The exhibition documents the sixty years of EU–Philippines relations since the presentation of credentials by the first Philippine Ambassador to the European Commission H.E. Vicente I. Singian, in 1964. The EU Delegation to the Philippines was officially opened on May 15, 1991.

The exhibition uses images sounds, and objects to chronicle the friendship and cooperation between the EU and the Philippines over the last six decades.

The exhibition is one of a series of events organised by the EU Delegation to the Philippines to celebrate six decades of partnership and friendship with the Philippines. Recently it also conducted a choral festival “Sounds of Celebration: Sixty Years of EU-PH Relations” in partnership with the University of Santo Tomas, Manila.

Shared Journey: 60 Years of EU-PH Diplomatic Relations

H. E. Luc Véron, European Union Ambassador to the Philippines together with Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega opened the exhibition with Yuchengco Museum Executive Director and Curator Jeannie Javelosa.

Ambassador Véron underscored the longstanding partnership of the European Union with the Philippines and their shared commitment to a rules-based international order.

The EU Ambassador also mentioned the collaboration on circular economy, sustainable energy and enhanced connectivity to build a greener and more interconnected future.

Over the years, political and diplomatic relations between the EU and the Philippines have transitioned from being primarily focused on developmental goals to a wide range of areas, including political relations, trade and economic cooperation, security, transport, education and culture, health, etc.

In 2018, the EU-Philippines Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation entered into force. This agreement signaled the initiation of collaboration across various areas of mutual interest, encompassing politics, society, economics, counterterrorism, transnational crime prevention, human rights, justice, peace efforts, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, trade, migration, maritime labour, employment, disaster risk management, and health.

From 1991 to 1994, the Philippines served as country coordinator for ASEAN-EU Dialogue relations. The Philippines is once again the country coordinator from August 2021 until August 2024.

Europe Day Reception 2024

Meanwhile, Europe Day reception was held on May 9, 2024 with Ambassador Véron and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Antonio Morales and the Dean of Diplomatic Corps, Most Reverend Charles Brown, leading the toast. Europe Day marks the founding of the European Union and is celebrated by EU Delegations across the globe.

The award-winning choir in the choral festival “Sounds of Celebration: Sixty Years of EU-PH Relations”, “Los Cantantes de Manila”, conducted by Darwin Vargas, rendered the anthem of the Philippines and the EU Hymn. The choir was the Grand Prix Winner 2015 Busan Choral Festival and Competition and First Prize 2017 and 2023 editions of Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition in Germany. In July of this year, the choir is set to represent the Philippines in competitions in Italy, Spain and Hungary. Atty Karen Jimeno was the master of ceremonies.

Iconic buildings and monuments such as the Rizal Monument and Dancing Fountain in Rizal Park, the National Museum of the Philippines, the De La Salle University and Heroes Square hosting the Honorary Consulate of Georgia, in Manila, the Mabalacat City College, and the University of the Philippines in Miagao, were illuminated in the EU flag blue and yellow colors to mark this occasion.

The Disaster Risk Reduction Enhancement at the Local Level Technical Assistance (DRREALL TA) Program aims to support the DILG in reinforcing local government units, specifically in building and enhancing existing capabilities in key DRRM aspects. The DRREALL TA Program will cover activities to address critical gaps, namely, risk-informed planning, integrated capacity development strategies, effective local DRRM funds’ utilization, and gender sensitive and socially inclusive disaster response towards ensuring the readiness and protection of citizens especially the vulnerable.

The Program also aims to conduct high-level policy dialogue among government and non-government stakeholders in setting important policy directions and solutions that foster co-ownership and accountability.

Co-funded by the EU and the AFD, the EUR4.28 million or PHP256 million TA accompanies a programmatic policy-based loan by the French government amounting to EUR250 million to the Government of the Philippines in 2021.

The DRREALL TA Program will be implemented by the Expertise France and will run from 2024 to 2027 in close partnership among DILG, LGUs, partner national agencies and French institutions.

In a recorded statement, the DOF said that the DRREALL Program is a fitting solution to the Philippines’ ongoing battle against climate change. “Given our archipelagic nature, each locality in the Philippines faces its own unique set of challenges and vulnerabilities. This [DRREALL Program] will allow us to empower our local government units as we develop climate projects and programs uniquely tailored to their specific needs. By doing so, we ensure sensitivity to localities and increase the likelihood of achieving the greatest positive impact for our people,” said Secretary Ralph G. Recto.

EU Ambassador Luc Véron stated, “The European Union is proud to be able to continue supporting the Philippines’ efforts to improve the country’s climate resilience, most especially at the local level, through blended financing, in partnership with AFD. This project responds fully to the Government’s objective to address Climate Change in a more effective and coordinated manner, and should help to take practical steps and support LGUs to move from plans to action.  DRREALL is one element in a larger framework of partnership – the Team Europe Green Economy Initiative. As part of this initiative, the EU launched recently the EUR60 million EU-Philippines Green Economy Programme, which will focus on the Philippines’ transition towards a more circular economy, reducing waste and plastic, as well as increasing energy efficiency and renewable energy”.

“The DILG stands firm in our mandate to lead local government units in shaping strategies for local governance, including developing policies, and programs relevant to protecting most especially our local citizens from natural and human-induced hazards. The strengthening of LGUs in delivering devolved services will always be at the forefront of our vision for a climate resilient Philippines. We encourage all stakeholders identified in the implementation of the DRREALL TA activities, to pledge their active engagement, valuable knowledge, and technical expertise for the successful implementation of the Program”, said DILG Undersecretary Marlo L. Iringan.

For Mr. Philippe Orliange, AFD Executive Director of All Countries’ Operation, the Philippines is an important stakeholder in advancing France’s Indo-Pacific strategy. “The Southeast Asian region houses 14 of the 20 most climate-exposed countries, 54% of the global population, and contributes to 40% of the global GDP. Through a EUR250 million policy-based operation in 2021, AFD demonstrated its commitment to a long-term partnership with the Philippines on a territorial approach to enhance adaptation capacities to climate change. Further, we are mobilizing our French expertise network through the CEREMA (public expertise agency for ecological transition and regional planning) for flood risk planning and Expertise France as DRREALL TA project implementor.”

A panel discussion with the theme “Carving a Collaborative Path on the Philippines’ disaster risk management” followed the ceremonial exchange of the Trilateral Memorandum of Understanding and the Technical Cooperation Memorandum for the DRREALL TA Program on Friday. The panel was joined by DILG Usec. Marlo Iringan, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Assistant Secretary Rodolfo Calzado, Jr., Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) Executive Director Aileen Leycano, AFD Executive Director Philippe Orliange and Expertise France Deputy Director of the Peace, Security and Stability Department Olivier Sublard. A deep dive and Q&A sessions also followed in the afternoon.

According to the 2023 World Risk Index, the Philippines ranks as the country with the highest disaster risk worldwide alongside multiple exposures, high intensities and severe impact due to flooding, storm surges, typhoons, and landslides. According to the national weather bureau PAGASA, 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility per year on average. Since 2009, extreme weather events such as Typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng, Sendong caused over 3,000 deaths, directly affected more than 10 million people and led to economic loss and damages amounting to approximately USD5.7 million. The most intense of which is typhoon Haiyan, which caused more than 6300 deaths and economic destruction valued at approximately USD2.3 billion.

More than a decade ago, the Government of the Philippines has developed Republic Act 10121 or the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act with an accompanying roadmap aiming to advance the central role of local authorities in climate adaptation and resilience improvement efforts.

With the theme “Taking the Philippines Centrestage”, this year’s forum sought to provide a platform for sharing insights and exchanging meaningful discussions on how the Philippines can maximize its competitive advantage as an investment destination and bring the country’s economy to new heights. 

Attended by more than two hundred delegates physically and online, the forum featured messages and presentations from various speakers. 

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In the first panel discussion, speakers included H.E. Luc Véron, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines; Hon. Justice Lucas P. Bersamin, Executive Secretary to the Office of the President; Hon. Antonio Ernesto F. Lagdameo, Jr., Special Assistant to the President to the Office of the President; Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Department of Trade and Industry; Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Department of Finance; Ms. Amanda Murphy, Co-Regional Head of Commercial Banking at HSBC; and Mr. Anand Stanley, President and Head of Region at Airbus Asia-Pacific; and moderator EU-ABC Executive Director Mr. Chris Humphrey. 

Meanwhile, the second discussion featured Hon. Gerald Divinagracia, Deputy Director General for Operations at Anti-Red Tape Authority; Mr. Ruben Pascual, Secretary-General of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Ms. Celeste Ilagan, Chief Policy And Regulatory Affairs Officer of the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines; Dr. Danilo Lachica, President of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines; Mr. Rodney Van Dooren, Director for Illicit Trade Prevention at Philip Morris Asia Limited; and moderator CNN Philippines Anchor Ms. Lois Calderon. 

Christina Stieber, Commercial Counsellor at the Austrian Embassy in Manila and Head at Advantage Austria served as the Master of Ceremonies of the event. 

The 2023 European-Philippine Business Dialogue is co-presented by HSBC Philippines and Airbus. The event is also supported by Event Partners I.T. & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) and the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. (SEIPI); Platinum Partner Philip Morris International; Gold Partners Prime Infra and Alaska Milk Corporation; Silver Partners Grab, SGV and Co.,

Roche Inc., Royal Cargo Inc., and Nestlé; Event Supporters Advantage Austria, Dutch Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, CCI France Philippines, Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, and Swiss Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines; and Beverage Partner Le Cellier. 

This year marks the 10th run of the European-Philippine Business Dialogue. Launched in 2014, this event brings together industry experts, government leaders, and relevant stakeholders to celebrate and strengthen the European-Philippine economic ties. 

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Filipino women want and deserve access to justice. But of the 35% of Filipinos who experienced a legal problem in the last two years, only 20% of them were able to access help, according to the 2019 World Justice Report. And women and children find it harder to access justice.

The Governance in Justice or GOJUST is a programme of the European Union to support the Philippine Government’s efforts to improve access to justice for all. The GOJUST programme includes a grant mechanism of EUR 3.1 million (Php 170 million) over a period of four years to support civil society organizations and universities/law schools to improve access to justice for disadvantaged groups in particular women and girls.

The grant signing ceremony was held virtually today with the keynote address given by his H.E. Luc Véron, EU Ambassador to the Philippines.

Messages were also given by Atty. Anna Marie Melanie Trinidad, Chairperson, Legal Education Board; Associate Justice Ramon Paul L. Hernando, Chairperson, Committee on Legal Education; Dean Gemy Lito Festin, President, Philippine Association of Law Schools; and Ms. Jelen Paclarin, Executive Director, Women’s Legal and Human Rights Bureau.

“Gender equality is one of the European Union’s core values. Ensuring women and girls have equal access to justice is fundamental to building a fair, inclusive, prosperous and peaceful society. The European Union has been a committed partner to the Philippine’s Justice Sector reform since 2006. Our engagement stems from the importance we attach to democracy, human rights and the rule of law,” said EU Ambassador Luc Véron.

“We look forward to the transformative work of these universities in the year ahead. Women and girls are key agents of development and change. Their interventions will change lives for the better”, he added.

The six universities will implement the Clinical Legal Education Program (CLEP) of the Supreme Court as a pathway to promote access to justice for women and other vulnerable groups. The CLEP is a credit-earning teaching course with the goal of providing law students with knowledge for the application of the law, delivery of legal services and promotion of social justice, especially to marginalized communities.

The planned activities of the grantees intend to empower women as much as improve their access to justice services.

West Visayas State University will set up a legal help desk for women, children and marginalized groups in need of legal support and assistance. The University will leverage its Gender and Development (GAD) Office and collaborate with the Women and Children Protection Unit (WCPU) of the West Visayas Medical Center Hospital to develop the help desk.

Similarly, another grantee, the University of the Visayas will also set up a legal help desk in the female dormitory of the Cebu City jail to provide free legal aid services to women deprived of liberty.

Adamson University will create a corps of paralegal volunteers, and focus on the legal empowerment and education of disadvantaged communities through workshops on the justice system, human rights, and women’s/ children’s rights. Father Saturnino Urios University (FSUU) will work with indigenous communities on rights awareness including women’s rights.

With a total grant of  EUR19 million (Php 1.1 billion ) over a period of four years, the EU’s GOJUST Programme: 1) supports the Philippine Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, to improve access to justice for all Filipinos and thus, contribute to inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development; 2) aims at strengthening the Commission on Human Rights to exert its constitutional mandate of civil and political rights protection and enhance human rights promotion in the Philippines consistent with the United Nations’ Paris principles.

GOJUST is implemented through technical assistance by the British Council and logistical and grant management support from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) as well as the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).

Over the week, the officials held wide-ranging meetings with representatives of the Filipino Government, including the Departments of Trade, Justice, Labour and Employment, Environment and Natural Resources, the Presidential Human Rights Committee, the National Police, the Dangerous Drugs Board, the Drug Enforcement Agency and other relevant government services and agencies. The officials also met with representatives of civil society, including human rights defenders, trade unions and employers, and had exchanges with EU Member States’ Ambassadors and UN agencies.

The monitoring mission addressed issues relating to human rights, the rule of law, labour relations, good governance and the protection of the environment. In particular, discussions focused on the government’s actions regarding the war on drugs, accountability for extrajudicial killings, restrictions of civil society space (including red tagging of human rights defenders), freedom of expression, opinion and media, anti-torture legislation, anti-terrorism laws, freedom of association, child labour, drugs policy, environment and climate change as well as corruption. The EU conveyed a message of urgency to the Filipino authorities to address all these issues of concerns. 

EU Ambassador Luc Véron said “The effective implementation of international commitments on trade and sustainable development forms the basis of the Philippine’s privileged access to the EU market. We have been working together with the Filipino government since the country joined the scheme in 2014. While my colleagues from Brussels recognise the level of engagement and the climate of frank discussions with the Filipino government, they also reiterated the need for tangible and measurable progress overtime on issues of concern”.

Monitoring and engagement with the Government of the Philippines is the subject of regular reports to the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers. The most recent report dates from 2020 and was accompanied by a document assessing progress by each GSP+ beneficiary country, including the Philippines (hyperlinks below added). The information gathered by the EU’s monitoring mission this week will feed into the next report that the Commission will present to the Parliament and the Council in the second part of 2022 on the general implementation of the Scheme, which will also include an assessment of progress regarding compliance with the 27 conventions by each GSP+ beneficiary.

The EU GSP is a unilateral trade tool that eliminates tariffs on products coming into the EU from lower middle-income countries in exchange for commitments to effectively implement international conventions relating to sustainable development. The current scheme will expire at the end of 2023. On 21 September 2021, the Commission has proposed to extend, with some modifications, the scheme until 2034. The EU Parliament and the Council are currently examining the Commission’s proposal. Beneficiary countries will have to reapply to join the new Scheme to continue enjoying preferential access to the EU market.

The meeting, which took place at the request of the Philippine side, was the opportunity to clarify EU procedures and expectations following the transmission of the notification letter of 20 December 2021 concerning EU reassessment of the maritime education, training and certification system of the Philippines.

EU Ambassador to the Philippines, Luc Véron, who attended the meeting in Brussels on February 8th, 2022 said, “While Director-General Hololei was grateful to Vice-Admiral Empedrad for meeting informally in Brussels and for his oral presentation, he made clear that the Commission’s assessment would solely be based on the written reply to the Commission notification, to be provided no later than 10 March 2022. He reiterated that this formal reply should contain concrete evidence of the measures already taken by the Philippine authorities to ensure compliance with the country’s obligations under the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Convention.”

The Commission explained to the Philippines’ relevant authorities (CHED and MARINA) the procedure to be followed as requested in the notification letter as well as the next steps following the Philippines’ reply.

The Commission provided concrete examples on what it expects to receive in the Philippines reply.

Lastly, the Commission encouraged the Philippines to enhance their efforts to comply with the STCW Convention.”

Philippines’ trade official sees for the country the need for the extension of the European Union’s (EU) trade preferences program while pursuing a possible free trade agreement (FTA) with the bloc for boosting bilateral trade relations.

Angelo Salvador Benedictos, director of the DTI-Bureau of International Trade Relations, said they want the renewal of the EU Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) as “it benefits a lot of industries, a lot of areas in the Philippines, and of course the Philippines.”

The current EU GSP+ scheme, which allows for the duty-free entry of 6,274 Philippine products into Europe, will expire by the end of 2023.

“So we are benefiting from it, we are making use of it. It is good for us and it is good for Europe. And in the short term, we must be able to renew and extend, and in the long term, please let us think about a better way to trade between Europe and the Philippines and that we could think about the FTA that we have been discussing…,” he said in a webinar.

Benedictos said there were already two rounds of Philippines-EU FTA negotiations.

According to the BITR-Bilateral Relations Division, the Philippine strategic objectives in engaging the EU in an FTA include securing additional duty-free market access beyond those covered under the GSP+ scheme and on a permanent basis; providing a conducive framework for attracting greater investments from the EU; and being at par with other Asean member states who are aggressively pursuing FTAs with the EU.

Kristiyana Kalcheva, policy officer for bilateral relations in trade and sustainable development and the EU GSP in the c’s (EC) directorate-general for trade, said as the current GSP regulation expires on Dec. 31, 2023, the EC made a proposal for a new regulation last September 22, which the European Parliament and the Council are currently discussing.

“The aim is to have the new GSP regulation adopted by 2022, with application from 1 January 2024, to ensure predictability and a smooth transition,” she said.

Kalcheva said one important aspect is the Commission’s proposal for GSP+ beneficiaries to reapply for the scheme.

“This is because there are new conditions such as the conventions and also an element which involves a plan of action for the implementation of conventions so a reapplication is the best way to ensure that beneficiaries abide by the new proposed conditions for entering the GSP+,” she added.

Meanwhile, the country is urged anew to increase the utilization of the EU GSP+ utilization.

Luc Veron, EU ambassador and Head of Delegation of the EU in the Philippines, said the country’s utilization rate of EU GSP+ preferences reached 75 percent in 2020.

“Over the last two years, while the economic system and international trade faced a lot of challenges due to the pandemic, we have seen the usefulness of GSP+ in sustaining the overall EU-Philippines trade in goods. That is why the EU works closely with its partner, the Philippines, and that is to make sure that the potential trade benefit is maximized. For sure, if we work together, we can increase the utilization rate even closer to 100 percent and increase the overall value of Philippine exports to the EU,” Ambassador Veron said.

Veron said agriculture goods, including processed foods and fishery products and manufactured goods, highly benefit from GSP+.

In a separate interview, Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis Jr., president of the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT) said that at least 500 PHILEXPORT members are actively exporting to the European Union.

“The extension of the EU GSP+ and an EU FTA will augur well in developing and growing this supply chain and actual export performance”, he said.  “We just need to address issues such as high shipping cost and raw material availability for more finished products to qualify”.

The Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao launched today 15 November the five-year Php 1.5 billion Support to Bangsamoro Transition (SUBATRA) Programme.

SUBATRA aims to help BARMM lay the foundation for lasting peace and development in the region by strengthening its institutions’ democratic governance capacities during the Bangsamoro transition period.

The Bangsamoro transition period includes the passage of priority legislation and the setting up of a BARMM bureaucracy to ensure uninterrupted delivery of basic services.

With support from SUBATRA, the BARMM executive, parliament, judiciary, and civil society will strengthen their capacities to drive and coordinate key transitional policies, exercise lawmaking, and oversight functions, adjudicate litigations, improve access to justice, and contribute to a peaceful transition.

EU Ambassador Luc Véron reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting the achievement of lasting peace and development in the Bangsamoro region.

“With the help of the SUBATRA Programme, the BARMM will establish an autonomous regional government that will address the many forms of injustices in the region over the years,” the Ambassador said.

Ambassador Véron noted that the Bangsamoro transition period is a timely opportunity for stakeholders in the BARMM to heed the lessons of the past and journey towards a bright future for the region, “leaving no one behind,” he said.

For his part, Mr Ebrahim said SUBATRA helps BARMM provide regulatory standards while taking a facilitative and risk-proportionate approach in all levels of its new bureaucracy.

“SUBATRA helps boost the capacity of our regional government in crafting transitional policies and strengthening our Parliament’s ability to exercise its legislative, oversight, and representation functions during this transition period,” he said.

Mr Ebrahim added that SUBATRA adheres to local principles and existing efforts to avoid duplication and waste of resources while creatively adapting frameworks suitable to the ever-changing landscape of the Bangsamoro.

“The Bangsamoro is still learning, and we are miles away from the BARMM that we aspire for in the Bangsamoro Organic Law, but with SUBATRA and the EU by our side, we know that we can reach possibilities,” said Ebrahim.

The SUBATRA Programme is co-funded by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development. It started in July 2020 and will run until June 2025.

The United Nations Office for Project Services, Particip, the Bangsamoro Development Agency, and the Consortium of the Bangsamoro Civil Society are the implementing partners of the SUBATRA Programme.

The Philippine Government, the European Union (EU) and the German Government launched yesterday the project “Strengthening the Implementation of Regional and Local Peace and Development Agendas in Mindanao” (SPADe) under the Mindanao Peace and Development Programme (MinPAD RISE), aimed at contributing to a peaceful, cohesive, secure and inclusively developed Mindanao.

The four-and-a-half-year project with a total budget of €18 million (Php 1 billion) will strengthen the capacities of state and non-state actors to implement regional and local peace and development agendas. It also seeks to improve socio-economic conditions and promote the inclusive and peace promoting development of climate sensitive agricultural value chains.

The virtual kick-off event was hosted by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), keynoted by EU Ambassador Luc Véron and German Ambassador Anke Reiffenstuel and attended by representatives of local government units, cooperative federations, government agencies, and civil society.

Ambassador Véron highlighted: “This new project is consistent with our EU vision, which calls for an integrated approach to conflicts, supports state and societal resilience, addresses extreme poverty, inequality and chronic fragility.”

Ambassador Reiffenstuel said “Germany remains committed to contributing to the comprehensive efforts of the peacebuilding process in Mindanao by providing substantial funding and experts. With the GIZ project “ Strengthening the implementation of regional and local peace and development agendas in Mindanao” (SPADe), the German development cooperation complements the EU funded MinPAD RISE Programme and continues Germany’s commitment for a peaceful and successful socio-economic development of Mindanao”.

SPADe will be implemented by the Department of the Interior and Local Government of the Philippines and MinDA, supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), from to 2021 to June 2025 in selected areas in all six regions of Mindanao. Special attention will be given to vulnerable and marginalized groups such as smallholder farmers and fisher folk, indigenous peoples, internally displaced people, women, and youth.

USEC Janet Lopoz, MiNDA, stressed the “importance of complementing the different initiatives to strengthen our partnerships so we get value for every peso spent and to achieve the project goals, strengthen Mindanao economy and achieve lasting peace.”

The project is supported by the European Union as part of the Mindanao Peace and Development Programme (MinPAD RISE) and co-funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. . As such, SPADe will cooperate closely with the World Bank, which is implementing the second project under MinPAD RISE targeting infrastructure development.

In close cooperation with its partners, SPADe is based on five pillars:
1) Agricultural and fishery value chain development and investment promotion
2) Capacity building and strengthening cooperatives
3) Good governance promotion
4) Support to equitable and sustainable access to natural resources
5) Empowerment of vulnerable groups.

The project aims to support the Regional Peace and Order Councils, Regional Development Councils and non-state actors in implementing the local and regional peace and development agendas and to promote inclusive and conflict-sensitive decision-making mechanisms in selected local government units.

To reach its socio-economic objectives, the project will promote climate-smart agricultural value chains and improve the services of agricultural cooperatives to their members.

To ensure the sustainability of all measures the project includes a knowledge management aspect expanding the access to approaches to peacebuilding and conflict-sensitive and climate-smart investments throughout Mindanao.
Philippines, EU, Germany launch new project to strengthen local capacities for peace and development in Mindanao

The Philippine Government, the European Union (EU) and the German Government launched yesterday the project “Strengthening the Implementation of Regional and Local Peace and Development Agendas in Mindanao” (SPADe) under the Mindanao Peace and Development Programme (MinPAD RISE), aimed at contributing to a peaceful, cohesive, secure and inclusively developed Mindanao.

The four-and-a-half-year project with a total budget of €18 million (Php 1 billion) will strengthen the capacities of state and non-state actors to implement regional and local peace and development agendas. It also seeks to improve socio-economic conditions and promote the inclusive and peace promoting development of climate sensitive agricultural value chains.

The virtual kick-off event was hosted by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), keynoted by EU Ambassador Luc Véron and German Ambassador Anke Reiffenstuel and attended by representatives of local government units, cooperative federations, government agencies, and civil society.

Ambassador Véron highlighted: “This new project is consistent with our EU vision, which calls for an integrated approach to conflicts, supports state and societal resilience, addresses extreme poverty, inequality and chronic fragility.”

Ambassador Reiffenstuel said “Germany remains committed to contributing to the comprehensive efforts of the peacebuilding process in Mindanao by providing substantial funding and experts. With the GIZ project “ Strengthening the implementation of regional and local peace and development agendas in Mindanao” (SPADe), the German development cooperation complements the EU funded MinPAD RISE Programme and continues Germany’s commitment for a peaceful and successful socio-economic development of Mindanao”.

SPADe will be implemented by the Department of the Interior and Local Government of the Philippines and MinDA, supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), from to 2021 to June 2025 in selected areas in all six regions of Mindanao. Special attention will be given to vulnerable and marginalized groups such as smallholder farmers and fisher folk, indigenous peoples, internally displaced people, women, and youth.

USEC Janet Lopoz, MiNDA, stressed the “importance of complementing the different initiatives to strengthen our partnerships so we get value for every peso spent and to achieve the project goals, strengthen Mindanao economy and achieve lasting peace.”

The project is supported by the European Union as part of the Mindanao Peace and Development Programme (MinPAD RISE) and co-funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. . As such, SPADe will cooperate closely with the World Bank, which is implementing the second project under MinPAD RISE targeting infrastructure development.

In close cooperation with its partners, SPADe is based on five pillars:
1) Agricultural and fishery value chain development and investment promotion
2) Capacity building and strengthening cooperatives
3) Good governance promotion
4) Support to equitable and sustainable access to natural resources
5) Empowerment of vulnerable groups.

The project aims to support the Regional Peace and Order Councils, Regional Development Councils and non-state actors in implementing the local and regional peace and development agendas and to promote inclusive and conflict-sensitive decision-making mechanisms in selected local government units.

To reach its socio-economic objectives, the project will promote climate-smart agricultural value chains and improve the services of agricultural cooperatives to their members.

To ensure the sustainability of all measures the project includes a knowledge management aspect expanding the access to approaches to peacebuilding and conflict-sensitive and climate-smart investments throughout Mindanao.

EU Ambassador Luc Véron underscored the importance of building sustainable and resilient communities so that they are less vulnerable to risks and disasters during his visit to Itogon (Benguet). 

“It is better to be prepared and pro-active rather than being reactive”, he said. It is our goal to assist civil society organizations and barangay officials so that they can have a voice in disaster and climate risk governance”, he added.

Ambassador Véron handed over disaster and climate risk modules and early warning kits to Itogon civil society organizations and local government officials. These materials take into account the needs of people with disabilities in the event of disasters.

Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan thanked the European Union for the assistance it rendered to Itogon as it enjoined local communities to help protect Itogon’s environment.

With the EMPOWER project (“Empowering Municipalities, Barangays, Civil Society Organisations and People’s Organizations through Working Together to Enhance Disaster and Climate Risk Governance”), the European Union contributes to strengthening the resilience of high-risk communities and their involvement in disaster risk governance. The project mobilises municipal champions for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, facilitating capacity-building activities where all sectors are able to learn from each other.

The project officially started in January 2020 and is implemented by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, and Humanity and Inclusion. The EU has provided a total of Php 22 million grants for this initiative.

It covers 9 barangays in Itogon and 23 barangays in Pinukpuk in Kalinga.

Barangay Captain Edwin Atumpay of Tinongdan, Itogon, expressed appreciation for the early warning kits provided to his barangay.

“Our barangay has made use of the mega-phone and other early warning devices initially given to Tinongdan most especially when we were hit by typhoon Maring”, Mr. Atumpay added.

Ambassador Véron’s visit to Itogon formed part of his first outreach in the Cordillera Administrative Region, where he also met with Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong, indigenous peoples’ leaders, local artists including Baguio-based national artist Ben Cabrera, and members of the academic community.        

Images from European Union in the Philippines