Philippines is 2nd most giving country in SE Asia and 17th worldwide

MANILA, Philippines - When it comes to selfless acts, Filipinos are among the region and the world's best people.

The Philippines is the second most giving country in Southeast Asia and the 17th among 160 countries worldwide in 2012. This is according to the  World Giving Index compiled by the UK-based Charities Aid Foundation based on data gathered by Gallup, Inc., an international research-based performance management consulting firm.

The index is based on an average of three measures of giving behaviour: the percentage of people who donate money to charity, volunteer their time, and help a stranger.

The latest ranking is a big leap for the Philippines. The country only ranked 32nd in 2011 and 50th in 2010 worldwide and fourth in 2011 and fifth in 2010 in Southeast Asia.

In 2012, the Philippines' giving behaviour in terms of volunteering time rose to 44 percent from 41 in 2011 and only 27 in 2010.

Worldwide, the Philippines is fifth in 2012 in terms of volunteering behavior.

"Volunteering is particularly commonplace there, with more people volunteering than in any other country in the region," said the 2012 index report.

"Indeed, the Philippines is ranked fifth globally for its participation in volunteering. The Philippines has a World Giving Index score that exceeds (by four percentage points) its five-year average," the report further noted.

Also, the Philippines' act of helping strangers increased to 58 percentage points in 2012 from 57 in 2011 and 35 in 2010.

However, the country's score in terms of donating money was not that outstanding. In 2010, it garnered 45 percentage points in donating money but the score was unsurpassed in 2011 with only 28 points and 32 points in 2012.   
Below are 2012 the rankings worldwide and in Southeast Asia

Top 20 giving countries worldwide
1.Australia
2.Ireland
3.Canada
4.New Zealand
5.USA
6.The Netherlands
7.Indonesia
8.United Kingdom
9.Paraguay
10.Denmark
11.Liberia
12. Iran
13.Turkmenistan
14.Qatar
15.Sri Lanka
16.Trinidad and Tobago
17.Finland
17.Philippines
19.Hong Kong
19. Oman

Top giving countries in Southeast Asia
1. Indonesia
2.Philippines
3. Thailand
4. Cambodia
5. Vietnam
6. Malaysia
7. Singapore

Top 10 countries by participation in volunteering time 

1.Turkmenistan
2.Liberia
3.Uzbekistan
4.Tajikistan
5.Philippines
6.Sri Lanka
7.Canada7.Paraguay
7.USA
10. Indonesia