The Australian and Philippine governments have officially launched a P1.5-billion program aimed at strengthening social protection, inclusion, and gender equality in the Philippines.
Dubbed the Social Protection, Inclusion, and Gender Equality (SPRING) program, the five-year initiative was unveiled during the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) annual Partnership Forum.
SPRING will run from 2024 to 2029 and will enhance collaboration between the two countries as Strategic Partners, focusing on poverty reduction and creating equal opportunities for all Filipinos.
The program is designed to bolster the Philippines’ social protection framework through technical assistance, capacity-building, and evidence-based policy reforms. Key features include:
- Strengthening gender budgeting and mainstreaming systems;
- Improving data on persons with disabilities to enable better-targeted services; and
- Expanding access to social services for indigenous peoples.
Australian Ambassador to the Philippines HK Yu and DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian formalized the agreement during the launch event, underscoring the program’s alignment with the Australia-Philippines Development Partnership Plan 2024-2029.
“Australia is committed to working with the Philippines to achieve its development objectives, and through SPRING we are stepping up our support for the most disadvantaged Filipinos,” said Ambassador Yu.
SPRING builds on Australia’s long-standing support for Philippine social protection initiatives. Secretary Gatchalian emphasized the significance of the program in enhancing the country’s mechanisms, which supported around 24 million Filipinos in 2024.
“The DSWD understands that our country is diverse and constantly evolving. That is why we continue to build partnerships and innovate our approach to be just as dynamic and responsive. We thank the Australian Government for investing in strengthening the Philippine Government’s system to reduce poverty and gender inequality and promote social inclusion,” said Gatchalian.
