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AusAID | ACIAR | DAP | SGIDU

Australia's Development Cooperation Program with the Philippines

Australia has been a long-standing and reliable partner of the Philippines in meeting its development challenges. Australian development assistance to the Philippines started in the 1950s, originally as part of the Colombo Plan - an initiative launched by Commonwealth countries to help strengthen the economies of South and South East Asia.

The Australia-Philippines Development Cooperation Program is based on partnership and close cooperation between the Governments of the Philippines and Australia. Many activities are jointly funded by both governments, ensuring a strong commitment to their success on each side. In selected areas, Australia also combines its efforts with other donor partners such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and United Nations development agencies to maximise impact. Australian aid is also delivered directly to Filipino communities through local non-government organisations (NGOs).

Australia’s official development assistance is administered primarily by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and also by other agencies such as the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Estimated total aid flows to the Philippines for 2009-2010 is Php4.6 billion (A$123 million) –making the Philippines one of Australia’s largest development partners including Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and the Solomon Islands.

Aid investments totalling almost Php30 billion (approx A$770 million) since 1998 are a clear indication of Australia’s commitment to assist the Philippines to address its development challenges.

Significant contributions to Philippine development efforts over this period were in the areas of basic education, training and human resource development, health, rural and community development, governance, assistance to vulnerable groups, infrastructure, and support to the Mindanao peace and development process.

With the significant growth of Australia’s aid program in the last five years, Australia is now one of the Philippines’ three largest bilateral grant aid donors after Japan and the United States.

Under the Australia-Philippines Development Assistance Strategy 2007-2011, Australia’s aid program in the Philippines is centred on three focus areas: economic growth, basic education, and national stability and human security.

For a list of completed Australian-assisted programs in the last 10 years, click here. 

Updated: December 2009

  Australia-Philippines Development Assistance Strategy 2007-2011

See Also:

Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) 

The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)

Direct Aid Program (DAP) 

Strengthening Grassroots Interfaith Dialogue and Understanding (SGIDU)