RP to align its priorities with those of UNDAF

MANILA, Philippines - The Aquino administration’s development priorities would be closely aligned with the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for 2012 to 2016, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cayetano Paderanga Jr. said yesterday.

At the recent consultations on the UNDAF, he noted that the UN Country Team’s had earlier committed to President Aquino that the UNDAF would mirror the priorities of the new Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP).

The UNDAF outlines the UNCT’s strategic response to the development priorities of a country for a specified period of time.

Paderanga, who is also the director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), said that the MTPDP’s overall direction is anchored on an inclusive growth framework.

The project aims to create decent and adequate employment opportunities for many more Filipinos in order to significantly reduce poverty.

The socioeconomic planning secretary meanwhile assured the UNCT that the government’s Medium Term Philippine Development Plan 2010-2016 would also integrate current and emerging concerns, such as achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), adopting a human rights based approach in development planning, and responding to climate change, which are also concerns advocated by the UN.

“Under the new MTPDP, priority shall be given on meeting the targets on poverty reduction, nutrition, dietary energy requirement, primary education, maternal mortality and access to reproductive health services.

 The Plan shall also consider regional dimensions and dynamics so that the successor Regional Development Plans shall contain localized targets and strategies that will address specific concerns in the regions, and at the same time enable us to collectively achieve national goals,” Paderanga said.

 The NEDA chief noted the importance of the development partners’ support to the MTPDP, including the strengthening of results monitoring and evaluation systems.

“We are also instituting reforms in the Philippine Statistical System, for it to be more reliable and responsive, not just to development planners but also to the general public. The UN has expertise in this field, and we may need you along the way,” Paderanga added.

The UNCT is currently conducting consultations with the government, civil society and development partners in crafting the third UNDAF for the Philippines. The last UNDAF, crafted for the period 2005 to 2009, was extended up to 2011.