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Part of the Philippine Development Plan under the Duterte Administration is the mainstreaming of the PHE approach to fulfill the country’s commitments in the 2030 Global Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE) and the Commission on Population (POPCOM) lead the 6th National Conference on Population, Health and Environment (PHE) with a theme “Engaging the Government in Mainstreaming the PHE Approach Towards the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

This year’s conference held at Heritage Hotel Pasay City on November 8, 2016 explores the dimensions of sustaining and increasing the impact of integrated population, health and environment initiatives to address development priorities – such as poverty reduction, improved health, livelihood, disaster mitigation, food security, and natural resource management.

“There is a crucial link between population and environment to achieve a healthy nation. Thus, we need to consider the interconnections of these three concepts in our programs to create a three-in-one cost-efficient effect to the community which is the concern of our government,” said POPCOM Executive Director Dr. Juan Antonio Perez III.

The 6th National PHE Conference aims to achieve the following objectives: (1)Present the current state, issues and challenges of PHE; (2)Familiarize and update PHE members on the status of planning to fulfill the SDGs; (3) Draw up the PHE advocacy plan to engage the government and other stakeholders; and (4) Identify roles and engagement mechanisms of PHE practitioners in advancing the PHE agenda in the New Philippine Development Plan within the context of SDGs.

The conference centered on the state of addressing the SDGs using the PHE approach and advance the achievements in intensifying, replicating and expanding the population, health and environment programmatic approach to different landscapes (urban and rural settings; from a community to an ecosystem approach ).

It also focused across varying landscape such as aquatic, upland and urban areas; and others; and to different strategic points of intervention (climate change actions, disaster mitigation, poverty alleviation, food security, HIV/AIDS programming, improved technology and sustainable energy support, among others.

The worsening climate change and the increasing wastes due to increasing population teams up against building protected families from various health issues.

“We can go, beyond the global commitment by doing local actions which means mobilization of Local Government Units (LGUs) and the Population Offices in the country to mainstream PHE. Let’s act on PHE that leads to a healthy people in a livable environment,” said Dr. Perez. (Photo by: Jimmy Camba)(Click picture below to enlarge)

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