UN body allots $375.7 M for Phl dev't

MANILA, Philippines - The United Nations (UN) recently announced that it would invest up to $375.7 million in development assistance to the Philippines over the next seven years.

The assistance is under the new UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF).

 Under the program, $147.2 million will be used to strengthen capacities of national and local agencies to deliver quality social services for the poor.

 Furthermore, the program will also extend $46.5 million, to generate employment through sustained and “green” growth.

In the area of governance, the development assistance framework would also provide $67.2 million and about $114.8 million to “strengthen national and local resilience to climate change, threats, and disasters.”

The UN will source $79 million of the assistance package from regular UN sources while the rest will be mobilized from other sources.

In a recent launching at the Asian Institute of Management, UN and Philippine government officials said the new UNDAF would cover the period 2012 to 2018.

“This is a statement of commitment by the UN to align the organization’s development initiatives with the Philippine Development Plan for 2011-2016, which is the National Government’s blueprint for inclusive growth. Furthermore, the UNDAF outlines the UN Country Team (UNCT) in the Philippines ’s strategic responses to the development priorities of the Philippines,” the UN said in a statement.

 According to UN Resident Coordinator, Dr. Jacqueline Badcock, “the UNDAF 2012-2018 is partnership-based, and will be implemented in accordance with the UN philosophy of ‘Delivering As One.”

This translates to all of the 25 UN agencies that operate in the Philippines, converging their respective programs when possible to have a greater, more cost-effective impact.”

The UNDAF 2012-2018 was signed by Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and NEDA Director-General Cayetano Paderanga Jr., on behalf of the Philippine government, and UN resident coordinator, Dr. Badcock, last July 21.