The Philippines' deeply rooted religious faith has translated into strong faith-based giving, according to the World Giving Report (WGR) published by the UK-based nonprofit Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), which compiles its findings from the Gallup World Poll across more than 100 countries. The report found that 45% of Filipinos donate to organizations that support religious causes.

The results align with the country's standing as Asia's largest predominantly Christian nation, where roughly 80% of the population identifies as Roman Catholic, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

"Faith-based giving is strong here in the Philippines," said Milet Aquino, communications officer at the Association of Foundations (AF), CAF's local partner, during the report's launch on Wednesday. "Regardless of your religious affiliation, you know that faith really has the power to mobilize people and resources."

The Philippines ranked 19th out of 105 countries in the global report, with Filipinos donating 1.5% of their personal income to charities, religious organizations, and individuals or families in need.

Among the key findings highlighted by AF is the country's giving to religious organizations in 2025. Filipinos donated at a rate 22 percentage points higher than the global average of 23%, representing a 2-percentage-point increase from 43% the previous year. The total value of donations directed toward religion reached 31%, exceeding both the global average of 21% and the continental average of 20%.

"If you're on the ground, if you work with communities, you know how easy it is to get people to come to your activities or to get resources if you're working with a local church," Ms. Aquino noted.

The report also found that 38% of Filipinos have volunteered in faith-related activities, making it the second-largest driver of volunteerism in the country.

"It's not just the number of people giving but really there's that higher share value for religious giving here in the Philippines," Ms. Aquino said. "These insights on faith-based giving remind us that faith communities really have that power. [They] can be valuable partners when you're trying to mobilize volunteers, donations, and your community support."

While the share of donations to religious causes is notably high, individuals and families in need received the largest share at 45%, closely tracking the global average of 41% and the continental average of 37%.

Charity donations nationwide stand at 24%, below the global and continental averages of 38% and 42%, respectively. Of the total value of domestic charity donations, the majority — 60% — went to NGOs operating locally. The remainder supported national NGOs (30%) and international NGOs (10%).

"Filipinos want to support local NGOs and this is also consistent with what we saw globally," Ms. Aquino said. "They want to make sure that the donations hit close to home and support their own locality, especially for those who grew up in the provinces and rural areas. They want to make sure that their donations actually also uplift the areas where they came from."

The Association of Foundations is a network of over 250 NGOs and foundations supporting development initiatives across the Philippines.

— Almira Louise S. Martinez