Direct Relief's Activities in Philippines

The Philippines is an archipelago located in southeastern Asia between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam. Forty-three percent of its population of 92.7 million lives on less than US $2 per day. Twenty-eight percent of Filipinos lack sustainable access to safe sanitation, while 15 percent lack sustainable access to safe water supplies. ¹ Key public health problems include heart disease, respiratory infections, and tuberculosis. ²

Direct Relief has provided over $3.6 million (wholesale) in medical material assistance to the Philippines since 2000, focusing on maternal child health and basic medical supplies.

Direct Relief’s major partners in the Philippines include Dr. Jose Locsin Memorial Hospital and Philos Health. Locsin Memorial Hospital is the only hospital provider for a community of approximately 100,000, including many of the country’s poorest people. Direct Relief’s assistance has allowed them to upgrade their neonatal services with equipment including infant incubators, infant ventilators, and infant warmers. Philos Health was established by a group of healthcare providers and supportive community members in the San Francisco Bay Area committed to improving healthcare services in the rural Philippines by providing medical supplies, equipment, and training. They work primarily in the southern Bohol town of Jagna.

Direct Relief's Partners in Philippines