Manila (ILO News) - Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain visited the Philippines to review Spanish-funded development projects that have helped thousands of disadvantaged youth and indigenous peoples towards better lives.

One of the development cooperation projects is the MDG Fund Joint Programme on Alternatives to Migration: Decent Jobs for Filipino Youth which has assisted more than 10,000 Filipino youth by increasing access to employment through improved policy coherence and provision of direct services such as education scholarships to stay in school, technical vocational skills training with enhanced modules on gender and lifeskills complemented with On-the -Job Training, entrepreneurship skills training with the provision of starter kits, strengthen capacities on Local Economic Development, and improve local employment services in four of the poorest provinces namely Antique, Masbate, Agusan Del Sur and Maguindanao.

The joint programme has contributed to increasing employability of young people, reduce drop-out rates, enhance the capacity of teachers, school supervisors and local governments, and establish local employment and one-stop-shop resource centres for youth and migrants. It has also strengthened the campaign against illegal recruitment, trafficking, and irregular migration in the four pilot provinces.

The International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Philippine Government with the Department of Labor and Employment as lead implementing partner, has been working together under the joint programme.

The other project, the The Indigenous Peoples Development Programme (IPDP): Caraga Region, discussed during the Queen’s visit has enabled a community of indigenous peoples to set up its own enterprise producing organic flour. Members of the Manobo tribe in Veruela and Sta. Josefa, Agusan del Sur, through their own business organization called the Kayumbyahan Sago Manobo Corporation (KASAMACOR), now run a sago palm flour business and the organic flour produced could be the first of its kind in Asia. The flour is used to make cookies, bread, noodles and ice cream cones, among others. The project has also produced other benefits such as creating jobs for the indigenous peoples and increasing their incomes. It has also reduced reliance on imported wheat flour and improved food security.

During the project presentation, Queen Sofia expressed her concern about the importance of ensuring environmental sustainability while promoting better livelihoods for indigenous peoples. A 2011 feasibility study found that the sago palm can help preserve the ozone layer by acting as a carbon sink and that Sago palm by nature has efficient self-regenerating characteristics through its ability to produce several suckers after it dies or is harvested. Moreover, as the enterprise generated income, the Manobo people are now planting more sago palm trees thereby increasing the sago palm stands in their ancestral domain.

Queen Sofia’s visit took place from 2 to 6 July 2012. “The Crown, the Government and the people of Spain see the Philippines not only as a sister country with whom we share many historical, social and cultural links because of our common past, but also as a key partner in Asia to whose development we are fully committed,” said Queen Sofia.

Spain and the Philippines are among the countries facing challenges on youth unemployment. According to the April 2012 Philippine Labor Force Survey there were 1.45 million unemployed youth aged 15-24 in the country. However, Queen Sofia raised vulnerable employment as an issue of concern and its link with poverty. In the Philippines, there were 2.27 million vulnerably employed youth in 2010.

Unemployment and vulnerable employment also affect indigenous peoples when they leave their traditional communities in order to look for work to survive. Indigenous peoples often find themselves in vulnerable employment and social situations.

“These projects are helping to ensure that the Filipino youth and indigenous peoples are part of people and job-centred growth. These initiatives, in partnership with the Government of Spain contribute to the Philippines goal of achieving inclusive, sustained and greener growth through decent and productive work,” said Director Lawrence Jeff Johnson of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines.

For further information please contact:

Ms Ruth Georget
Joint Programme Coordinator, MDG Fund Joint Programme
on Alternatives to Migration: Decent Jobs for Filipino Youth
Tel: +63 2 580 9941 / 580 9900
Email

Ms Minette Rimando
ILO Country Office for the Philippines
Tel: +63 2 580 9905 / 580 9900
Email