Australian Embassy

The Philippines

Embassy address: Level 23-Tower 2 RCBC Plaza 6819 Ayala Avenue, Makati City, 1200 - Telephone: 757 8100 - Fax: 757 8268 - DIAC: 757 8340

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Australia's Development Cooperation Program with the Philippines

The strong Australia-Philippines partnership in development cooperation, spanning more than 50 years, is now one of Australia’s largest aid programs. For 2011-2012, Australian aid flows to the Philippines are estimated at Php5.5 billion (A$123 million).

With the significant growth of Australia’s aid program in the last five years, Australia is now the Philippines’ largest bilateral grant aid donor (2010 Official Development Assistance Review, Philippines’ National Economic and Development Authority).

Aid investments of around Php32 billion (A$834 million) since 2001 show Australia’s commitment to assist the Philippines to address its development challenges. Significant contributions to Philippine development efforts over this period are 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.

In partnership with the Philippine Government, and with UN agencies, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, and local and international non-government organisations, Australia’s aid program has achieved much. Some highlights in recent years include:

Eradicating Foot and Mouth disease protecting a $2 billion livestock industry
Reducing malaria mortality by 90% and morbidity by 45%
Improving access to quality education for two million children
Introducing a new curriculum to help mainstream Muslim and indigenous children into the education system
Contributing to the design and implementation of a Conditional Cash Transfer program that assists 2.3 million poor families with a cash payment if they keep their children in school and ensure that they receive regular health checks.
Developing hazard maps for 16 eastern seaboard provinces which have been used to help with disaster planning
Advising on the production of the Philippines’ first budget strategy paper in 2007 and a system for forward estimates which is now a standard annual process
Financing advisory services to deliver the Public-Private Partnership pipeline
Training over 2000 military officers in conflict prevention
Providing over 500 scholarships since 2005
strengthening and supporting interfaith understanding and cooperation through grassroots dialogue and community cohesion activities

The Australian Government’s aid program in the Philippines focuses on: basic education, strengthening local service delivery, disaster risk reduction and climate change, supporting peace and development in Mindanao, and governance.
It is delivered by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), and also by agencies such as the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Geoscience Australia, the Department of Infrastructure and Transport, the Bureau of Meteorology, the Australian Defence Force and the Australian Federal Police.

Updated: March 2012

Australia-Philippines Development Assistance Strategy 2012-2017

AusAID | ACIAR | DAP | SGIDU

Australia's Development Cooperation Program with the Philippines

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