Where we work: Philippines

Introduction

The UN Millennium Campaign in the Philippines focuses on the MDGs that the country is lagging behind in achieving: MDG 2 (universal primary education), MDG 5 (maternal health) and MDG 6 (combat HIV/AIDS) and MDG 1 (under the overarching goal of eradication of extreme poverty and hunger).

Members of World Vision and the United Nations office in the Philippines let their dream of a poverty-free country soar high onward to 201 on October 17, 2008/ Photo credit: Arlene Alano/ UNFPA

The Philippines has made remarkable achievements toward achieving the MDGs, however the country remains very poor. Recent reports show poverty has increased, with 30 percent of the population – roughly 27 million Filipinos – living on less than US S1 a day. As the Campaign gets closer to the deadline, the campaigning effort has to be redoubled, more resources have to be channeled to the MDGs and the government must be held to account for the achievement of the MDGs, which are aimed at poverty-free Philippines by 2015.

Through the United Nations Country Team and the UN Advocacy Technical Working Group, the Campaign works with civil society, parliamentarians, local authorities, youth, media and the private sector in calling on the government to deliver on its commitment contained in the Millennium Declaration of 2000, to end extreme poverty by 2015. The Campaign conducts advocacy-projects and employs tools that promote the advancement of the MDGs.

One of the kickoff projects of the Campaign was an MDG album to drum up awareness for the MDGs through the use of a medium for which the Filipinos are noted – music. The album gathered together the country’s top musicians for a collaborative musical production covering all of the eight MDGs, including the banner song Tayo Tayo Rin (No one else but us). 

Working closely with the National Economic and Development Authority, the Campaign regularly produces progress reports that track the success of the MDGs in the Philippines. Social Watch Philippines published a shadow report in 2007, used  asan effective tool for MDG policy advocacy.

With the active support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the House of Representatives Special Committee on the MDGs was created in 2005 to place the MDGs at the center of the legislative process. After consultation among local government agencies and with support from UNDP and UN-Habitat, the LGU Guide on MDG Localization was created. It serves as a guide for local authorities to incorporate the MDGs into their local ordinances and programs, and aids ongoing localization efforts by local government units through UN-Habitat and local leagues.

SUTA 2009

For the second year in a row, the Philippines sent the loudest voice worldwide in calling for an end to extreme poverty, with 36.1 million Filipinos participating in various events during the three-day global Stand Up Take Action against poverty campaign of the United Nations Millennium Campaign (UNMC) from October 16 to 18, 2009.

Stand Up 2008

In 2008 during the Stand Up Take Action campaign, the Philippines achieved a Guinness World Record with 35.2 million Filipinos participating over the three day period, more than a third of the population.