Philippines - The Philippines Department of Health and IOM have renewed a commitment first made in 2013 to work together in addressing the health and well-being, vulnerabilities and challenges faced by Filipino migrants.

In a signing ceremony held before government, non-government and civil society partners, Health Secretary Janette P. Loreto-Garin, represented by Undersecretary Lilibeth C. David of the Office for Policy and Health Systems, and IOM Philippines Chief of Mission Marco Boasso, signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) which aims to facilitate cooperation in migration health-related activities at the national, regional and international level.

“We are here to witness another milestone not just for the Department of Health and IOM in the Philippines, but for the advancement of migration and health in this country,” said Undersecretary David.

With approximately one billion migrants in the world today and as migration has increasingly moved up government agendas, IOM Philippines Chief of Mission Marco Boasso commented on the timely renewal of the partnership and on the risky conditions in which migrants travel, work and live.

“Migrant inclusive policies that address migration-related health vulnerabilities, non-communicable diseases, mental health, occupational health, environmental health, and access to migrant-friendly health care services must be promoted in order to achieve global sustainable development goals and equitable health for all,” he said.

He also extended his appreciation to the government agency for all of its achievements and recognized Philippines’ potential to be a champion for migration health at the regional and international level.

During her speech, Undersecretary David announced that on 7 March 2016, Health Secretary Janette P. Loreto-Garin had officially signed an Administrative Order on the National Policy on the Health of Migrants and Overseas Filipinos.

She emphasized: “It is on occasions such as this one that we collectively look into the issue of migrants, and their health and well-being, essentially putting the migrant at the centre of the discourse.”

The MOA signing ceremony coincided with the first quarterly meeting of the Philippine Migrant’s Health Network, where the strategic plan of the Philippine Migrant Health Programme for 2016-2022 was presented.

For further information contact Marco Boasso, IOM Philippines. Tel +639 17 8485306, Email: mboasso@iom.int