JP, KR, US Announce PHP1.6-B Partnership to Improve Health Outcomes in BARMM

[(Standing from left) Philippine DOH Secretary Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya, Korean Embassy Minister Sang Seung-Man, and U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson witness the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the BARMM’s Ministry of Health and the development agencies of Japan, South Korea, and the United States, represented by (seated from left) BARMM Minister of Health Dr. Kadil Sinolinding Jr., JICA Chief Representative Sakamoto Takema, KOICA Country Director Kim Eunsub, and USAID Philippines Mission Director Ryan Washburn.]

The development agencies of Japan, Republic of Korea, and the United States signed on September 27 a partnership committing PHP1.6 billion (USD29 million) over five years to improve health outcomes and advance Universal Health Care in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). 

This funding is in addition to existing forms of assistance which the three development agencies have provided and will continue to extend to BARMM.

Under the Memorandum of Cooperation, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will work closely with BARMM’s Ministry of Health (BARMM-MOH), the Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH), local communities, and other key stakeholders to improve health information systems; increase public health financing; promote good public health practices; expand quality healthcare services, and improve access to essential medicines, facilities, and equipment. 

JICA, KOICA, and USAID have committed to share their expertise and resources to advance cross-cutting health system reforms and initiatives in the region effectively and innovatively. They will each have a unique focus and expand their priority health programs in BARMM. 

JICA will advance maternal and newborn health and nutrition, strengthen community health services, promote PhilHealth enrollment facility-based deliveries, and take into account contribution to gender mainstreaming. 

KOICA will enhance sustainable health financing through PhilHealth, provide culturally sensitive maternal care, upgrade facilities and equipment, and boost emergency preparedness with the DOH-certified Field Epidemiology Training Program. 

USAID will strengthen health systems, enhance the delivery of family planning, adolescent reproductive health, and tuberculosis programs, and improve preparedness and response to emerging health threats.

“The Memorandum of Cooperation is a call to action and a commitment to harness the collective power of our organizations to create a healthier, more equitable, and more prosperous Bangsamoro with an end in mind to build a stronger Philippines,” BARMM Health Minister Kadil Sinolinding Jr. said at the signing ceremony held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila.

“By working together, we can amplify our collective action, enhance our efficiency, and ensure that every peso, dollar, won, and yen invested shall translate to tangible improvements in people’s health and quality of life,” he added.

Furthermore, the strategic partnership will more effectively provide training and support to local governments and communities so they can expand health outreach to vulnerable populations, laying the foundation for long-term stability and prosperity for the Bangsamoro. 

This cooperation marks the first partnership in health in the Asia Pacific region among the development agencies of the governments of Japan, Republic of Korea, and the United States.