected areas, under the Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Plan (2014-2016) of the Philippine government.

During President Aquino’s visit to Canada last year, the Canadian government announced the recipients and projects that will benefit from the second tranche.