Humanitarian organisations are the most effective tool in addressing humanitarian crises. Many NGOs are able to provide relief assistance to countries facing a humanitarian crisis without having their own personnel on the ground.
The top 10 best NGOs in this country have progressed from providing relief assistance, to focusing on promoting a better quality of life for those suffering from poverty and injustices. These NGOs have become very powerful in their ability to influence government policies, and still continue to provide relief assistance despite the rising needs.
There are several organisations that provide relief and development assistance during emergency situations. These agencies should be listed as the most effective NGOs in this country, because they provide relief assistance regardless of their ability to operate on their own.
Most of these agencies are private non-government organisations (NGOs). Others are government organisations, and a few others are United Nations (UN) agencies that provide disaster relief as part of their mandate.
Top NGOs In The Philippines
The top 10 NGOs in this country were identified based on their track record in providing relief assistance to communities affected by disasters. These NGOs are listed below:
1. Foundation for The Philippine Environment
The Foundation for the Philippine Environment is a non-governmental organisation in the Philippines that ensures sustainability of resources and ecosystems in the Philippines.
Focused on sustainable land use and forests, the organisation works with partners to create policy changes to protect natural resources. The organisation also focuses on rehabilitation of Philippine island landscapes. The foundation also helps with reforestation, health program and regulating watersheds for biodiversity.
The Foundation for the Philippine Environment is focused on environmental protection and rehabilitation of the country. It is also focused on creating a holistic environmental program to be implemented in all regions of the Philippines.
The organisation began in 1992 and was established after series of consultation involving more than 350 bodies including organisations and institutions in the United States, government authorities, and non-governmental organisations in the Philippines, it is one of the top 10 NGOs in this country with a track record of sustainable environment protection.
The organisation consults with local communities, and provides technical support to people in need within their community. It also works on preventing deforestation, forest degradation, and promote reforestation and protection of natural resources in the Philippines.
The organisation has received $21.8 million from the United States Agency for International to help the country in developing a more effective approach to environmental protection in the Philippines.
2. Philippine Council for NGO Certification
The Philippine Council for NGO Certification, or PCNC is one of the top 10 NGOs in this country. The organisation serves as a governing arm of all NGOs whose main objective is to certify non-profit organisations that meet established minimum requirements for financial management and accountability in the service of the public.
The organisation also provides capacity building and organisational development services to not-for-profit organisations in the Philippines. The PCNC encourages full participation by credible civil society and government institutions at all levels especially those in remote areas where their needs are great. The PCNC also helps promote the effective delivery of health, education, livelihood services and information and communications technologies (ICT-s) among the poor.
The PCNC was established in 1995 by a law to monitor, appraise and certify at a minimum standard of financial management and accountability in the delivery of services by NGOs. The purpose was to mobilize the efforts, resources and skills of all Filipinos working in the NGO sector towards the attainment of national goals and objectives.
The organisation provides training programs to people in need within their community, and promotes inter-cultural exchange through education and practical skills training. It also provides assistance to at least five NGOs per year on capacity building training aimed at helping educational institutions improve their management capability for long-term sustainability.
The organisation has certified over 1,000 NGOs that meet established minimum requirements for financial management and accountability for the service of the public. The organisation carries out the regular and frequent audits of the NGO’s. It is the first government agency to provide this certification service.
3. Health Action Information Network
The Health Action Information Network is focused on improving the health system in the marginalised and rural communities. It also works by conducting seminars to teach people about health-related issues in the society and how to solve them. The organisation was founded on May 1985.
Over the past 30 years, HAN has reached millions of people with its health education programs and materials, as well as provided training for thousands of community volunteers. HAN also partners with other organisations including local governments, private companies and international development agencies.
The organisation’s mission is to improve the health and lives of Filipinos through education and information. They work with community leaders and volunteers to give training programs to people who want to volunteer for the organisation. The health information delivered by HAN reaches more than one million households each year through some 1,500 active volunteers across 110 cities in the Philippines.
The organisation develops, improves and operates community health services that address the needs of underserved communities and improve access to quality healthcare. By providing information on health issues, they help people deal with common health problems relating to family life and the unit of the community. They provide training to local volunteers.
4. Social Weather Stations
This organisation works to improve the Philippine polity by collecting, analysing and disseminating data on public opinion and political dynamics. They are known as the “watchdogs of the political system.”
They conduct social analysis and research on the development of new data sources, they design and implement economic, social, and political surveys in partnership with various government agencies, research institutions and non-government organisations. They also create awareness of research findings through seminars, journals and workshops.
The SWS uses various tools to conduct its surveys. Some of these data collection techniques are household surveys, face-to-face interviews, telephone surveys and electronic data collection systems. The SWS also undertakes applied social research in the area of social development and public policy formulation.
SWS offers training courses on survey research to government and non-government agencies, civic groups and educators. The SWS also provides training to foster greater appreciation for the social sciences, including disciplines such as statistics, sociology and political science.
It publishes in-depth reports that provide policy makers, civil society groups and the academic community with information on specific issues of interest. SWS has conducted around 190 surveys since 1980 when it was founded. It is funded by grants and income from publications, subscription fees, technical assistance services and customised research projects.
5. Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism focuses on investigative reporting. The organisation has become known as the “watchdog of democracy” in the Philippines and the region. So far, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism has published over 1,000 articles and over 1,000 investigative reports in the Philippines. The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism is a member of the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN).
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism is a non-profit organisation committed to promoting freedom of information and freedom of the press in the Philippines.
The organisation has produced reports on a wide range of human rights and investigative topics, including a number of special series devoted to national security issues, corruption, political and criminal justice issues, as well as on social concerns such as environment and climate change.
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism also runs a legal clinic that helps defend and exercise journalists’ rights. The office also monitors judicial proceedings involving abuses in the media or other civil liberties violations.
The organisation is committed to promoting the freedom of information and freedom of the press in the Philippines. It does this by fighting for and defending the rights of journalists, news-gatherers, writers and their families against abuses from the powerful. The center also monitors judicial proceedings involving abuses in the media or other civil liberties violations.
6. Tambuyog Development Center
Tambuyog Development Center was founded with the aim of improving the economic conditions of fisherfolk and coastal communities. They work to ensure the development of a sustainable fishing industry through the establishment of social enterprises, governance of fisheries resources with gender integration, and institutionalisation of community property rights.
Tambuyog Development Center relies on the fundamental principle of social justice. They do this by giving greater importance to gender and community empowerment as part of their strategies for improving the livelihoods of fisherfolk and coastal communities. The organization is also committed to addressing poverty and reducing vulnerability through an integrated growth model that combines sustainable fisheries with human development programs.
These strategies and approaches are geared towards ensuring the development of a sustainable fishing industry through the establishment of social enterprises that pursue livelihood initiatives. They also support community led efforts to manage and govern fisheries resources within their territorial jurisdictions.
In order to achieve their goals, Tambuyog Development Center has organized communities along coastal areas in various ways. The organization works at different levels with local, national and international groups to ensure the welfare of marginalized communities in the Philippines. The organization also focuses on community organization, in order to promote greater self-reliance, democracy and participation of the communities.
7. Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
The SEAFDEC exist is to promote and facilitate concerted actions among the member countries to ensure the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture in the country. They are now among the top non-government organisations in the Philippines.
The foundation of the organisation is based on a tripartite structure comprising respective of governments, the private sector and academic institutions. The three organisations are working to build a sustainable fishery base and trade system in Southeast Asia. Their ultimate goal is to build a regionally integrated, vibrant and competitive aquaculture sector that can provide abundant livelihoods and food security for more than one-third of Southeast Asia’s population by 2025.
The SEAFDEC organisation is also actively engaged in various research and development efforts in the areas of fisheries, aquaculture and marine science. The initiatives are aimed at providing technical assistance to members countries in the development of their aquaculture and fisheries sectors.
The SEAFDEC is committed to ensuring the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture in Southeast Asia. For this purpose, they provide technical assistance, capacity building and institutional development to member countries in the region.
They also strengthen institutions of governance, promote sustainable fishing practices, foster research and innovation and create opportunities for economic growth in fisheries development. They also provide training on good governance practices by working with local fisheries associations and NGOs.
8. Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center
Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center major focus is on environmental and human rights. The organisation also offers free legal assistance to the poor. They also work on indigenous peoples’ rights, gender issues, governance and law reform, agrarian reform, anti-mining advocacy and other movements concerning the protection of natural resources.
The Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center for their efforts to promote socioeconomic, environmental, socio-economic and cultural development of our peoples in management, supervision and control over natural resources.
They work together with the people of the grassroots level, they demand and promote their rights to their patrimony, their economic resources and the environment that they live in. The organisation serves as a link between the informal articulation of such aspirations of marginalised communities and the technical, legal, formal, and bureaucratic language of the state.
The Center believes that all people have a right to access natural resources for livelihood or other benefits. All people have a right to pass on to their children and future generations, the same environmental quality that they inherited from their forebears.
The organisation also serves to protect the environment because it provides opportunities to enhance environmental conservation and environmental protection.
The organisation works together with various sectors of society in order to suggest viable alternatives and technologies to curb the impacts of climate change, deforestation, improper agricultural practices, industrial waste and other environmental issues. They also advocate for a proper balance between economic growth with conservation of natural resources in the country.
9. The Haribon Foundation
The Haribon Foundation is a non-profit, non-stock and non-governmental organisation in the Philippines. The organisation advocates for the protection of the Philippine environment and its biodiversity.
The main goals of the foundation are to promote conservation, propagate environmental education and inspire love for nature. The foundation also aims to ensure that the biodiversity of nature doesn’t get damaged as a result of human activity. They are committed to protecting every species in order to maintain a healthy ecosystem on this planet that we live in.
Since its establishment, the Haribon Foundation has been organizing a number of seminars, conferences, forums and workshops on various environmental issues. These activities are aimed at informing people on environmental issues and encouraging people to take their environment seriously.
10. Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Incorporated
The main goal of the organisation is to bring about a positive change in the lives of people by working together with the civil society and local government units. The foundation priorities the most vulnerable sectors of the communities, those who live in poverty, or victims of disasters or calamities.
The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Incorporated works towards transforming communities by promoting partnerships and collaboration among individuals, institutions and government authorities to facilitate the implementation of programs in order to build sustainable livelihood-generating activities.
The board of directors of this organisation includes individuals from various parts of the Philippines, who are passionate about the environment, sustainability and development. The foundation does not use its resources for any political purposes or candidates for public office.
The foundation has been active in various sectors such as education, agriculture and health care, amongst others. They also help people with disabilities and provide them with employment opportunities consistent with laws and regulations governing their employment.
The organisation provides a wide variety of services to the local communities as well as for the provincial, municipal and city governments in order to build partnerships between the government and civil society organisations.
Conclusion
There may be more non-government organisations in the Philippines that help different people, but these 10 are among those who have strived hard to contribute to the positive contribution of the welfare of Filipinos and other people around the world.
The organisations in the list above are all proactive and active in working for the welfare of everyone. The fact that they have been around a long time and have remained active is evidence that they have been functioning optimally and effectively, doing their part to improve the lives of them all.
The non-government organisations are a force to be reckoned with, as they strive hard to bring about a positive change in the lives of people all over the country. They have managed to do so, as we have witnessed how many of their goals and objectives have been achieved.
