27 November 2013 – Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a quadrupling of Canada’s aid to the Philippines.
The Prime Minister made the announcement during his visit to Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Parish, where he met with members of Toronto’s Filipino-Canadian community to discuss Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) and the government’s response to the crisis.
With a mass for the typhoon victims ongoing at tha main church above, the Prime Minister gathered with Filipino-Canadians at the church basement with boxes of donated goods being packed and destined for the Philippines.
The Prime Minister said that “our Government has taken decisive action to address the ravages of the typhoon by working closely with the Filipino-Canadian community, relief agencies and the Government of the Philippines to provide ongoing support to those who need it most. I am very pleased to announce that our Government will commit an additional CA$15 million towards emergency relief activities that should bring further comfort to the victims of this catastrophe. This brings the Government of Canada’s commitment to date to more than CA$20 million.”
The Government of Canada has taken quick and decisive actions to provide emergency relief to the victims of the super Typhoon. These measures include:
Providing initially CA$5 million in support to humanitarian organizations for emergency relief activities; providing an initial allocation of CA$30,000 to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to help launch relief operations; creating a matching fund by which the government will contribute a dollar for each eligible dollar donated by individual Canadians to registered Canadian charities until December 9, 2013 (standing at close to CA$20 million in matcheable funds as of this time); assisting with the deployment of a Canadian Red Cross 12-person medical team and field hospital to provide emergency health support in the Philippines; sending the Interdepartmental Strategic Support Team to Manila to determine where Canada’s help is most needed; and Deploying elements of the Canadian Armed Forces’ Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to support the Government of Canada’s relief efforts in the region by providing clean water, medical assistance and logistical support. The DART is addressing the pressing needs in the provinces of Iloilo and Capiz.
In addition, Canada is prioritizing the processing of Filipino applications on request from those who are significantly and personally affected by the Typhoon. Requests from Filipino citizens who are temporarily in Canada and wish to extend their stay will be assessed in a compassionate and flexible manner. END