MANILA. The SM Mall of Asia Globe was illuminated bright purple on 2 March as part of celebrations led by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), SM Cares, and United Nations Philippines to kick off National Women's Month. The ceremonial illumination is an annual tradition spearheaded by PCW to rally broader public support gender equality and women's empowerment, as well as showcase women's leadership and achievements. As part of the #PurpleYourIcon initiative, architectural icons, building facades and digital displays are lit up purple, which is a color that has been symbolically linked to women and gender equality.Under the theme of "WE [Women and Everyone] for Gender Equality and Inclusive Society," this year's celebration calls for the promotion of gender-responsive programs and policies to ensure that women have equitable access to opportunities and resources, enabling them to fully participate in decision-making and exercise leadership in their communities. A critical component needed for transformative change is to remove barriers to women's access to rights and justice—hurdles such as outdated legislation that still shape every aspect of a woman’s life, from the home, to classrooms and workplaces. Discriminatory laws and practices should be addressed to ensure the dignity, opportunity and freedom all women deserve."Women and girls in the Philippines and across the world need and deserve equal protection under the law. It is when we make justice a reality in their every day lives can we have a gender equal society that ensures dignity and opportunity for all," said UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Arnaud Peral. 
 

    For generations, the indigenous peoples (IPs) of the Philippines have woven their lives into the fabric of their ancestral lands. For them, these lands are more than a place to live: They are the heart of their identity, the source of their traditions, and the foundation of a sustainable existence. Years of research have shown that indigenous communities are the best protectors of the forests they call home. Yet, for many, this connection was threatened by a lack of formal recognition of custodianship: this puts their livelihoods, culture and very futures at risk. Without secure rights to the lands they stewarded for centuries, a legacy of environmental harmony and cultural knowledge could disappear. However, many indigenous communities have been turning the tide with support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Built on respect and empowerment, IFAD’s partnership with indigenous peoples enables IPs to lead their own development and transform their ancestral domains – a term that refers to their land rights in national law – into pillars of strength and opportunity: 400,000 IPs have benefitted from such initiatives over the last three decades. The Philippine Action Plan for Family Farming 2019-2028 acknowledges IFAD’s crucial role in supporting IPs, including on land-related protection. Securing the Foundation: From Stewardship to Legal Rights The journey begins with the land itself. Recognizing that true empowerment starts with secure land tenure, IFAD has made strengthening ancestral land rights a cornerstone of its work since 1997.  In the highlands Cordillera Administrative Region, for instance, the Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Projects (CHARM I & II) helped Indigenous communities secure legal recognition of their ancestral lands. Reaching 170 barangays—99 per cent of which were Indigenous— CHARM II pioneered an approach where communities pledged customary stewardship of vital watersheds. This approach, rooted in indigenous knowledge systems and practices, bridged traditional governance with environmental protection and provided over 220,000 IPs with a continued livelihood. Similarly, in Mindanao, the Western Mindanao Community Initiatives Project (WMCIP) and the Northern Mindanao Community Initiatives and Resource Management Project (NMCIREMP) were instrumental in supporting indigenous groups to turn ancestral land claims into official titles.  Datu Balitungtung, a Higaunon tribal leader who participated in the project, said: “I have been working for 20 years for IP governance. But I have never [before] found what IP governance should look like...; it’s simple but with concrete steps... that coalesce the Indigenous Peoples’ structures and institutions.”  Through these projects, communities got the tools they needed to protect their land and plan their development in culturally sensitive ways. Cultivating Opportunity: From Rights to Resilient Livelihoods Securing land rights is only the beginning to unlocking opportunities and building sustainable livelihoods. The CHARM projects introduced sustainable agriculture and natural resource management techniques based on indigenous knowledge systems and practices, while the other projects supported a range of initiatives led by locals, from building marine sanctuaries to rehabilitating mangroves and farming upland, all tailored to fit their specific context and culture. To ensure the economic benefits reached those who needed them most, various projects launched funding facilities dedicated to the poorest households, with a focus on indigenous peoples, including women-led families. These funds have supported micro-enterprises and community groups, proving that even modest investments can spark significant change when communities are in the driver's seat. For example, the Paddaoan Livestock and Livelihood Association, in Apayao Province took advantage of a small CHARM loan – around US$ 2000 –to purchase a new variety of piglets that were distributed to the 21 members of the group. They also received training in organic swine production, bookkeeping and business management. Households had typically raised just one pig of the native variety at a time, keeping it tied to a tree trunk until it was butchered and the meat distributed to relatives. They now raise an average of two pigs – one for fattening, one for sow raising. Both are profitable: a grown pig will sell for over US$ 250 and typically each sow will give a minimum of two litters of 5-10 piglets a year, which sell for a total of US$ 400-800.  Dionisio Talang, one of the members, said: “People are more involved now that they actually know how to raise livestock and take care of it instead of just leaving their animals tied to a tree. This project has taught us how to do business and it has raised our standard of living.” Using the extra income, the association was able to pay back the initial loan.   IFAD’s Indigenous Peoples Assistance Facility (IPAF) has directly empowered communities to design and implement their own initiatives. It has funded grassroots projects focused on food security, environmental sustainability and cultural resilience, ensuring that livelihoods are not only economically viable but also culturally affirming.  Average poverty incidence between 2017 and 2022 declined by 14.5 per cent in areas that received IFAD support. Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future: A Legacy for All Times The partnership strengthens indigenous heritage while empowering communities to shape their own future, highlighted Ilaria Firmian, Senior Technical Specialist at IFAD. “By championing indigenous leadership, recognizing customary laws and integrating traditional knowledge into climate actions and food systems, IFAD’s approach reinforces identity and self-determination,” she said. Platforms like the Indigenous Peoples’ Forum and the Agriculture and Rural Development Knowledge and Policy Platform, along with annual national consultations, have become vital spaces for dialogue. They have highlighted the importance of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) – a human right that requires that indigenous peoples receive accessible information and be consulted about and consent to any activities undertaken on their land – and showcased the critical role that Indigenous youth and women play in building inclusive and resilient food systems. “This journey—from securing land to building livelihoods and preserving a legacy—offers a powerful model for inclusive rural transformation,” Firmian said. “It demonstrates that when indigenous peoples are empowered to lead their own development, they can build sustainable futures rooted in their rights, knowledge, and traditions.”  As the United Nations marks its 80th anniversary in the Philippines, the work of IFAD and its indigenous partners stands as a powerful example of what can be achieved when development is built on a foundation of respect and empowerment.   

For many prisoners  in the Philippines, the question of when their freedom will be regained has long been clouded by uncertainty. Last month, that uncertainty began to give way to clarity with the launch of the Laya Calculator, a new web-based tool designed to help determine accurate prisoner release dates.In most jurisdictions, release dates are computed simply by adding the length of an imprisonment penalty to the date when one enters detention. In the Philippines, however, prisoner release dates depend on several data points, including arrest dates, police detention, pretrial confinement, sentence service and earned sentence-reducing credit, to name only a few.While corrections agencies are mandated to maintain prisoner records, including tracking of release dates, limited capacity and technical constraints pose serious obstacles to complying with this mandate.Most frontline records officers still adhere to manual, paper-based calculations, which are prone to errors, inconsistencies and delays. These gaps leave a corrections system that is unable to keep an up-to-date record of sentence-reducing credit, and release dates.As a result, many people deprived of liberty remain unaware of their expected release dates, which has serious implications for due process, transparency and the protection of fundamental rights.Meanwhile, the wider justice community outside the corrections sector in the Philippines has insufficient access to appropriate computation tools. Without the ability to access information on prisoner release dates, justice stakeholders are left unable to effectively advocate for a prisoner’s right to a timely release and against arbitrary detention. These challenges result in inordinate delays of prisoner releases and severe prison congestion. To overcome this, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in partnership with the Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights, developed the Laya Calculator, which was officially unveiled as part of the country’s National Human Rights Consciousness Week last month.Designed with accessibility in mind, the Laya Calculator project aims to help a broad set of justice stakeholders to carry out prisoner release date computations. It is designed not only for corrections professionals, but also for legal aid providers, public attorneys, court officers and even prisoners themselves and their families.“Before, we had no idea how the date of release was computed by authorities... Now we can do it ourselves through our families,” said a prisoner.By equipping justice stakeholders, the Calculator acts as a force multiplier for prisoner advocacy.Counting the days, done rightThe calculator operates with a minimal amount of basic information relating to a person’s imprisonment. It generates a set of precise release dates based on the duration of minimum and maximum imprisonment penalties, and adjusted by sentence-reducing credits earned.The Laya Calculator began as a programmed spreadsheet co-designed with local stakeholders and was later validated by UNODC’s Korea Statistics Center of Excellence. It was piloted in Zamboanga City Jail and Negros Occidental District Jail in 2024. Since then, the Calculator has evolved into a simplified, web-based application that is freely accessible online, democratizing access to a set of prisoner information that is otherwise difficult to obtain. By streamlining otherwise complex computations, the Laya Calculator facilitates accurate record-keeping. This is aligned with the Nelson Mandela Rules, which requires that upon admission of every prisoner, the date of his or her prospective release should be tracked, properly recorded, kept up-to-date and accessible to the prisoners.“When a 40-year sentence can become just 17 years and 13 days with complete sentence [reducing] credits, we see how life-changing accurate computations can be. The Laya Calculator helps ensure no one stays a day longer than the law requires,” said Dr. Ian Niccolo Tobia, UNODC Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice National Programme Officer.In the coming months, UNODC and the Philippines will begin the national roll-out of the Laya Calculator. To use the Laya Calculator, click here.Find out more about UNODC’s prison reform work in the Philippines:UNODC introduces guide on Islamic practices for prison officersBooks offer novel way to counter prison overcrowding in the PhilippinesFirst Person: Filipino elderly ex-prisoner’s joy of ‘sleeping and eating’Philippines' first model prison is borne out of terrorist conflictLess ‘sleeping like sardines’, as Philippines adopts Nelson Mandela Rules for jailsThe Philippines addresses jails and prisons overcrowdingThe story was first published here. 

  Distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends, a good day to all. We gather today in solemn remembrance of the Holocaust which falls annually on the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp.  It is a tragedy that claimed countless lives and more than eight decades later, the echoes of this atrocity continue to resonate, reminding us of the devastating consequences of unchecked hatred, antisemitism, and indifference. This year’s theme, “Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights,” calls on us not only to honor the victims and survivors, but to reaffirm our shared responsibility to uphold human dignity and defend the rights of all people.  
 
Remembrance is not passive. It is an active commitment to truth, justice, and humanity. Here in the Philippines, remembrance carries a profound meaning. Our nation holds a unique place in Holocaust history which reflects the very values that we commemorate today. Between 1937 and 1941, then President Manuel L. Quezon opened the doors of the Philippine Commonwealth to approximately 1,200–1,300 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany.  
 
President Quezon offered lands for resettlement, supported the creation of a Jewish refugee community in Manila, and personally ensured that these families could rebuild their lives in safety. At a time when many countries closed their borders, the Philippines was a nation of welcome. We will get a deeper glimpse about this extraordinary act of humanity in the film Quezon’s Game which will be screened today. The film reminds us that dignity must prevail over indifference, and humanity must triumph over hatred.  Quezon’s legacy speaks directly to our theme. It calls us to defend human rights wherever they are threatened, to confront all forms of hatred, and to ensure that the tragedies of the past are never repeated. As Filipinos, we know the value of solidarity and resilience. Our history is marked by struggles for freedom, dignity, and justice. In remembering the Holocaust, we stand with survivors, with the Jewish community, and with all those who continue to face discrimination and violence. We affirm that defending universal rights is essential for sustainable peace, and that this commitment lies at the very heart of the United Nations. Today, as we honor the victims of the Holocaust, let us also honor the courage of those who resisted, the compassion of those who sheltered the persecuted, and the resilience of those who rebuilt their lives. Let us carry forward their memory as a living call to action. I hope today’s commemoration inspires us to continue building a society rooted in dignity, compassion, and respect for human rights. At the global level, may this strengthen our resolve to confront hatred, protect the vulnerable, and uphold the humanity of every person. Remembering allows us to resist denial, confront hatred, and affirm dignity. And remembering, we pledge together in defending human rights where no one is left behind. Thank you and a good day to all.