U.S. provides P27.6M humanitarian support for disaster response effort in PH

MANILA, Philippines-- The U.S. government has provided an additional P13.8M worth of funding to deliver emergency shelter assistance and hygiene kits to more than 3,000 families, or approximately 15,800 persons, remaining in evacuation centers in Rizal, Laguna, Bulacan, and Pampanga following severe flooding in July, bringing this latest assistance to P27.6M of U.S. humanitarian support for disaster response efforts in the Philippines.

Through this new tranche of funding, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Philippines’ Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distributed shelter-grade tarpaulins, shelter repair kits, and essential household supplies to families whose homes were damaged or destroyed.

Each shelter repair kit contains basic construction tools and materials to help families begin rebuilding their homes, promote health and sanitation and improve living conditions in evacuation centers. Families also received hygiene kits containing soap, buckets, and cleaning supplies. 

In addition to distributing relief items, IOM also monitored the condition of hygiene and sanitation facilities to ensure the safety and wellbeing of affected families.

“Although flooding has subsided in most areas, thousands of families remaining in evacuation centers continue to face significant challenges. We are grateful to be working alongside our partners, including IOM, the World Food Programme (WFP), the Philippines’ Office of Civil Defense (OCD), and the DSWD to help affected families recover and rebuild,” U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Y. Robert Ewing said. 

The U.S. government earlier provided Php13.8 million ($250,000) in funding that supported WFP in delivering 47,700 DSWD family food packs that benefitted over 200,000 persons across Northern and Central Luzon.

U.S. military air assets, alongside the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) also supported Philippine-led operations to deliver 6,300 DSWD food packs for 18,000 persons in Batanes. (Photos: U.S. Embassy/ Google Images)

U.S. Embassy invites Southeast Asian content creators to a Bootcamp

MANILA-- The U.S. Embassy to the Philippines and Out of The Box Media Literacy Initiative open applications for the “Creators Co-Lab: YSEALI Bootcamp for Digital Creators,” a media literacy and digital content creation workshop for emerging creatives in Southeast Asia.

The application is open to all content creators from Southeast Asia to participate in a Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) media literacy and content creation workshop from April to June 2025. 

Interested participants are invited to submit their applications by January 31 through the following link:  https://bit.ly/creatorsco-lab.

The “Creators Co-Lab: YSEALI Bootcamp for Digital Creators” is open to citizens of ASEAN member-countries and Timor-Leste, aged between 18 and 35 years old.  Applicants should have at least 1,000 followers on any social media platform and should have been actively creating online content for the past three months.

The “Creators Co-Lab: YSEALI Bootcamp for Digital Creators” is designed to equip young content creators with the essential skills and knowledge to thrive in today’s dynamic media environment.

Through virtual sessions on April 5 and 6, followed by an in-person workshop in Manila from May 28 to June 1, experts in media, technology, and the academe will train participants on using their platforms to promote media and information literacy, creating engaging online content, and tapping the latest tools in brand development, audience engagement, and analytics.

During this program, participants will have the opportunity to exchange ideas on pressing issues such as disinformation, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, and collaborate with fellow emerging content creators from across Southeast Asia to foster regional cooperation and innovation.

After the bootcamp, participants will be eligible to apply for grants amounting to Php224,000 ($4,000) and mentoring support to implement new digital content projects.  Participants will also become a member of the U.S. international exchange alumni network that will open them to unique opportunities, including grants and networking.

YSEALI is a U.S. government program that strengthens leadership development and networking in Southeast Asia.  Since its launch in 2013, YSEALI has been developing the capabilities of Southeast Asian youth to promote civic engagement, environmental and natural resource management, education, economic development, and good governance through a variety of programs, including U.S. educational and cultural exchanges, regional exchanges, and seed funding.   For more information about YSEALI, visit https://yseali.state.gov.  (PR/Photo: US Embassy)