Toronto, Ontario – Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
Today, on behalf of the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, the Honourable Joe Oliver, Minister of Finance, alongside Senator Tobias C. Enverga Jr., marked the one-year anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan making landfall in the Philippines on November 8, 2013. They were joined by Her Excellency Petronila P. Garcia, Philippine Ambassador to Canada, members of the local Filipino-Canadian community and Patrick Brown, Member of Parliament for Barrie.
Minister Oliver also announced, on behalf of Minister Paradis, the Typhoon Haiyan Reconstruction Assistance Call for Proposals. This call for proposals, valued at up to $20.6 million over a period of four years, is designed to help restore the livelihoods of people in the Philippines affected by Typhoon Haiyan. It forms part of the Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund through which the Government of Canada matched the $85 million in eligible donations made by individual Canadians.
“On this one-year anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan, we pay tribute to the resilience of the people in the Philippines affected by the storm, the work of our partners and the generosity of Canadians,’’ said Minister Oliver. “Our relationship with the Philippines and the Filipino-Canadian community is long and strong, and we will continue our support to help build a better future for the people of that country.”
Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Yolanda, was one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded. It devastated large parts of the Philippines. It is one of the deadliest typhoons on record in that country, causing more than 6,000 deaths and affecting 16 million people.
From the very beginning, Canada has played a leading role in the global response to the impact of the typhoon by providing significant humanitarian assistance to meet the immediate and early recovery needs of affected people and by deploying a number of experts from various Government of Canada departments to support a broad range of critical needs faced by the Filipino authorities.
“Last year I saw first-hand the resolve and the determination of the people of the Philippines to overcome the crisis, as well as the compassion and dedication shown by Canadian humanitarian workers who went to the Philippines to help those in the worst of circumstances,” said Minister Paradis. “Canadians feel strongly about helping to support communities affected by natural disasters and other emergencies abroad. We will always stand at the ready to provide humanitarian assistance to people who need it.”
Quick Facts
- When Typhoon Haiyan slammed into the Philippines on November 8, 2013, Canada was already putting in place a rapid, lifesaving, whole-of-government response working closely with the Filipino-Canadian community, humanitarian partners and the Government of the Philippines.
- On November 10, 2013, Canada established the Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund, through which more than $85 million in eligible donations by individual Canadians were matched by the Government of Canada
- Canada also sent relief supplies such as tents, blankets, water purification tablets, shelter kits, and other essential items from Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada’s emergency stockpile.
- Elements of the Canadian Armed Forces’ Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) were also deployed to support relief efforts by providing clean water, medical assistance and logistical support, including addressing pressing needs on Panay Island.
- Citizenship and Immigration Canada also expedited the processing of immigration applications for those affected by Typhoon Haiyan who had applied before the tragedy. By September 2014, nearly 2,100 applications had been approved after being expedited as part of the special immigration measures.
- In 2014, the Philippines was confirmed as a country of focus for the Government of Canada’s international development efforts.