In 2025, the Philippines faced extraordinary challenges as it endured a series of powerful typhoons and significant earthquakes. Typhoons Crising, Tino, and Uwan affected millions of Filipinos and destroyed homes and properties.   

The United States, through the U.S. Embassy in Manila’s Foreign Assistance section provided $3.5 million in disaster assistance and logistics support to the Philippine government-led response, including transporting over 225,000 family food packs (FFPs) from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).  This included 32 U.S. military airlift missions from the Department of War for the rapid delivery of FFPs in remote areas affected by these typhoons.

Coordination with the DSWD and the Office of Civil Defense at the national level was critical to ensure that U.S. assistance remains aligned with local needs, complements ongoing efforts, and reaches the most affected communities efficiently. By working closely with Philippine partners, the United States augmented the response operations and quick recovery for those impacted by disasters.

Mang Delfin, a resident of Barangay Sabangan in the Municipality of Caramoran, Catanduanes, shared how back-to-back Typhoons Tino and Uwan devastated his home and family assets. During his stay at the evacuation center, he received food and other support from DSWD and the municipal government. However, Mang Delfin’s greatest hope was to repair his home and restore a sense of normalcy for his family. With assistance from the United States, he was able to purchase essential materials, rebuild his roof, and set up a sleeping area—allowing him to sleep in a bed once again and begin the process of recovery. 

For over six decades, the United States and the Philippines have worked together on helping families and communities recover from disasters as friends, partners, and allies. 

Manila, December 15, 2025—The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS) trained more than 140 national and provincial government officials and civil society representatives in a three-day workshop designed to strengthen the Philippines’ capacity for tsunami preparedness and response.   

From December 8 to 11, NOAA and PHIVOLCS organized the Tsunami Ready National Workshop in Quezon City, gathering experts from NOAA’s International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC), the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO.  Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the workshop equipped participants with the skills to conduct risk assessments and develop effective warning systems and evacuation plans in case of tsunamis.  

“Preparedness saves lives. The Tsunami Ready Workshop demonstrates our two countries’ shared commitment to ensuring every community has the tools to face tsunami threats with confidence,” U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Y. Robert Ewing said at the workshop’s opening ceremony on December 8.  “For decades, the United States and the Philippines have worked together on disaster preparedness, which keeps Filipinos and visiting Americans safer, stronger, and more prosperous.”

The workshop supports the Philippines’ implementation of IOC’s Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme (TRRP), which guides high-risk coastal communities in meeting the 12 key indicators required for “Tsunami Ready” recognition, including mapping tsunami hazard zones, approving evacuation maps, conducting regular community tsunami exercises, and ensuring reliable alert systems.  The TRRP was modeled after the United States’ TsunamiReady® program. 

“Tsunamis are no-notice events.  We don’t know when the next big one will be, so we need to always be ‘Tsunami Ready,’” said Dr. Laura Kong, Director of the ITIC, the primary provider of tsunami preparedness training in the Pacific. 

In his opening remarks, DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. recognized over 20 years of collaboration with U.S. scientists for tsunami preparedness.  “With your help, we hope to finally see our very first internationally recognized Tsunami Ready community—or communities—in the Philippines very soon,” said Secretary Solidum.   

For decades, the United States and the Philippines have worked together to strengthen disaster resilience to ensure the safety of Filipinos and Americans.  Through agencies like NOAA, the United States supports initiatives that build the resilience of Philippine communities against natural disasters. 

Manila, November 21, 2025—The Philippine-American Educational Foundation (PAEF), or the Fulbright Commission in the Philippines, signed new partnerships with the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU) to expand educational opportunities, foster cultural exchange, and promote American excellence in higher education across Mindanao.

PAEF signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MinDA to develop customized Fulbright scholarships for individuals from conflict-affected communities in Mindanao.  Selected scholars will pursue advanced studies and professional development in the United States focused on energy and agriculture.

PAEF also signed an MoU with Ateneo de Davao University.  The agreement officially designates ADDU as the host institution for a new exchange program called the Consortium for Study Abroad in the Philippines (CSAP).  CSAP will bring American students and faculty to the Philippines for cultural immersion and six-week academic courses in agriculture, rural development, engineering, and business.

“The Fulbright Program is not just a scholarship program in the Philippines—it is a cornerstone of post-war Philippine intellectual and leadership development, a symbol of the enduring U.S.–Philippine partnership, and still the single most important academic exchange mechanism between the two countries after more than 75 years,” PAEF Chairperson and U.S. Embassy Counselor for Public Affairs Jessica Simon said.

“This signing is more than a ceremonial act—it is a bold step toward empowering the people of Mindanao.  Through this Memorandum of Understanding, MinDA and the Fulbright Commission reaffirm a shared conviction: that education is the most powerful engine of peace, progress, and prosperity,” MinDA Secretary Leo Tereso Magno said.

“The CSAP aligns with the University’s mission to advance research, innovation, and the formation of graduates committed to service and leadership.  ADDU is proud to support inclusive peace and development in Mindanao through academic excellence and community outreach,” said ADDU Vice President for Higher Education Fr. Antonio Basilio, S.J.

Established on March 23, 1948, the Philippine-American Educational Foundation is a non-profit, binational organization sponsored by the U.S. and Philippine governments.  It is the oldest continuously active Fulbright commission in the world and the oldest international scholarship in the Philippines.  PAEF has awarded grants to more than 3,000 Filipinos and close to 1,000 Americans to pursue graduate degree study, teaching, and research in the Philippines and the United States.