The advocacy component of the UNFPA 6th Country Programme of Assistance to the Philippines lodged under the project Population Development Strategies (PDS) P(202): Linking Population, Reproductive Health, ARH and Gender to Poverty, aims to achieve an enhanced policy environment that supports population, adolescent reproductive health, gender and reproductive health programs, particularly for marginalized and poor populations. The project will build on the gains of previous mobilization and advocacy alliance building strategies and extensive population and RH advocacy campaigns engaged into by various multi-sectoral partners in the population and RH community.
For this year, the partners under the advocacy component gear towards operationalization of The GRAND ALLIANCE 2007 in time for this year's elections.
The Grand Alliance focuses on the following advocacy issues & concerns:
· Integration of PopDev, RH, Gender & ARH issues in the 2007 elections campaign platform to be adapted by electoral candidates
· Proper utilization of P180M budget for family health (to include allocation for contraceptive commodities, and budget for male’s involvement in reproductive health.)
· Integration of POPDEV, RH, gender & ARH issues in Charter Change (inclusion of a statement supportive of our cause)
· Passage of RH and/or GAD Code and ensure that resources are properly allocated and utilized for RH & GAD programs (GAD budget) - local
· Creation of Local Youth Development Councils (LYDC) or strengthening of similar structures towards institutionalization of ARH in the LGUs
· Passage of other local population-related enactments e.g. creation of population offices
· Support to the enhanced ARH curriculum e.g. policy issuances, ordinances, statement of support etc.
· Passage of a CSR policy with budget allocation
· Integration of population, poverty and development linkages in local development plans
