UN Volunteers Programme/Projects in the Philippines
Since the Philippines first joined the UNV Programme in 1972, the country has consistently been one of the largest suppliers of volunteers. It has continued to be one of the top three suppliers of volunteers serving abroad through the years. Filipinos are notably found to have strong mobilization skills - a volunteer profile considered to be essential for effective and enduring development actions.
The Philippines from 1985 to 1992 received International UNV Fieldworkers (formerly known as Domestic Development Service (DDS) field workers) coming from nationals from neighboring Asian countries. They were recruited to work on grassroots-level projects. They are recruited for the expertise in participatory methods and community-based development
In 1997, the United Nations entered into an agreement with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the SPCPD in April 1997 to assist the Government of the Philippines (GOP) in its peace building efforts in Mindanao. The UN, joined by ten (10) donor countries in a cost-sharing arrangement, supported a programme of assistance aimed at helping to reintegrate some 70,000 MNLF former combatants and supporters and their families into the mainstream of civilian, economic and social life. This assistance is referred to as the GOP-UN/Multi-donor Assistance Programme (GOP-UN/MDP).
Within the 14 SZOPAD provinces and nine cities are located 16 MNLF State Revolutionary Committees (SRCs). The first phase of the GOP-UN/MDP covered six MNLF SRCs as pilot areas for emergency food assistance and six quick-gestating livelihood projects to test the structure for distribution and management by the MNLF commands.
In the remaining 10 MNLF States, a needs assessment cum community action planning facilitated the expansion of the Programme to these ten states. The GOP-UN/MDP Phase II involved a programme of assistance for delivery of basic services, quick-gestating livelihood, enterprise and skills development, and human resource and organizational development among the MNLF communities.
In Phase II of the project’s (Strengthening the Foundation of Lasting Peace and Development in Southern Philippines) implementation, the GOP-UN/MDP assisted in community organizing and implementation of livelihood projects as the anchor activities of the ten SRCs. The MNLF state structures working closely with the UN Volunteers, facilitated the formation of their communities into cooperatives with designated project managers/community development managers or peace and development advocates (PDAs) managing the day-to-day activities of the cooperatives. The Peace and Development Community (PDC) concept was recognized under Phase II to ensure sustainability and maximize benefits among stakeholders. The PDCs also serve to facilitate complementation of various inputs from different programme components as well as other donor-assisted projects.