United Nations (UN) Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo Gonzalez visited three evacuation centers in Mamasapano, Maguindanao Province to learn firsthand about the situation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) there.  Gonzalez visited the Dabenayan Evacuation Center (Flooded Area), the Libutan Evacuation Center, and the Market Evacuation Center in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Salibu. The IDPs reported that they are tired of lingering conflict and desire sustained peace. However, they are unable to return because of safety and security concerns. They have tried to resume farming in the conflict areas, but end up leaving again when conflict erupts. Ninety percent of them make their living from farming and fishing. In the evacuation areas, they are solely dependent on government but rations and supplies are not always sustained. Thus, they are requesting financial assistance and training for a sustainable livelihood (weaving, baking, sewing).  Education is difficult for the IDPs' children because of unreliable and sometimes non-existent mobile signal. The UN will launch a project in the SPMS Box in Maguindanao to help IDPs. The SPMS Box is the area near Liguasan Marsh in Maguindanao composed of the four towns of Shariff Aguak, Datu Saudi Ampatuan (formerly known as Pagatin), Mamasapano, and Datu Salibo. It's known as a stronghold of armed groups operating in the area.

Watch his message here. The text of the message follows: I am Gustavo Gonzalez, UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines. I commit to a zero tolerance policy regarding gender based violence and I enforce this in my capacity in two ways: Number One, I ensure that measures and mechanisms for the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse of women personnel of the UN are fully followed and implemented throughout the UN System in the Philippines. Number Two, in all humanitarian action by the UN and its partners, I take responsibility that no woman, no girl, suffers sexual abuse of any kind in the hands of humanitarian actors in the communities that we serve. I call on all of you to use your power, your capacities, your influence, to prevent and eliminate all forms of gender-based violence. We must unite NOW to end violence against women and girls!
  #UNPhUNITEtoENDVAW

On the final day of the world’s global climate summit (COP26) in Glasgow - the World Food Programme Philippines organized a high-level roundtable to discuss a new study which illustrates the impact of increasing climate change on food security and livelihoods. Globally, in 2020, extreme weather contributed to most of the world’s food crises and was the primary driver of acute hunger in 15 countries. Climate shocks and stresses are increasingly destroying lives, crops and livelihoods, and undermining people’s ability to feed themselves. The Philippines ranks fourth amongst countries in the world most affected by climate risks over the last 20-year period. November has been a month of particular devastation caused by typhoons and super typhoons, stretching from Haiyan eight years to VAMCO and Goni last year. The World Food Programme, together with the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, launched the study entitled, “Climate Change and Food Security Analysis in the Philippines,” on 12 November 2021 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM. This is a virtual forum called “Challenging the Change: Mitigating the Impact of Climate Change on Food Security and Livelihoods in the Philippines.” According to the study, climate variability and extreme hazards such as typhoons, floods and drought are projected to have a substantial impact on agricultural, livestock, and fishery supply chains that will affect all aspects from production to distribution to consumption across both urban and rural sectors. This could in turn negatively affect the availability, affordability and accessibility to nutritious food for the Philippine population, particularly for the most vulnerable, poor and remote populations. By analyzing climate change through both geospatial and livelihood lenses, this report highlights that the effects of climate change can significantly vary at the local and regional level, and also nationwide for particular types of livelihoods. Both urban and rural populations that are already afflicted by food and nutrition insecurity are the most vulnerable to these effects, particularly rural families whose main income depends on agricultural livelihoods. This roundtable was opened by UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez and World Food Programme Philippines Representative and Country Director Brenda Barton. Below is the text of Mr. Gonzalez's remarks: I am very pleased to be here at this event which brings together two key priorities of the UN Secretary General for this year. As you all know, today will be the last day of this year’s global climate change conference - COP26 - where expectations are very high that the conference will lead to concrete commitments and actions to meet climate ambitions. In September of this year, a global Food Systems Summit tackled the challenge of transforming food systems, including how to minimize their impacts on the climate, as well as how to ensure access to food in light of significant climate changes. These two issues - climate change and food security – are closely intertwined and pose highly significant challenges for the Philippines. Though most of you will already know, it is worth repeating and highlighting that on one hand, the country ranks 2nd out of 135 countries in the world most affected by climate change impacts based on the Global Climate Risk Index 2020. On the other hand, in 2020, moderate or severe prevalence of food insecurity in the Philippines stood at 62.1%, more than double the global rate of 25.5%. In this context, the study that we are launching today – the Philippines Climate Change and Food Security Analysis – plays an important role in increasing our shared understanding of how climate vulnerability and climate change will impact food security, nutrition and livelihoods in this country. For today’s discussions, I would like to pose two challenges to our panelists and our audience in relation to the study that we will hear more about today. First, how can we – government, development partners, sectoral groups – make better use of data to inform the design of appropriate mitigation and adaptation strategies to address risks? As we have seen, the climate crisis can no longer be considered just as an anomaly in the future but should be regarded as challenges in the daily reality for vulnerable people, especially Filipino small-holder farmers and fisherfolk in the here and now. Climate shocks and stresses already threaten our lives, directly affect agricultural production, and impact livelihoods. What are the concrete ways that the analysis from this study, such as livelihood zone maps, be used to inform possible impact scenarios in rural and urban settings? Second, how can we shift from recurrent crisis response to forward-looking climate risk management and develop proactive plans and programmes geared towards climate risk mitigation and adaptation options to help vulnerable communities cope with the increasing disastrous effects of climate change on food security and nutrition?  Innovations, such as forecast-based anticipatory actions to avoid losses and damages from predictable climate hazards, are being scaled up. However, mitigating losses is not enough by itself to protect the most vulnerable populations from the rising climate-related risks and impacts they are bound to face in the coming decades. Solutions that address medium- to long-term climate risks are necessary to complement these innovations in disaster risk management and support longer-term agricultural adaptation programmes. It is my hope that this discussion today will spark a multisectoral collaboration at the local and national level to form data driven policies and programmes for more resilient food systems, and climate-proof investments to mitigate the effects of climate change, protect the most vulnerable with safety nets against climate extremes and ensure that no Filipino is left behind. [Ends]   Thank you.

The top three winners of the United Nations (UN) in the Philippines' 2021 short film competition called "CineSilip: Mga Kwento ng Pag-Asa sa Gitna ng Pandemya" [Glimpses through Film: Stories of Hope in the Midst of a Pandemic] were announced by UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez during the UN Day celebration in the Philippines on 25 October 2021. The Grand Prize winner was "Akyat," or in English, "Climb," by Jason Codilla, 22 years old, from Cebu. Akyat explores the issues that have emerged after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, from the perspective of a young man struggling to adapt to the online learning setup and reach his dreams. Ernest Carlo Guiuntab, 21 years old, took second place for "Jared: Ang Batang Sabik sa Signal" [Jared: A Child Eager to Connect], which portrays the determination of young learners to continue their education in places with poor internet connection. Finally,  FJ Salcedo, 24 years old, took third place for "Ang Liham ni Inday" [Inday's Letter], which tells the story of a young girl who loses both parents to COVID-19 but persists in making them proud by advancing in her education.  The UN Philippines received close to 190 entries across the country from Filipinos 12 to 24 years old to the film competition. Twenty-nine percent (29%) of the filmmakers were from Mindanao, 37 percent, from the Visayas, and 34 percent, from Luzon. All entries that were submitted reflect the filmmakers’ difficulty in coping with the changes forced upon them by the COVID-19 pandemic.  All the entries were shared on the UN Philippines Facebook Page. The top 10 entries were included in the CineSilip Film Festival that was available to anyone, anywhere, free of charge, from 25-31 October 2021.