Achieving the Millennium Development Goals requires work. Decent Work. Indigenous peoples of Lake Sebu melt plastic and form beads. The beads are ILO and the Embassy of Finland increase sold through the Cooperative of Women for Health and Development, a partner of support to indigenous peoples in Ph the ILO and Embassy of Finland. (Photo by ILO/A. Barredo) he International Labour Organization indigenous peoples. Tribal houses were T(ILO) and the Embassy of Finland built to display and sell their products and in Manila agreed to increase support to to host traditional ceremonies, meetings families. indigenous peoples in the Philippines, and even as a place to settle conflicts and The ILO and Embassy of Finland mainly the T’boli and Ubo tribes in Lake disputes. partnership will continue to use the Sebu, South . Moreover, indigenous peoples in Lake community-driven participatory approach, The agreement, signed on 27 February Sebu learned to read, write and count which provides indigenous peoples with 2012 by H.E. Heikki Hannikainen, in their own dialect. They were able to the opportunity to take the “driver’s seat” in Ambassador of the Embassy of Finland vote for candidates of their own choice the process of their own advancement and and Mr Lawrence Jeff Johnson, Director during elections. A number of indigenous sustainable management of their ancestral of the ILO Country Office for the communities also acquired land through domains. The approach is consistent with Philippines, is aimed at sustaining initiatives the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title. the basic principles of the ILO Convention and responding to the needs of indigenous The ILO and the Embassy of Finland (No. 169) on Indigenous and Tribal peoples. partnership also supported a microfinance Peoples and the Indigenous Peoples Rights The ILO’s partnership with the facility. Due to poverty and weak links to Act (IPRA), which embodies the national Embassy of Finland started in 2000 local and international markets, indigenous policy of the Philippines on indigenous covering several areas in the Philippines. peoples are often forced to sell their peoples. Through the partnership, a community- products at a very low price. Under the newly signed agreement, the based micro-enterprise was built in “Our people were not merely treated Embassy of Finland will provide funds for to process wild honey, cashew as beneficiaries. They were involved in indigenous peoples’ community projects nuts, rice and corn. Indigenous people planning and identifying their needs, even through its local development co-operation working in the enterprise identified and in implementing the project. The project facility, while the ILO will give technical implemented projects, which included helped us to develop our community”, said support to project implementation. In water systems, agricultural development Datu Ponciano Bandalan, tribal leader of providing technical support, the ILO will and food production. Barangay Bakdulong, Lake Sebu, South draw lessons of good practice from its In Lake Sebu, , the Cotabato. Datu is a royal title conferred partnership with indigenous peoples in the T’boli tribe learned about their rights as to respected leaders or members of royal Philippines since the early 1990s. In the news International Women’s Day 2012: UN photo exhibit at SM Supermalls he ILO, as the Chair of the United Nations Indigenous Peoples • Ms Annie Garcia, President of SM Supermalls TTechnical Working Group, has partnered with the SM Cares • Mr Lawrence Jeff Johnson, Director of International Women’s Committee for a photo exhibit on indigenous women. Labour Organization Country Office for the Philippines and The week-long photo exhibit will be launched on 8 March 2012 Chairperson of the United Nations Technical Working Group at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City in celebration of International on Indigenous Peoples Women’s Day 2012. The photo exhibit will then be moved to other • Ms Ugochi Daniels, Country Representative of the SM Supermalls nationwide. United Nations Invited to speak during the launch and to express their support to Population Fund promote indigenous women’s role in development are: and Chairperson • Hon. Congresswoman Nancy Catamco, Representative of of the United the North Cotabato, 2nd District and Vice-Chairperson of Nations Gender the Committee on Natural Cultural Communities Mainstreaming • Hon. Rosalinda Baldoz, Secretary of the Department of Committee Labor and Employment • Mr Renaud Meyer, • Hon. Zenaida Brigida Hamada Pawid, Chairperson of the Country Director of National Commission on Indigenous Peoples the United Nations • Hon. Remedios Rikken of the Philippine Commission on Development Women Programme Promoting youth employment through local economic development By Roche Angon, MDG Fund Joint Programme on Alternatives to Migration: Decent Jobs for Filipino Youth Project Coordinator ocal governments play a pivotal role to strengthen local economic In collaboration with the Ateneo School of Government, a series Ldevelopment in the context of promoting youth employment. of training on local economic development has been conducted since They serve as channels to establish and strengthen partnerships with January and will end in May. This included empowering leaders in local private sector, non-government organizations, financial institutions economic development; policy development and analysis; project and other government organizations to create employment and management; public finance management and resource generation; entrepreneurship opportunities for the youth. and entrepreneurship development for youth. The first four training Funded by the Government of Spain, the Millennium Development activities have been completed, which highlighted the importance of Goal Fund (MDG F) Joint Programme on Alternatives to Migration: decent and productive work in local economic development. Decent Work for Filipino Youth through the International Labour After the training, each province is expected to establish a local Organization is implementing a capacity building programme on economic development team, craft policy paper and legislation on local economic development in , , local economic development, incorporate programmes and projects and . The programme aims to enhance capacities of on youth employment in local development plans and create a plan local government units on local economic development strategies, to improve the business environment. tools and approaches to design gender-responsive programmes and Representatives of local government units, private sector, non- projects on youth employment. It also aims to develop sustainability government organizations, national government agencies and youth schemes and partnerships to replicate and upscale local economic organizations form part of the training activities. The Ateneo School development initiatives at the municipal, city, province and national of Government has on-going coaching and mentoring activities until levels. July 2012 for those who participated in the training activities. Must reads Calendar

Domestic workers in the 20-21 March 2012 Tripartite validation workshop Philippines: profile and working of the Philippine decent work conditions country profile Manila This Factsheet presents the profile of domestic workers and their 27 March 2012 Going Back, Moving On employers in the Philippines, Final Project Conference and provides an insight into two Manila important aspects of domestic work, namely, wages and working hours. 29 March 2012 Youth employment forum www.ilo.org/manila Manila

Decent Work for All is published monthly by the ILO Country Office for the Philippines. The electronic version can be accessed at www.ilo.org/manila. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the ILO.

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