Ched Rick Gatchalian

Canada Secretary of State for International Develoment Randeep Sarai, during a 5-day PH visit, says Canada “stand shoulder to shoulder with the Philippines as friends and family” after onslaught of back to back typhoons. Canada is providing $1.2M (more than Php50M) in aid. Zen Hernandez, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Canada unveils ₱3.21-B investment, fresh humanitarian aid in 5-day Manila visit

Zen Hernandez

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1763112013830canada.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Canada Secretary of State for International Develoment Randeep Sarai, during a 5-day PH visit, says Canada “stand shoulder to shoulder with the Philippines as friends and family” after onslaught of back to back typhoons. Canada is providing $1.2M (more than Php50M) in aid.<em> Zen Hernandez, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Canada has announced more than CAD$1.2 million (approximately ₱50 million) in fresh humanitarian assistance and over CAD$76.45 million (approximately ₱3.21 billion) in new development investments for the Philippines, as Ottawa deepens its partnership with Manila amid intensifying climate and security challenges.</p><p>The pledges were unveiled by Canada’s Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai in a press briefing in Manila on Friday, alongside Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman, as part of Sarai’s ongoing five-day visit to explore expanded cooperation with the Philippines.</p><p>Sarai opened the briefing by lauding the Philippine government’s large-scale evacuation and disaster response efforts following recent powerful typhoons, which he linked to the growing impacts of climate change.</p><p>He said he was “very impressed” by the country’s ability to move more than one million people out of harm’s way ahead of landfall, calling it a “commendable show of capacity and strength” that has saved countless lives.</p><p>“As home to more than 1 million Filipino-Canadians and people of Filipino descent, these series of disasters are a heartbreaking reminder of how climate change can intensify the extreme weather that we face,” Sarai said, noting that typhoons that used to be less frequent are now “coming quicker, faster, and with more severity.”</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/11/14/australia-offers-ph-3-million-for-tino-uwan-relief-1249">Australia offers PH $3 million for &#x27;Tino&#x27;, &#x27;Uwan&#x27; relief</a></div><p>Against this backdrop, Sarai announced that Canada is contributing over CAD$1.2 million in humanitarian assistance to support communities in the Philippines as they recover and rebuild, with funds to be channeled through trusted humanitarian and development partners on the ground.</p><p>He stressed that for Canada, humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness are closely linked, and that building resilience ahead of future storms is as important as responding after the damage is done.</p><p>Beyond immediate relief, Sarai said Canada is rolling out 12 new initiatives worth over CAD$76.45 million, with the majority of projects to be implemented in the Philippines, and some across ASEAN.</p><p>“Moving forward, we must also continue working together on broader priorities that we share, such as strengthening climate resilience, fostering health and stability, and building economic prosperity,” he said.</p><p>According to Sarai, the new portfolio of projects will focus on: disaster risk reduction and resilience, including support for communities regularly hit by typhoons and flooding; water and food security, with investments aimed at more sustainable and climate-resilient food systems; protection of fragile ecosystems, efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and boost energy security; health and nutrition, including improved access to sexual and reproductive health services, and support for children suffering from malnutrition and stunting; as well as resources for children affected by conflict.</p><p>“These initiatives will build on Canada’s longstanding partnership with the Philippines, which we’ve developed over the course of 75 years of diplomatic relations,” Sarai noted.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>CANADA, PH&#x27;S DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION</strong></div><p>Ambassador Hartman added that a Letter of Understanding recently signed between Canada and the Philippines is meant to fully align Canada’s development cooperation with the Philippines’ own national development plan, emphasizing capacity building and human capital.</p><p>“We’re now aligning fully our development cooperation in a manner that is entirely consistent with the country’s national development plan,” Hartman said, stressing that Canada wants to invest in people, processes, and capacity building across sectors. (2/2) Responding to questions on agriculture cooperation, Sarai pointed to ongoing and emerging partnerships in food systems and rural development.</p><p>He cited Canadian exports of frozen pork and potatoes to the Philippines and said Ottawa is keen to help build local capacity in storage systems, seeds, and processing, particularly for potatoes and other climate-resilient crops. He also mentioned blueberries as a newer export to the Philippine market and pointed to dairy as a major area of opportunity, noting that the Philippines currently produces only about 2% of its own dairy needs.</p><p>“If we can help in that regard, it also helps build capacity for you to have your own dairy sector as well, whether it’s genetics, cow varieties, or systems – we will explore those as well,” Sarai said, adding that Canadians love Philippine mangoes, underscoring the complementary nature of the two countries’ agricultural sectors.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/2/philippines-canada-ink-landmark-visiting-forces-deal-1605">Philippines, Canada ink landmark visiting forces deal</a></div><p>Asked whether Canada can fill the gap left by reduced US development aid globally, Sarai tempered expectations. </p><p>“It’s very hard to fill that void that the US has left,” he said, pointing out that Washington’s global aid footprint is around US$60 billion, with other donors such as the UK, France, and Germany also adjusting their development budgets. </p><p>Rather than directly replacing that volume, Sarai said Canada is focusing on consolidating efforts in countries where it has strong relationships and trade ties, and on mobilizing private capital and partnering with like-minded states and philanthropic foundations.</p><p>“I think it’ll be by efficiencies as well as by partnerships we’ll be able to hopefully fill that gap… It’s building a multilateral group together,” he said.</p><p>Sarai also addressed concerns about corruption in the Philippines and how it might affect aid delivery.</p><p>He said Canada “commends” the Philippine government’s efforts to combat corruption and explained that Canadian development funds are generally not provided directly to the Philippine government, but instead channeled through multilateral and bilateral partners with strong governance systems.</p><p>“We have a very rigorous system of checks and balances,” he said, adding that Global Affairs Canada conducts thorough vetting of organizations. If any allegations of corruption arise, future funds to those entities are immediately suspended while investigations proceed.</p><p>“So far, we have not had complaints,” Sarai said, while emphasizing that Canada remains vigilant.</p><div> </div><div><strong>ENERGY, INFRA TALKS</strong></div><p>Sarai and Hartman both described current discussions on energy and infrastructure as being in their “early stages,” but said the conversations are wide-ranging and framed around the Philippines’ own development priorities.</p><p>Sarai said Canada is exploring ways to share expertise across a “rich and diverse array” of energy technologies, including hydro, wind, solar, nuclear (CANDU reactors and small modular reactors), and grid design and integration. Beyond technology transfer, he underscored training and capacity building for Filipino scientists, engineers, and skilled workers who would maintain these systems.</p><p>On infrastructure, Sarai pointed to food storage, agriculture-related infrastructure, and power grid improvements as likely areas of collaboration.</p><p>Hartman, for his part, said Canada is “playing to its strengths” in energy security, food security, and capacity building, while working closely with key Philippine departments.</p><p>He also noted that the new ASEAN-wide program on education and skills will prioritize the Philippines within its regional envelope, with the Letter of Understanding anchoring Canada’s support to the Philippines’ national plans.</p><p>Sarai and Hartman confirmed that Canada and the Philippines are now pursuing bilateral trade negotiations, separate from but complementary to the ongoing Canada–ASEAN trade talks.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2024/12/5/philippines-canada-to-start-exploratory-talks-on-free-trade-in-january-1807">Philippines, Canada to start exploratory talks on free trade in January</a></div><p>Sarai said Ottawa is “working harder to diversify our trading partners” and to find new markets for agriculture products, energy solutions, and more, with the Indo-Pacific region at the center of that strategy.</p><p>He said the aim is to conclude a Canada–Philippines bilateral trade agreement by the end of next year, in parallel with the broader ASEAN negotiations.</p><p>Hartman described the upcoming Canada–Philippines FTA as a “high ambition” deal that would be “very comprehensive and very complementary,” noting that the two economies do not significantly compete with one another, which improves the chances of a robust agreement.</p><p>Canada already has a wide network of free trade agreements and recently concluded a bilateral deal with Indonesia, alongside its membership in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>SOVA BETWEEN PH, CANADA</strong></div><p>While the press briefing focused on humanitarian and development cooperation, the officials also situationally referenced the recently signed Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) between Canada and the Philippines.</p><p>The agreement, formally signed in Manila on November 2, 2025, provides a legal framework for the presence and activities of each other’s armed forces on their respective territories, paving the way for more frequent joint exercises, training, and participation in multinational operations.</p><p>Hartman called the SOVFA a “tremendous milestone” and noted that it is Canada’s only agreement of its kind in the Indo-Pacific, describing it as both “very robust” and highly symbolic of Ottawa’s long-term commitment to the region.</p><p>He said Canada plans a significant presence in future Balikatan exercises, with Canadian participation expected to be the third largest among foreign contingents, and highlighted the Royal Canadian Navy’s near persistent presence in Indo-Pacific waters and its close cooperation with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.</p><p>Sarai, for his part, said that closer cooperation with “like-minded states” through economic, development, people-to-people, and defense ties, is one of the best ways to strengthen the Philippines’ sovereignty and security, especially amid regional tensions.</p>

<p>Canada announced more than CAD$1.2 million (approximately ₱50 million) in fresh humanitarian assistance and CAD$76.45 million (approximately ₱3.21 billion) in new development investments for the Philippines, as Ottawa deepens its partnership with Manila amid climate and security challenges.</p>

Canada announced more than CAD$1.2 million (approximately ₱50 million) in fresh humanitarian assistance and CAD$76.45 million (approximately ₱3.21 billion) in new development investments for the Philippines, as Ottawa deepens its partnership with Manila amid climate and security challenges.