The Philippines is a country where 17 million people live below the poverty line. It has persistent high levels of inequality and vulnerability. Further, it is one of the most highly at-risk countries from disasters, with pockets of fragility that threaten its stability and development. However, the Philippines is also classified as a lower middle-income country. The country’s recent macro-economic performance has been strong, and the government has made clear commitments with respect to poverty reduction. While these developments are positive, inequality is growing and poverty remains persistent.
History
Oxfam is an international confederation of 19 organisations networked together in more than 94 countries, as part of a global movement for change, to build a future free from the injustice of poverty. The name “Oxfam” comes from the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief, founded in Britain in 1942. The group campaigned for food supplies to be sent through an allied naval blockade to starving women and children in enemy-occupied Greece during the Second World War. Since then, as well as becoming a world leader in the delivery of emergency relief, Oxfam implements long-term development programs in vulnerable communities. We support the campaigns of civil society to fix the global food system, end unfair trade rules, and to combat climate change.
Oxfam in the Philippines
Oxfam’s vision is a just world without poverty: a world in which people can influence decisions that affect their lives, enjoy their rights, and assume their responsibilities as full citizens of a world in which all human beings are valued and treated equally.
Oxfam sa Pilipinas has been working in the country for over 25 years. In the Philippines, their goal is to contribute to the eradication of poverty by supporting women and other vulnerable groups in saving lives and building livelihoods, enhancing their resilience to crises, shocks and stresses, and making their voices heard to hold duty-bearers accountable.
Vision
Oxfam in the Philippines has been working in the country for 30 years. Their vision is to contribute to the eradication of poverty by supporting women and other vulnerable groups in saving lives and building livelihoods, enhancing their resilience to crises, shocks and stresses, and making their voices heard to hold duty-bearers accountable.
Strategic Goals
Moving forward into the next five years, Oxfam in the Philippines has developed a new country strategy focusing on three (3) major areas:
Economic Justice
They want to contribute to reduction in inequality through effective policy implementation and the promotion of practices that engages and economically empowers the poor and the most vulnerable in rural and urban Philippines. They will do this by ensuring that poor women and other vulnerable people are empowered and have access to social protection, land and climate-resilient livelihoods through implmentation of Adaptation and Risk Reduction plans. They will work in such a way that public, corporate and civil society resources are invested towards the benefit of the poorest and most vulnerable. This will be achieved in partnership with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to advance and protect gains in pro-poor policies and implementation.
Conflict Transformation
Oxfam will work towards transforming ideas, beliefs and institutions to end violent conflict towards sustainable peace in the Bangsamoro region (Muslim Mindanao). It envisions that young women and men recognise the identity, diversity and unique needs and aspirations of the Bangsamoro; that the Bangsamoro leadership and the citizens develop and implement inclusive development plans and achieve greater social accountability and essential services that support human development and gender equity are prioritised and resourced to benefit women in the Bangsamoro.
Rights in Crisis
The Philippines will improve its resiliency and save lives now and into the future by investing in mechanisms to reduce the risks and impact of disasters and to respond quickly to disaster, with priority on the most vulnerable. This will be done by influencing national and local governments integrate ARR across institutions, policies and programmes that are responsive to gender-specific needs and capacities, while creating spaces for meaningful participation of women and men as rights-holders; Government agencies, communities and local humanitarian actors respond to humanitarian situation in a timely and targeted manner, to meet international humanitarian standards, and to uphold rights of the most vulnerable and; Oxfam, with its partners, will prepare for and respond to disasters as a technical leader in WASH and EFSVL, utilising a gender and protection lens to identify the most vulnerable in humanitarian situation.
