The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Philippines gathered its strategic and implementing partners last July 26 to 28 to obtain insights and recommendations as it transitions to a new 5-year country programme.

During the 3-day event, UNFPA Philippines, civil society groups and government representatives evaluated the progress made for the current 8th Country Programme and identified gaps in a bid to improve its effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability.

UNFPA Philippines shared the latest version of the 9th Country Programme’s Theory of Change as it aims to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Global Agenda on Sustainable Development and to support the Philippine government’s plans for economy and social transformation by advocating for greater focus on human development. 

With the human rights-based approach, equality, inclusiveness, and sustainability identified as anchor principles, UNFPA plans to operationalize the so-called “humanitarian-development-peacebuilding nexus” by engaging with stakeholders in different levels to address challenges within UNFPA’s mandate. Thes challenges encompass realizing the goals of ICP PoA, eliminating preventable maternal deaths, eradicating GBV and harmful practices and ensuring universal access to FP services. These efforts are targeted at diverse settings, including urban and semi-urban, rural, climate-vulnerable, and conflict-vulnerable contexts.

UNFPA also unveiled a new partnership mechanism that will expand alliances and strengthen the UNFPA’s convening role in budget advocacy, evidence generation and programme oversight.

Among those who attended were representatives of Department of Education, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Health, Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Commission on Population and Development, Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), Philippine Statistics Authority, Philippine Institute for Development Studies, PNP-Women and Children Protection Center, Sangguniang Kabataan, Assistance and Cooperation for Community Resilience and Development, Inc. (ACCORD), Center for Health Services, Inc.(CHSI), Child Protection Network (CPN), Mindanao Organization for Social Economic Progress (MOSEP), Philippine Legislators' Committee on Population and Development, Philippine Mental Health Association, Philippine Society for Responsible Parenthood, Inc (PSRP), University of San Carlos Office of Population Studies Foundation Inc., Zone One Tondo Organization (ZOTO), and Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF).

During breakout sessions, UNFPA staff and partners discussed accomplishments and ways forward per identified outputs such as sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence, youth issues, population and development.

For reproductive health, participants pointed out the importance of improving maternal death reporting through digitization, which will ensure complete data and regular maternal death reviews to pave the way for system improvements and prevention of deaths.

For gender-based violence (GBV), UNFPA expressed support for PCW’s plan to formalize a GBV Referral System. Civil society partners also highlighted the multi-functional role of UNFPA-supported Women-Friendly Spaces in Mindanao, which are now being used to implement development programmes for women and girls. On top of being utilized as an information hub for sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence services, it has also provided a community for its women facilitators.

To ensure that no one will be left behind, the participants also emphasized the importance of having PhilHealth coverage for alternative service delivery mechanisms such as mobile health units, and the need for specific policies and guidelines for persons with disabilities and individuals of diverse SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression). UNFPA is also planning to partner with CHR to strengthen SRHR among women with disabilities and women deprived of liberty.

During the sessions, participants highlighted the importance of involving men and boys, as well as youth leaders, in development programs. The partners also agreed that the most vulnerable groups should not be seen as mere beneficiaries, but should be empowered to be active participants in development. 

For the youth group, discussions underlined how UNFPA and its partners reached milestones in the implementation of the youth leadership and governance program (YLGP) and comprehensive sexual education in schools and for out of school youth, especially for girls and transgenders who are survivors of sexual exploitation. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, youth grants were also given to youth-led groups to raise awareness about mental health and gender-based violence.

READ MORE: Youth groups help address mental health, gender-based violence amid pandemic

In terms of UNFPA’s population and development work, participants identified possible collaborations in terms of sharing of knowledge and dissemination of research for policy action. They also emphasized the need to take into account the changing demographics of the country when developing and implementing programs.

At the conclusion of the midyear review and planning, UNFPA Philippines Country Representative Dr. Leila Joudane thanked the partners for validating the presented country programme and for highlighting the importance of an multi-sectoral approach to ensure that vulnerable groups are not left behind.

She vowed to enhance, further expand and formalize partnerships. “By signing an agreement, we [affirm] a long-term vision that we want to achieve together,” she said.

“I know it’s an ambitious country program but I ensure that together we will implement it and we will reach the results that are needed to ensure that the sexual reproductive health and rights of everyone in the Philippines and especially those those left behind are upheld,” she said. #