The Philippines has once again been recognized as one of the world’s most generous nations, with a majority of its people willing to share their resources with family, friends, and communities despite not being among the wealthiest countries.
This was revealed in the 2025 World Giving Report, which surveyed 55,000 people across 101 countries to examine global attitudes and behaviors toward charitable giving. The study is a collaboration of the Charities Aid Foundation, the Association of Foundations (AF), and other social purpose organizations.
The report found that three in four Filipinos, or 75 percent, donated part of their income in 2024, well above the global average of 64 percent and Asia’s 69 percent.
It classified the Philippines as a “giving nation,” attributing the culture of generosity to deeply rooted Filipino values such as malasakit, kapwa, and bayanihan.
Filipinos were more likely to give directly to individuals or families in need (54 percent) and to religious institutions (43 percent), both higher than global averages. Giving to institutional charities, however, remained relatively low at 31 percent, below the global rate of 36 percent.
The report noted that the series of climate-related disasters in late 2024, including three supertyphoons, may have influenced the strong preference for direct giving.
On average, Filipinos donated 1.46 percent of their income, higher than the global average of 1.04 percent and Asia’s 1.28 percent, ranking the Philippines 24th worldwide in income proportion donated.
While generosity remains high, volunteerism among Filipinos was modest, with only one in four respondents engaging in volunteer work in 2024, averaging 6.5 hours compared to the global average of 8.9 hours. Long work hours, poor work-life balance, and limited volunteer opportunities outside urban centers were cited as factors.
Oman Jiao, executive director of AF, said the challenge is to ensure that this generosity translates into long-term impact.
“To be a giving nation is not only to be generous, but to ensure that generosity strengthens communities and uplifts the lives of Filipinos most in need,” he said.
