AUSTRALIAN SUPPORT TO WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S HEALTH
Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Rod Smith (left) meet with mothers and children at the community health station in Barangay Aplaya, Digos City, Davao del Sur.
The community members built the health station, situated beside a day care centre, with assistance from the Government of the Philippines – UN Multi-Donor Programme (GOP-UNMDP). Australia has been the largest donor to the programme since 1997 with contributions of about Php 1.3 billion (A$34.4 million) until 2010.
Barangay Aplaya is one of the 263 peace and development communities in Mindanao established by the GOP-UNMDP. Since becoming a peace and development community in 1998, Barangay Aplaya now has increased access to basic social services with its own health station, improved roads and drainage system, various livelihood enterprises, and information and communication technology facilities.
The GOP-UNMDP, now on its fourth phase called Action for Conflict Transformation (ACT) for Peace, aims to strengthen and sustain peacebuilding efforts in southern Philippines following the 1996 peace agreement between the GOP and the Moro National Liberation Front.