In the aftermath of the devastating typhoon that ripped through the Philippines last week, the Government of Canada has created the Philippines Crisis Fund to assist in relief and recovery efforts. Already, the government has pledged $5 million in support to humanitarian organizations working in the country. It has also pledged to match donations made by individual Canadians to registered Canadian charities.
“Our government is making sure that contributions can do more to ease the suffering of the people in need,” said Minister of International Development Christian Paradis.
Philipinos make up one of Canada’s largest cultural communities. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, almost half a million Canadians identified as immigrants or as having Philipino ancestry. In recent years, the Philippines has regularly been in the top three countries of origin for Canadian immigrants.