MANILA — The Philippines is leading a regional effort to strengthen child-responsive public finance, bringing together eight South and Southeast Asian countries to share reforms and practical solutions for protecting investments in children.
The Department of Budget and Management, with support from the European Union and Unicef, hosted a three-day South-South Exchange focused on improving public spending and protecting essential social programs amid economic, fiscal, and climate pressures.
The exchange brought together representatives from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam under the EU-Unicef Public Finance Facility in South and Southeast Asia.
Participants focused on a shared challenge: How can governments protect investments in children when fiscal space is limited?
They shared strategies to make social sector spending more efficient and effective, protect essential programs during fiscal constraints, and strengthen public finance systems against economic and climate shocks.
The countries also exchanged practical tools, including budget tagging, expenditure tracking, evidence-based planning and the Social Sector Dashboard Budget Tracker.
These tools help governments track whether public funds reach essential services such as education, health and nutrition, child protection and social protection, and whether those investments improve outcomes for children and families.
The exchange comes as the Philippines moves toward upper-middle-income status, highlighting the need to turn economic gains into stronger institutions and more resilient social systems.
“The conversations over the past three days reaffirmed our resolve to invest in systems that protect children’s rights and ensure that all children, especially the most vulnerable, enjoy better outcomes,” UNICEF Philippines Representative Kyungsun Kim said.
“As the Philippines continues its transition to upper-middle-income status, this partnership helps ensure that economic progress is matched by stronger public finance systems so that every investment brings us closer to better, more equitable outcomes for children,” Kim said.
DBM Acting Secretary Kim Robert C. De Leon said effective public financial management should ultimately improve people’s lives, particularly those of children.
“Spending for our children should never be seen merely as a cost,” De Leon said. “When we invest in a child, the return is measured not only in pesos or percentages, but in healthier lives, better opportunities, stronger communities and ultimately, stronger nations.”
He said the Philippines continues to strengthen its public financial management system around children’s rights and welfare.
The South-South Exchange serves as the flagship knowledge-sharing platform of the EU-Unicef Public Finance Facility. It allows governments across South and Southeast Asia to share experiences and advance reforms in planning, allocating, tracking and using public resources for children.
The 2026 exchange ended with participating countries identifying key lessons and reaffirming their commitment to reforms that make public finance systems more responsive, accountable and results-oriented.
Frederic Grillet, Chargé d’Affaires of the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, said the EU’s partnership with UNICEF reflects the broader goals of the Global Gateway strategy.
“Global Gateway is the European Union’s strategy to engage with partner countries,” Grillet said. “It is often associated with investments in connectivity and infrastructure, but it is equally about investing in the foundations of sustainable development: strong institutions, good governance and human capital.”
Launched in 2019 with a 3 million euro EU contribution, the EU-Unicef Public Finance Facility has supported governments across the region in strengthening public financial management systems that benefit children.
Through technical assistance, knowledge sharing and policy engagement, the facility helps governments assess how public funds are allocated and spent, generate evidence for better policy and budget decisions, and strengthen transparency and accountability in public spending for children. PR
