September 1, 2025 - Six not-for-profit groups in the Philippines will receive grants from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) this year. The CFLI is a competitive grants program run by the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines that provides direct financial support for small-scale, high impact projects that promote inclusive and accountable governance in areas such as human rights, gender equality, and climate resilience.
About the grants program, Canada’s Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman said, “CFLI is a recognition of the fundamental importance to democracy of creating and preserving space for civil society, academia, human rights advocates, and local and national government to work together constructively and collaboratively to advance shared goals for the improvement of local communities.”
The projects to receive the grant this year are:
Guiuan Development Foundation, Inc. (GDFI)’s “Building Climate and Coastal Resilience through Inclusive Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Northern Leyte Gulf” aims to strengthen climate and disaster resilience of seven coastal municipalities in Eastern Samar by promoting coastal governance, ecosystem restoration, and climate-adaptive and Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI)-sensitive livelihoods.
Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA)’s “Strengthening protection for women human rights defenders (WHRDs) through the development of a toolkit on technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), and advancing other strategies to promote and protect their rights” seeks to provide a better understanding of TFGBV and increase the capacity of WHRDs as they use and navigate online spaces in their work and advocacy.
UP Marine Science Institute's Marine Environment and Resources Foundation (MERF)'s “Strengthening Marine Scientific Research in Pag-asa Island Through Biodiversity Assessments” expands marine scientific research on Pag-asa Island to assess its biodiversity and coastal resources, contributing to deeper understanding of the status and connectivity of the ecosystem in the West Philippine Sea.
Geneva Call’s “Strengthening the Crisis Action Response Team to prevent and respond to local violence before, during, and after the election periods in BARMM” aims to strengthen the processes of Crisis Response Action Team coordinated by BARMM’s Peace, Security and Reconciliation Office to prevent and respond to violence involving armed group members before, during, and after the election periods in BARMM.
Intersex Philippines (IXPI)’s “I.N.T.E.R.S.E.X: Informing the Nation, Transforming Engagement, and Raising Support for Equality and eXistence” with the goal to advance the rights and visibility of intersex Filipinos by increasing public awareness, strengthening national policy advocacy, and building institutional support for inclusive laws and programs.
Mindanao Institute of Journalism (MIJ)’s “Amplifying frontline voices in climate resilience in Mindanao through multimedia storytelling” champions environmental protection by raising awareness about climate threats and unsustainable practices in vital areas. It intends to revitalize traditional ecological knowledge and showcase community-led climate solutions, inspiring wider adoption and strengthening advocacy for vulnerable ecosystems.
The average CFLI contribution is $30,000, going to as high as $100,000 per eligible project.
About the Author
c started writing for magazines and newspapers when she was still a junior at the University of the Philippines’ Communication degree program majoring in Journalism. She continued to write in a public relations/corporate communications capacity in various private and government offices until moving out of the country in 1997 to work as Programme Officer for the arts and culture branch of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO-SPAFA) in Bangkok, Thailand. At the end of her term, Rachel found herself immigrating to Canada in the year 2000 and again searching for new beginnings.
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