October 1, 2026 — Seven not-for-profit groups in the Philippines received grants from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) this year for projects that promote democracy, inclusive governance and the environment.
The CFLI is an annual competitive small-grants program that awards funding to local organizations whose initiatives align with Canada’s priorities of inclusive governance, peace and security, gender equality, human dignity and environmental/climate action.
Angat Buhay relies on a vast network of volunteers to deliver poverty-alleviation programs.
On the role of local partnerships in fostering democratic progress, Canada’s ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman said, “CFLI recognizes the fundamental importance to democracy of creating and preserving space for civil society, academia, human rights advocates, and their partners to work together constructively and collaboratively to advance shared goals for the improvement of local communities.”
This year’s CFLI recipients are:
Clean Water Int'l PH (CWIP) for the Emergency Safe Drinking Water Provision – Mindanao Earthquake Response 2026 targeting Davao Oriental and Sarangani Province. CWIP is an organization that promotes health and well-being through water, sanitation and hygiene solutions.
National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) for Bantay ng Bayan Foundation’s Youth Workshop on Citizen Participation in Local Governance in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to provide practical training to equip and empower young citizens to actively monitor and engage in local governance. NAMFREL is a non-partisan, citizen-led monitoring organization founded in 1983 with over 250,000 member volunteers throughout the Philippines.
Angat Buhay (Angat Pinas, Inc.) for Angat Kalikasan: Youth Environmental Leadership Bootcamp strengthens the capacity of Filipino youth in the island provinces of Biliran and Basilan to champion environmental governance, climate resilience, and community-based action in disaster-prone regions. Angat Buhay is a Filipino non-profit that aims to empower Filipino citizens to become communities of active citizens through volunteer networks. Former Philippine Vice President and now Naga City mayor Leni Robredo founded Angat Buhay and currently sits as chairperson emeritus.
Child Rescue Coalition (CRC) for Perpetrator Accountability of Demand-Side Offenders and Global Law Enforcement Collaboration through Digital Forensic on OSAEC Cases deploying technology-focused solutions to enhance local enforcement capabilities, enabling timely digital device extraction and examination to track down Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) perpetrators.
Balyena.org for building science-based conservation for cetaceans in the Bohol Sea which aims to improve marine mammal conservation and management by generating baseline data, drafting a national action plan, and running awareness campaigns to foster community-led monitoring.
Journalism for Nation Building Foundation for a project to strengthen community journalism and civic engagement through Rappler’s civic engagement mentorship program builds a network of trained 'movers' to organize advocacy campaigns, report on local issues, and boost grassroots participatory democracy.
Center for Information Resilience and Integrity Studies (CIRIS) for its project Strengthening Democratic Resilience Among Filipino Youth Through Campus-Based Information Integrity Training and Advocacy to equip university students with the skills and cognitive security required to identify, resist, and counter disinformation and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI).
About the Author
Rachel Ramos-Reid 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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