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New Releases
Annual Program Statement (APS) for FY 2009 - Democracy and Governance
APS No. 492-09-004
Issuance Date: 4/01/09
Closing Date: 05/15/09
(pdf/62Kb)
Annual Program Statement (APS) for FY 2009 - Conservation of Biodiversity and Management of Natural Resources
APS No. 492-09-002
Issuance Date: 2/03/09
Closing Date: 10/01/09
(pdf/1.4Mb)
Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) Philippines,
2009-2013
(pdf/678Mb)
USAID's programs in the Philippines focus on strengthening peace in conflict-affected Mindanao, promoting good governance, increasing economic opportunities, protecting the environment, strengthening health services, and improving basic education. We invite you to explore our web site to learn more about USAID/Philippines innovative programs and activities.
Program Highlights
INVESTING IN PEOPLE: Health
USAID-Assisted Midwives Improve Infant Survival through More Antenatal Check-ups
On April 15- 17, USAID provided a refresher training to 41 USAID-assisted midwives in Cebu City to ensure that the quality of their services remains at par with government health standards. These 41 midwives now form part of a network of USAID-trained midwives who, from 2005 to present, have encouraged a total of 27,832 women to have at least four recommended antenatal check-ups. These check-ups provide opportunities for treatment during pregnancy, which are critical for infant survival.
USAID-trained private practice midwives help women understand regular antenatal check-ups as a way to protect their lives and the lives of their unborn children.
USAID-trained Peer Educators: Preferred Source of Information on Family Health
Over the course of the past three years USAID trained 453 people as volunteer peer educators to provide appropriate information on the benefits of family health and where to obtain services. Peer educators are now accessible to around 80,000 men and women in 87 companies and cooperatives around the country, helping the Philippines achieve sustainable improvements in the well-being and productivity of its people.
Call center agents of SITEL Baguio take advantage of their break time to interact with USAID-trained peer educators to learn more about ways to improve their health.
Community Involvement Highlighted at World Tuberculosis (TB) Day Events
On April 3, 2009 U.S. Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney capped off two weeks of USAID-supported World TB Day activities with an inspirational message on Cough Manners at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, Metro Manila. The Cough Manners Campaign, a guide to simple actions everyone can take to prevent the spread of tuberculosis, was introduced through song, dance and video presentations at World TB Day events throughout the Philippines. Rather than a series of somber events, this year’s activities were a celebration of this year’s theme, “Kaya mo, kaya ko” (You can, I can stop TB) and the progress that the Philippines has made in combating tuberculosis. Municipalities held contests on rap, dance, poster and slogan-design that highlighted ways to get the message out about tuberculosis prevention and treatment in a positive, upbeat manner. Communities came together to show support for TB patients through the creation of diagnosis and treatment-partner groups. Leaders all the way from the southern part of Mindanao up to the northern areas of Luzon pledged their support to fight TB through providing information and education materials, community-based treatment groups, and establishing memoranda of agreement for the provision of greater resources.
U.S. Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney delivers a message about preventing tuberculosis at SM Mall of Asia.
First Public-Private Partnership for Family Health Launched in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
Department of Health Secretary for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DOH-ARMM) Tahir Sulaik led the launch of the family health program on March 18, 2009 in two agrarian reform cooperatives based in Basilan which are currently receiving technical assistance from the private sector health project of USAID. Around 9,700 members of the two cooperatives and their families are expected to benefit from improved access to family health information and services which will be made available to them on site or through rural health units in their areas, as well as the city health office. This milestone activity is the first of a series of initiatives which the DOH-ARMM will pursue together with USAID-assisted private sector partners under the ARMM-Wide Investment Plan for Health. Through the efforts of Secretary Sulaik and USAID, the investment plan now recognizes the private sector groups as legitimate partners in the government’s effort of addressing the family health needs of men and women in ARMM.
Partners from the public sector and the private sector join hands for quality health services in Basilan.
Public-Private Groups Sustain Partnership to Uplift Family Health Conditions in Negros Occidental
USAID/Philippines Deputy Mission Director Elzadia Washington joined public and private sector partners in Negros Occidental on March 23, 2009 to discuss ways to build on the health gains achieved under the private sector health project of USAID. The activity brought together representatives from the USAID-assisted companies of the Sugar Industry Foundation, Inc. (SIFI) and private practice midwives of the Negros Occidental Rehabilitation Foundation, Inc. (NORFI), as well as key officials from the Department of Health (DOH), Provincial Health Office (PHO), and PhilHealth. Through USAID technical assistance, about 2,400 men and women have been educated on family health concerns and over 3,000 clients have gained greater access to family planning services and products. In addition, ten birthing home clinics were established and later accredited by the national insurance health program. Together these clinics have assisted in over 500 antenatal visits, over 300 facility-based deliveries, and more than 1,500 family planning counseling sessions. With partners like NORFI and SIFI, the provincial government vows to continue to work toward attaining health goals through the increased provision of quality family health services.
USAID Deputy Mission Director, Elzadia Washington (seated, 3rd from right) joins private sector midwives, Department of Health officials and partners from two USAID-assisted projects, Negros Occidental Rehabilitation Foundation, Inc. (NORFI) and Sugar Industry Foundation, Inc. (SIFI) being implemented in the province
Mobilizing Resources for Family Planning in the Philippines
Through USAID assistance, the Province of Negros Oriental was able to access resources from the Department of Health for its family planning program. The $40,000 grant will be used for the purchase of family planning commodities, capacity building of service providers, and monitoring of family planning-related services. This is the result of USAID technical assistance in the formulation of the provincial plan for achieving commodity self-reliance, which is one of the requirements to access the grant. USAID also continues to provide technical assistance to the province in enhancing the advocacy skills of members of the Provincial Health Office, with the goal of enabling them to advocate for increased budget allocations for family planning. Ensuring adequate funding for family planning is critical for improving access to services.
Mayor Bentham dela Cruz and Dr. Johanna Amahit of Amlan at the Amlan Rural Health Unit in Negros Orientat, one of the beneficiaries of the grant.
Lanao del Sur Governor Commits to Being an Advocate During Health Summit
Governor Adiong of Lanao del Sur province, Mindanao pledged greater financial support to the Provincial Health Office during a Health Summit held on March 10, 2009. This landmark commitment is a significant show of support for health by local governments in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. It will catalyze the many health programs made inactive by lack of funds. Setting an example to the mayors present at the Summit, he pledged to construct sanitary toilets and 400 barangay halls which may be converted into health stations. Since 2006, USAID’s SHIELD (Sustainable Health Improvements through Empowerment and Local Development) Project, has engaged local government officials in the province and activated Local Health Boards in seven municipalities. As a result, local governments have hired more health workers to cover the needs of an increasing population, built and equipped health stations, and supported health events and campaigns.
Governor Adiong signing the pledge to support health programs in Lanao del Sur province, Mindanao
INVESTING IN PEOPLE: Basic Education
USAID-AusAID “Best Practice” Partnership Improves Muslim Mindanao Children’s Reading Skills
Based on a recent evaluation, as much as 85 percent improvement was achieved in the reading levels of grade 2 students in the conflict-affected Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. This was made possible by the strong basic education partnership and collaboration between USAID and the Australian Agency for International Development.
Sittie, a grade 2 student in the ARMM, reads a book she received from USAID’s EQuALLS2 Project as part of the Reading Program.
USAID and the National Book Store Foundation Join Forces to Promote Reading in Mindanao Schools
A public-private partnership between USAID and the National Book Store Foundation will provide dictionaries and thesauri valued at US$750,000 to 6,000 USAID-supported public elementary school classrooms across Mindanao. Through USAID’s Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills (EQuALLS2) Project, these materials will address the critical need to develop vocabulary and improve the reading and comprehension skills of children and youth in Mindanao.
U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney (middle), Philippines' Department of Education Undersecretary Wilma Labrador (right), and National Book Store founder Socorro Ramos sign a commitment to promote reading among Mindanao school children on April 3, 2009.
USAID Provides Multi-Faceted Assistance to Parent-Teacher-Community Associations in Mindanao
USAID awarded the first of 741 community incentive grants (CIG) to Parent-Teacher-Community Associations (PTCAs) on March 30, 2009 in Zamboanga del Norte, Mindanao. USAID’s Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills Project (EQuALLS2) Project awarded the first batch of US$1,000 CIGs to help PTCAs manage education improvement projects, supporting the identified needs of children and youth both enrolled in and out of school. Typical projects include fences, improved water and sanitation, sports equipment, and other items identified by the PTCA. PTCAs only receive awards after extensive training to ensure they possess the administrative, budgetary and project monitoring skills necessary to manage an education project. To promote sustainability, communities provide counterpart funding for identified projects. To date, all the communities have responded well to the need for counterpart funding, providing a higher level of engagement in those areas.
Binoni Elementary School principal Celso Reambonanza (2nd from right) and PTCA President Ladyluz Maglangit (far right) received a Community Incentive Grant of $1,000 from USAID’s Aivan Leo Amit (2nd from left) and Save the Children’s Joe Agarano (far left) during a ceremonial turnover in Salug, Zamboanga del Norte on March 30, 2009. The PTCA identified a potable water system as the most crucial need of students in their school, and the local government of Salug pledged approximately $420 as counterpart funding to support the project.
USAID Distributes Books to School Libraries in North Cotabato
USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program recently distributed about 36,000 books to 56 schools in North Cotabato, Central Mindanao. Officials from USAID, USAID’s GEM Program, the Department of Education’s North Cotabato office, and the Province of North Cotabato were present during the ceremonial turnover of books at the Provincial Capitol Gym in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato. Children International Foundation (based in Kansas City, Missouri), an NGO which collects and ships books to many countries around the world, donated the books. The donation of books complements USAID-GEM’s Education Matching Grant project which, in partnership with Parent-Teacher-Community Associations (PTCAs), has helped establish over 350 school libraries in recipient schools in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao.
Dr. Charles Feibel, Program Manager of USAID’s GEM Program, Jose Rizal National High School principal Romelito Flores, and students participate in the distribution of books by USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program at the provincial capitol gym in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato Province.
Students and teachers of Mlang and Jose Rizal National High Schools, led by principal Evangeline Pacumba, signal their delight over the books turned over to their schools recently by USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, at the provincial capitol gym in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato Province.
USAID Partnership Delivers 260,000 Books to Classrooms in Mindanao
USAID gave 260,000 English, science, and math books, valued at US$10.5 million, to schools in Cotabato and Zamboanga, Mindanao in January. The books were distributed through USAID’s Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills (EQuALLS2) Project’s Book Centers, using a market-inspired ‘shopping’ experience. The book shopping was organized in partnership with the Department of Education. The 758 teachers, representing 312 elementary schools in the provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Shariff Kabunsuan, North Cotabato, and Cotabato, shopped for free over several days. According to teachers, the books will complement their teaching instruction techniques and boost the reading comprehension skills of students. USAID will place 1.8 million books in 741 schools throughout Mindanao by 2011.
Teachers from Malangas municipality choose science books for elementary students at their schools.
Teachers from Sharif Kabunsuan shop for free books during the Book Fair at the EQuALLS2 Book Center in Cotabato City
ECONOMIC GROWTH: Infrastructure
Bridging Communities in Central Mindanao
For the 6,500 residents of Barangays Karim, Minabay and Piers in the Municipality of Buldon, Maguindanao Province in Central Mindanao, the footbridge across the Kaduongan River is a vital link to Buldon's markets, schools, and services. Until recently, the footbridge was a makeshift facility constructed of wooden planks and bamboo poles. It was occasionally dangerous for the people and livestock crossing it, and it could not accommodate bicycle traffic. Because of this, USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, in partnership with the Municipal Government of Buldon, designed and recently completed construction of a new 40-meter suspended footbridge to replace the old walkway. The new footbridge allows the safer movement of residents and farm products across the River, to and from the town of Buldon. To date, approximately 1,000 small infrastructure projects have been constructed by USAID’s GEM Program throughout conflict-affected areas of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. Approximately another 900 projects will be constructed in partnership with local governments during the next four years.
U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Inaugurates Bridge in Central Mindanao
U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie A. Kenney and USAID/Philippines Mission Director Jon Lindborg together with local officials recently participated in a March 2, 2009 ceremony marking the formal turn-over of the newly-constructed Sumbakil Barangay Bridge in Polomolok, South Cotabato. The new bridge was constructed by USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program and allows easier movement of Barangay Sumbakil residents (many of whom are former insurgents from the Moro National Liberation Front) to and from the Polomolok Town Center and its markets. The bridge is one of the 37 Barangay Infrastructure Projects (BIPs) constructed in South Cotabato Province under USAID’s GEM Program. About 1,000 small-scale infrastructure projects have been constructed throughout Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago over the past few years, with another 900 projects expected to be built during the next four years.
U.S. Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney and Polomolok Mayor Isidro Lumayag cut the ribbon inaugurating the Sumbakil Barangay Bridge. Joining them are various local officials and USAID/Philippines Director Jon Lindborg (far right).
A Safe Pathway Towards Home
Sitio Camias is a community of about 1,200 people, most of whom make their living by fishing. It is situated along the coast of Barangay Busbus in Jolo Town on Jolo Island in the Province of Sulu, Philippines. Nearly all the houses in the community are built on stilts standing above the coastal waters. A network of narrow walkways made of bamboo poles and wooden planks provides access for community residents to the public market, schools, mosques and to each others' homes.
A 200-meter pedestrian footbridge connecting the community to the barangay road was recently constructed by USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program for the people of the community. The new footbridge replaced a dilapidated and dangerous walkway and now allows safer movement of residents to and from the barangay road. This footbridge is one of the 65 Barangay Infrastructure Projects (BIPs) constructed in Sulu through USAID's GEM Program. About 900 BIPs have thus far been constructed throughout Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago over the past few years, with another 900 projects to be built during the next four years.
Because of a newly constructed pedestrian footbridge, the approximately 1,200 residents of Sitio Camias in Barangay Busbus, Jolo can now more safely walk from their homes to schools, the public market, the mosque and other destinations. The pedestrian footbridge is one of 65 Barangay Infrastructure Projects (BIP) constructed in the Province of Sulu by USAID's Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program.
Safer and Faster Travel in Mindanao
Prior to USAID's Growth with Equity in Mindanao's (GEM) construction of a concrete bridge across the Cebuano River, the 2,500 residents of Baragay Bololmala, Tupi, South Cotabato Province used a home-made wooden bridge to cross the river to get to the Tupi town center and the barangay schools. During heavy rain, the bridge was impassable. Residents often had to wait several hours for the water level to subside before they could cross. With the new bridge, quick and safe access is now possible. The U.S. government, through USAID’s GEM Program, has constructed 37 infrastructure projects in South Cotabato Province over the past few years.
Residents of Barangay Bololmala in Tupi, South Cotabato Province, can now safely cross the Cebuano River to bring their harvests to the town center via the new bridge which was constructed under USAID’s GEM Program.
ECONOMIC GROWTH - Financial Sector
USAID/Philippines Promotes Innovative Microinsurance Products
USAID/Philippines’ Microenterprise Access to Banking Services Program (MABS) invited MicroEnsure Country Manager William H. Martirez to provide a briefing for representatives from Green Bank, GM Bank and Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines on March 31, 2009. The presentation centered on Weather Index Based Crop Insurance, an innovative micro-insurance product that provides insurance protection to rice and corn farmers from drought and typhoons.
This insurance product will be pilot tested this coming crop season in several parts of the country such as Panay and Nueva Ecija. The Weather Index Based Crop Insurance has already been implemented in various African countries, including Malawi. Mr. Martirez also discussed other micro-insurance products, including micro-housing and family life Insurance. MicroEnsure is an insurance intermediary working with private insurance providers to develop responsive insurance products and services focused on low-income households.
MicroEnsure Country Manager William H. Martirez provides an overview of the Weather Index Based Crop Insurance during a briefing for GM Bank, Green Bank, and the Rural Bankers’ Association of the Philippines.
Orienting Senior Managers of Rural Banks on Microfinance
Microenterprise Access to Banking Services Program (MABS) conducted a Senior Management Orientation to orient officers of five rural banks on the MABS Approach to Microfinance on April 2, 2009. This is in line with expanding outreach to more rural banks and microenterprise clients.
The Senior Management Orientation, the first of the five modules under the MABS Approach Training and Technical Services package - provides an overview and appreciation of the MABS Approach to developing microfinance products and services. The MABS Approach is a systematic, step-by-step training and technical assistance package followed by rural banks as they develop the full capability to profitably provide loan, deposit, money transfer and other financial services to meet the needs of microentrepreneurs and low-income households.
The Orientation had participation from fourteen senior officers from five rural banks planning to establish microfinance operations including the First Mindoro Microfinance Bank, First Reliance Bank, Negros Cooperative Bank, Rural Bank of Dipolog, and Rural Bank of Kawit. Sessions focused on microfinance definition and best practices, management information systems, microinsurance, and profitability of microfinance operations. The participants completed an institutional assessment survey to gauge their bank’s readiness to offer new microfinance products and services.
USAID Supports Training for Government Regulators of Cooperatives
USAID's Credit Union Empowerment & Strengthening (CUES) Project implemented in partnership with the World Council of Credit Unions, trains the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) Region 10 and the Mindanao Alliance of Self-help Societies - Southern Philippines Educational Cooperative Center (MASS-SPECC; a potential CDA-deputized credit cooperative federation) in the implementation of a recently issued Manual of Rules and Regulations (MORR) for Cooperatives with Savings and Credit Operations through a five-month training program called: “Building Capacities for an Effective Regulatory and Supervisory System”. These training workshops, which began in March 2009, will strengthen the capacity of CDA Region 10 pilot group and extension offices in CARAGA, Davao, Kidapawan and Pagadian and MASS-SPEC in implementing the MORR. Through these workshops, MORR technical issues and queries from the CDA field offices will also be clarified.
Ms. Lecira V. Juarez, CDA Chairperson, responding to MORR queries during a two-day MORR workshop held at the MASS-SPECC Cooperative Development Center during March 2009
Boosting Rural Bankers’ Knowledge of Mobile Phone Banking Services
To accredit more Mobile Phone Banking Services (MPBS) partner rural banks, USAID/Philippines’ Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (MABS) and private firm G-Xchange (GXI) held a training workshop on MPBS for Mindanao-based rural banks. Twenty-three rural bankers from 16 rural banks attended the workshop held on March 18, 2009 in Davao City. It served as a venue to educate these bankers on the uses, benefits, implementation procedures, technical aspects, expansion issues and other concerns on mobile phone banking. Since the start of the year, 90 rural bankers from 54 rural banks have attended the series of five accreditation workshops that have been held across the Philippines. The aim of this workshop is to train rural bankers on mobile banking, equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge for its implementation. It is one of the requirements of the Philippine Central Bank for a bank to be accredited to offer MPBS.
Representatives from various development agencies and microfinance institutions pay close attention as RBAP President Tomas Gomez IV wraps up the Joint Microfinance Conference held in Manila on March 10, 2009.
Accrediting Rural Banks for Mobile Phone Banking Services
Continuing the move to accredit additional Mobile Phone Banking partner rural banks, USAID’s Microenterprise Access to Banking Services Program and G-Xchange (GXI) conducted a training-workshop for rural bankers in Iloilo on March 11, 2009. Twelve rural bank officers from five rural banks participated in the training-workshop. They were educated on mobile banking and GCASH services including implementation procedures, expansion issues, and concerns; key factors for success; lessons from early implementers; and technical aspects of Mobile Phone Banking Services implementation. The training helps rural banks meet the requirements of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in offering mobile phone banking services via the GCASH platform.
Fostering Mobile Phone Banking and Mobile Commerce Opportunities for Microenterprise Clients
During a microfinance conference held on March 10, 2009 in Manila, USAID/Philippines’ Microenterprise Access to Banking Services Program (MABS) provided an overview of the MABS mobile phone banking services and the mobile commerce opportunities that rural banks are offering to their microenterprise clients in partnership with mobile network operators. The conference was organized by the Southern New Hampshire University School of Community Economic Development and the Southeast Asia Interdisciplinary Development Institute in cooperation with the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines, Center for Agriculture and Rural Development Mutually Reinforcing Institutions, Development Institute, Inc., and the Peace Equity Foundation. The event included a variety of participants from development agencies, microfinance NGOs, rural banks, credit cooperatives and other organizations.
Representatives from various development agencies and microfinance institutions pay close attention as RBAP President Tomas Gomez IV wraps up the Joint Microfinance Conference held in Manila on March 10, 2009.
ECONOMIC GROWTH: Agriculture
USAID/Philippines Facilitates Research and Development for Marine Food Production in Mindanao
Mega Aquaculture Corporation (MAC), a leading producer and exporter of aquaculture products, and Mindanao State University-Tawi-Tawi (MSU-TT) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on February 10, 2009 in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, under which they will jointly carry out research and development activities aimed at improving and expanding cultivation of abalone and grouper in Tawi-Tawi and other parts of the Sulu Archipelago, with particular attention paid to hatchery operations. MAC entered into a multi-year contract with the Province of Tawi-Tawi in 2008 - which calls upon MAC to manage and operate the newly-constructed Tawi-Tawi Multi-Species Hatchery. USAID/Philippines’ Growth with Equity in Mindanao Program (GEM) played an important role in bringing about the establishment of the hatchery, arranging for private-sector management of the hatchery, and helping develop a good working relationship between MAC and MSU-TT. Over the longer term, this relationship will expand the quantity and improve the quality of aquaculture products coming out of Tawi-Tawi. Under the terms of the MOU, MSU-TT will assist the hatchery to improve production of juveniles of selected species for sale to local fish farmers (who rear them in sea cages until maturity and sell them on Asian markets). In-turn, MSU-TT will benefit from having access to the modern hatchery, the only such facility in the Sulu archipelago. The MOU was signed by MAC President and CEO William Lim and MSU-TT Chancellor Eddie Alih.
Professor Connie Toring of Mindanao State University (right foreground) and a staff member of the multi-species hatchery work on segregating male and female abalone, in preparation for spawning.
ECONOMIC GROWTH: Environment
USAID Eco Defenders Join Earth Hour 2009
During the March 28 8:30 p.m. "Earth Hour," the USAID Sustainable Energy Development Program’s Eco Defenders – Switch Ninja, Waste Buster and Water Warrior – performed in glow-in-the-dark costumes in front of the Philippine Stock Exchange in Makati. At exactly 8:30 p.m., when the official “lights out” was declared, the volunteer student-actor Eco Defenders presented a short skit highlighting the story of Switch Ninja who campaigns for saving electricity and the increased use of energy efficient lights and appliances. Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, and World Wildlife Fund Chair Vince Perez led the Earth Hour countdown and participated in a Commitment Signing ceremony with representatives from the following USAID partners: Clean Cities Makati Coalition, Ayala Foundation, Manila Water, Department of Education Makati, and the Switch Project of the Department of Energy. Other Earth Hour events took place throughout Metro Manila. Now in its second year, the Earth Hour campaign encourages people to turn off their lights for an hour on the last Saturday of March. This year, the Philippines ranked first worldwide, with 647 cities and municipalities participating in the event.
Eco Defenders in their "Glow in the Dark" costumes during Earth Hour.
Philippine Water Revolving Fund Featured at Fifth World Water Forum
The Philippine Water Revolving Fund (PWRF) figured prominently during the Fifth World Water Forum held in Istanbul, Turkey March 16-22, 2009. Philippine Department of Finance Undersecretary Jeremias Paul spoke on the Philippines' pioneering efforts in water finance and participated in a Ministerial Panel on Water Finance chaired by Acting USAID Administrator Alonzo Fulgham. The PWRF is a joint initiative of the Philippine Government, USAID, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It seeks to leverage private investment in water infrastructure using a combination of a JICA loan, a USAID credit guarantee, and technical assistance.
USAID and Davao City Support Youth Alliance for Clean Air
On March 17, 2009, nearly 150 high school and elementary students from Davao City in Mindanao participated in the launch of the Clean Air Youth Alliance (CAYA) - Juniors and Kids movement at the Ateneo de Davao University to demonstrate their commitment to act for clean air. The students wrote their pledges to support cleaning the environment and posted these pledges to the "tree of commitment." They also asked the government, the public and youth to plant more trees, strictly implement the anti-smoke belching campaign, perform preventive car maintenance, use bicycles more often, and refrain from smoking. The event is part of the public awareness campaign promoted under USAID’s Energy and Clean Air Program, (ECAP) in partnership with the Ateneo de Davao University and the City of Davao, as part of celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of the Clean Air Act.
City Councilor Leo Avila leads the release of butterflies to symbolize the metamorphosis of the elementary and high school students in Davao from mere observers to advocates of cleaner air.
Students post leaf-pledges to clean the air on the Tree of Commitment during the CAYA Juniors and Kids launching in Davao.
ECONOMIC GROWTH: Workforce Development
USAID’s Literacy and Livelihood Programs Reached 1,837 Internally Displaced Out-of-School Youth in Mindanao
USAID/Philippines improved the literacy and livelihood skills of Out-of-School Children and Youth (OSCY) in Mindanao in the midst of conflict and wide-scale displacement in the region from July 2008 to present. USAID’s Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills (EQuALLS2) Project provided literacy and livelihood training to OSCYs throughout Mindanao, particularly in the provinces of Sulu and Maguindanao. 1,837 OSCYs in these areas successfully completed a five-month literacy program, attending sessions in community learning centers inside evacuation centers for displaced persons. One OSCY, Sahida from Maguindanao (pictured below) graduated from the literacy training (July 2008-January 2009) and went on to take a course on bag-making. She will soon augment her knowledge by learning about printing, which will enhance her new bag-making skills. OSCYs that graduate have the option of re-entering formal school by taking an Accreditation and Equivalency review session and an exam; or learning a new livelihood skill to find gainful employment.
Sahida, 15, from Maguindanao Province, Mindanao, continued to attend her literacy sessions even during her family’s evacuation to a temporary shelter.
Peace and Security: Conflict Mitigation and Reconciliation
Mitigating Conflict in Mindanao between Muslim Internally Displaced Persons and a Christian Host Community
More than 200 people from Muslim and Christian communities gathered in Barangay Bulucaon, Pigcawayan Municipality, Cotabato Province on February 5, 2009, to celebrate a newly-restored peace between their communities. The celebration was a result of a series of consultation dialogues to control internal conflicts and avert violence with Muslim internally displaced person (IDP) families. With support from USAID and The Asia Foundation, the United Youth for Peace and Development organized and conducted a series of dialogues with targeted messaging between the Christian and Muslim civilians and their leaders to control inflammatory rumors and prevent the escalation of violence. The dialogues also aimed to explore developing protocols for both IDPs and host communities in case future hostilities and displacements take place. The entire process culminated in a Community Peace Forum, highlighted by the reading and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Muslims and Christians in Barangay Bulucaon. This is part of a larger USAID program to reduce conflict in Mindanao by performing research to better understand the causes of conflict in the region, facilitating conflict resolution, and training local residents in conflict mitigation and mediation.
Consultations with Muslim IDP families conducted by the United Youth for Peace and Development and Barangay Bulucaon.officials
Peace and Security: Conflict Mitigation and Reconciliation
Training in Conflict Resolution for Mindanao Community Leaders
The Mindanao Initiatives for Peace (MinPeace) project kicked-off their training program in conflict resolution for the Bangsamoro Development Authority (BDA) on March 25, 2009. About 450 BDA community leaders will undergo training in conflict resolution until mid-April 2009. This intensive capacity-building activity of the MinPeace Project is expected to contribute to the betterment of the peace situation in 150 communities in Davao Oriental, Sanggani, Maguindanao, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay and Basilan. BDA is the outreach arm of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Consultations with Muslim IDP families conducted by the United Youth for Peace and Development and Barangay Bulucaon.officials
Governing Justly and Democratically: Good Governance
Dialogue with Media: Deepening their Understanding of National Budget Issues
Fourteen select journalists participated in a follow-on dialogue of USAID’s Philippine National Budget Monitoring Project on March 24, 2009 to discuss lump sum appropriations in the FY 2009 general appropriations, and the lack of transparency in the crafting the PhP50 billion fiscal stimulus fund. The group also discussed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s recent “soft” veto of the fiscal stimulus fund. Former Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin, currently the Chief of Party of the budget monitoring project, led the discussions. The journalist participants noted that the training series and dialogues carried out by the Project deepened their understanding on technical aspects of budget formulation, which leads to improved reporting and intensified vigilance on issues related to the 2009 budget. USAID supports the training and research activities of the Budget Monitoring Network – an informal group of civil society and media organizations dedicated to tracking and disseminating issues on budget formulation and other aspects of public expenditure management.
Journalists and media professionals participate in the March 2009 dialogue on monitoring the FY 2009 budget process.
Governing Justly and Democratically: Political Competition and Consensus-Building
USAID/Philippines Deepens its Support for Citizen Election Monitoring
With USAID/Philippines support, the Lawyer’s Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) was established in 2007 as a network of lawyers, paralegals, and law students for monitoring the election result consolidation or “canvassing process.” With the volunteers’ legal backgrounds, they were successfully able to mediate disputes during the canvassing process and provide some legal advice to other monitoring groups. For the upcoming presidential elections in 2010, LENTE will initiate a new, innovative activity to provide legal support to voters and citizen election monitoring groups. LENTE will also enhance efforts to expose and hold violators of election laws accountable. In February-March 2009, LENTE toured Metro Manila law schools to hold recruitment seminars and symposia on election laws in need of reform, such as the party list law and the automated election system. At the end of this month-long recruitment drive, LENTE was able to raise awareness among law students on critical election issues and establish and expand its chapters in Metro Manila.
(From left to right) Senator Richard Gordon, Committee on Elections (COMELEC) Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, and. Mr. Gus Lagman (formerly of the National Movement for Free Elections and now a convener of the group transparentelections.org) speak at a seminar organized by LENTA at Ateneo de Manila University.
DIPLOMACY, DEFENSE, AND DEVELOPMENT
USAID Advances the 3Ds in Foreign Assistance to the Philippines
On March 13, 2009 USAID/Philippines highlighted its commitment to the diplomacy, defense and development approach to U.S. foreign assistance during a visit by Admiral Robert F. Willard, Commander of the U.S. Navy Fleet in the Pacific. Admiral Willard presented hundreds of English, science and math books to an elementary school in Zamboanga City, Mindanao as part of a partnership between USAID’s Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills (EQuALLS2) Project and the U.S. Military’s Joint Special Operations Task Force – Philippines (JSOTF-P). This partnership improves education for children in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao by providing a reliable and cost-efficient means of transporting books to schools in remote areas. JSOTF-P will help USAID place 1.8 million books in 741 schools throughout Mindanao by 2011.
U.S. Navy Admiral Robert Willard (left) hands over science books to Grade 6 student, Junnea Marah Elizarde (right), highlighting the partnership between USAID and the U.S. Military’s Joint Special Operations Task Force – Philippines (JSOTF-P) in increasing access to quality education for Mindanao children. The school received a delivery of 145 books on March 13, 2009.
MILLENIUM CHALLENGE ACCOUNT: Philippines Threshold Program
MCA-PTP Automates Tax Administration in Cagayan De Oro
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is moving toward achieving its goals of higher revenue collection and less tax evasion. In March 2009, the BIR, under the Millennium Challenge Account Threshold Program (MCA-PTP), officially launched the computerization of tax administration in Revenue Region 16-Cagayan de Oro, along with three other revenue district offices in the region. “The Nationwide Rollout of Computerized Systems represents one of the most significant initiatives in the Bureau of Internal Revenue that the MCA-PTP TAP has supported,” said Revenue Commissioner Sixto S. Esquivias IV. “The integrated tax system will help the BIR further its mission to provide the most accurate, efficient and cost effective service to taxpayers. It will also improve BIR’s ability to ensure that every taxpayer pays their fair share of taxes, and make it more difficult to commit tax evasion”. The MCA-PTP has supported the roll-out of the BIR’s Nationwide Rollout of Computerized Systems program in 75 revenue sites, achieving nearly 97% computerization of the BIR revenue district offices.
Commissioner Sixto S. Esquivias IV addressing the audience at the Bureau of Internal Revenue Revenue District Office in Cagayan de Oro at the Nationwide Rollout of Computerized Systems launch.