Over the past two decades, the Philippines endured a total of 274 natural calamities, making it the fourth most disaster-prone country in the world. The Philippines is also among the top ten countries with the most number of people affected by weather-related disasters alone, at 130 million. The country experiences an average of 20 typhoons per year. It is prone to earthquakes volcanic eruptions, as well as flooding. Climate change threatens the country and armed conflict is present in the southern part. While there have been efforts to respond to disasters, it is not enough. We need to prepare for crises, respond and bounce back better and more efficiently after disasters to save more lives.

“This is an exciting time for localisation of aid. CODE-NGO and the Humanitarian Leadership Academy both see that creating the
Center for Humanitarian Learning and Innovation is a way to ensure that both organisations’ programmes and services related to disaster preparedness and humanitarian learning remain relevant, effective and impactful for the Philippines and even beyond.”

– Diosdado ‘Dong’ P Waña, former Director of the Philippines Academy Centre, and now Director of the
Center for Humanitarian Learning and Innovation (CHLI)