UNICEF Philippines

This is major milestone for our continuing work with DepEd BAE on strengthening ALS. Congratulations to all of us who worked in the back end (UNICEF Educ, UniMelb & ACTRC research team, BAE team, and ALS implementers)! We started this innovation at the height of the pandemic and toiled through years of online discussions, field-level trials, volumes of reports and assessment instruments, and admin changes. The collaborative spirit pulled us through, primarily because we believe in the initiative's potential and...because we love ALS. There's still a lot of work to be done - I hope I'd be able to continue supporting BAE in this journey.

It was a day celebrating the beauty of second chances as we joined DepEd Philippines in the awarding of the first Alternative Learning System (ALS) Life Skills Micro-certificates in Tondo, Manila. This milestone reflects DepEd’s commitment to innovation and inclusion, reaching out-of-school youth and adult learners aged 16 to 60 with flexible, community-based learning. The Life Skills Micro-certification is more than a piece of paper. It is a powerful tool that validates essential skills like communication, teamwork and cooperation, leadership, and problem-solving. It opens doors to employment, further training, and personal growth. Since 2020, UNICEF Philippines has supported the development of this innovation in partnership with the Department of Education, the The University of Melbourne‘s Faculty of Education - Melbourne Metrics, and the University of the Philippines’ Assessment Curriculum and Technology Research Centre (ACTRC) . Together, we’ve co-developed and field-tested assessment tools, built capacity, and supported implementation across eight school divisions nationwide. This year alone, 2,854 ALS learners are receiving their micro-certificates. We are proud to stand with DepEd and partners like Nokia and the UNICEF Finland in linking education to opportunity, helping learners thrive as workers, citizens, and individuals. To all the learners who received their certificates, congratulations! As you begin your journey, we at UNICEF are cheering you on every step of the way! #ForEveryChild, second chances.

We have all heard that exercising regularly is good for us. But does simply knowing that mean we actually do it? Communicating a message is necessary, but not sufficient, to change behavior. Real change requires understanding the motivations, barriers, and social norms that shape people’s decisions. That’s where behavioral and social sciences come in. This week, UNICEF Philippines and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) — through its pioneering College of Development Communication, University of the Philippines Los Baños — took an important step to bring this thinking into the classroom. Social and Behavior Change (SBC) will now be embedded in undergraduate and graduate programs, equipping future development communicators to design people-centered strategies that create sustainable shifts in practice and policy. I’m grateful to Vice Chancellor Dr. Agham Cuevas, Dean Dr. Edmund Centeno, and the CDC faculty for their openness and leadership. And I’m especially proud of my UNICEF colleagues Kathleen Solis, Katrina Arianne Ebora-Villafranca, and Alyza Joy Narvaez, whose dedication has been shifting our SBC work towards strengthening national systems — ensuring that impact goes beyond projects to lasting change. Together, we hope to co-develop a model that shows how behavioral science and communication can be meaningfully combined for greater impact — one that other academic institutions can also learn from. #ForEveryChild #Philippines #SocialAndBehaviorChange #DevelopmentCommunication Vincent Petit Rudrajit Das

My arrival in the #Philippines feels truly complete after visiting UNICEF Philippines’ Field Office in Cotabato and meeting some of the communities we serve in #BARMM. This was the very first thing I hoped to do upon my appointment as UNICEF Representative to the Philippines. To listen, learn, and witness firsthand the realities faced by children and families in #Bangsamoro.      While significant process has been made in recent years, the challenges remain stark: 59.9% of children in Bangsamoro still have not gotten a single dose of vaccine. And even though the number of children with chronic malnutrition has declined by over 10% between 2015-2024, the data shows that this still affects over one-third of children. Open defecation is still a pressing issue. 90% of children aged 3-4 are not attending early learning and almost every third child in BARMM does not attend primary school. Two in every ten girls marry before turning 18 and over 40% of children live in poverty.     Yet, amidst these statistics is hope. I was honored to meet passionate educators like Teacher Darlene at Rojas Elementary School, who are giving out-of-school youth a second chance at a better future through the Alternative Learning System.      I exchanged stories with children, mothers, and our community partners living in stilt houses along Quirino Bridge in Cotabato City and gained deeper insights into their daily struggles with clean water, sanitation, and hygiene. It was a humbling experience.       Of course, meeting the Mindanao Field Office team and its Chief Andreas Wuestenberg whose dedication fuels our mission to build a better future for all children in BARMM left me deeply inspired and even more motivated to deliver results with our partners and donors in ways that are truly fit #ForEveryChild in Bangsamoro.