The Philippine government has announced a voluntary contribution of USD200,000 (approximately PHP11 million) to international humanitarian and refugee organizations.

The announcement was made during a series of appeals and pledging conferences organized by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) last week and in November 2022.

During the UNHCR Pledging Conference 2023 on December 6, Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Evan Garcia announced an un-earmarked voluntary contribution of USD100,000 to the UNHCR.

Garcia said this is in line with the Philippines’ humanitarian tradition, having opened its doors to refugees and people fleeing persecution since the early 1900s.

“We reaffirm our commitment to support the UNHCR’s important work of providing international protection and durable solutions to refugees, stateless persons, asylum seekers, and other persons of concern,“ he said.

Recognizing the ICRC and the IFRC’s strong footprint in the country and constructive partnership with the government, the Philippines said it would increase its voluntary contributions to USD50,000 for each organization in 2023.

Manila noted the intersections between the government’s national priorities and the ICRC’s focus areas of work in the country, including jail decongestion, detainees’ welfare, and disaster and displacement response.

At the November 25 launch of the IFRC 2023 Global Plan, the Philippines acknowledged the Red Crescent’s role in providing humanitarian assistance during disasters and other crises to local communities and groups in vulnerable situations.

The Philippines also lauded the Philippine Red Cross for supplementing the government’s response to recent typhoons and disaster recovery efforts.

The Philippines is one of the few middle-income countries that has consistently extended donations to major humanitarian organizations.

In addition, it continuously calls for the international community to support these organizations and for all stakeholders to contribute to global burden and responsibility sharing.

“Our vision is for a wider range of stakeholders – governments, CSOs (civil society organizations) and private entities, large and small donors, hosting and non-hosting countries – to have their voices heard and contributions felt as active participants in the global humanitarian ecosystem,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said. (PNA) 

Photo credit: Facebook/dfaphl