Manila: The United Nations Philippines is marking the international body’s 80th anniversary this year, alongside its decades-long development work in the Philippines-support that it said would continue despite budget cuts within the organization.
According to Philippines News Agency, in 2024 alone, the UN, its specialized agencies, and programs in the Philippines delivered USD 137 million in human capital development, economic, and environmental investments as part of its efforts to assist the country in reaching all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030.
On health, the UN has provided necessary support towards the implementation of the Universal Health Coverage Act, including strengthening the country’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to health hazards. Its assistance in disease elimination and infectious disease control was instrumental in the Philippines’ removal from the list of top 10 countries with the highest number of zero-dose children.
During the measles outbreak in the Bangsamoro region alone, the UN helped vaccinate around 1.2 million individuals through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO). On HIV prevention, UNAIDS Philippines Country Director Louie Ocampo highlighted continuous support towards controlling and ultimately ending the HIV epidemic in the Philippines.
The UN’s work on improving the country’s nutrition situation in 2024 alone reached over 414,000 individuals, at least 52 percent of whom were children, through evidence-based nutrition interventions. Its contributions and technical assistance also helped enhance the Philippine education system’s capacity to provide inclusive learning environments and social protection programs.
Additionally, the UN continues to play a substantial role in championing human rights as well as peace and security in Mindanao. Through capacity building and grants, it has supported 1,770 individuals in the Bangsamoro region, including 29 academic institutions and civil society organizations.
Beyond human capital development, the UN collaborates with the public sector to foster sustainable economic growth in the country. This collaboration includes programs and initiatives covering innovation, trade, enterprise development, livelihood support, investment, labor rights, and migration.
On digitalization, the UN has helped establish two digital training centers and supported more than 3,000 enterprises in adopting digital innovations in their business operations. Over the past year, at least 52 detailed investment plans were developed by local government units and private sector entities with the UN’s assistance.
Climate action and environmental sustainability are also primary focuses of its work in the Philippines as it targets to assist the country in becoming more climate and disaster-resilient by 2028. On disaster management, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) ensures that its response plans are updated and aligned with the national government, especially against the backdrop of recent earthquake events.
Globally, UN Philippines Coordinator Arnaud Peral stated that none of the 17 SDGs are secured to be achieved by 2030. Challenges remain, and the UN is working on system-wide reforms under its UN80 initiative amid dwindling resources and complex global challenges.
In the Philippines, Peral noted it is difficult to assess yet exactly how much these restructuring and funding cuts would impact local UN work. However, he emphasized that the country remains a priority for the international community, with strong engagement from partners and donors to support the UN’s work.