World Bank Philippines

What if the key to more jobs and greater energy security is already all around us?

🌬️ Wind ☀️ Sun 🌋 Geothermal energy

The Philippines🇵🇭 has some of the world's most promising renewable energy resources. Harnessing them can help create jobs, reduce dependence on imported fuels, and power communities with cleaner, more reliable energy.

See how local resources can help shape the country's energy future: http://wrld.bg/ZUgz50Z9jPk

𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊: Speaking at the launch of the World Bank Group’s Poverty and Equity Assessment report for the Philippines “𝑩𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒐 𝑴𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔: 𝑻𝒐𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑭𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑷𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝑬𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏” on June 5, DEPDev Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan welcomed the report as a timely and valuable contribution to the government’s efforts to strengthen evidence‑based policymaking and deepen understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing Filipinos.

“This report comes at a critical juncture in the Philippines’ development journey—one marked by meaningful progress in poverty reduction, yet also by persistent vulnerabilities and structural constraints that continue to shape the pace and inclusiveness of this growth,” he said.

Balisacan noted that although poverty incidence declined to 15.5 percent in 2023 from 18.1 percent in 2021, many households remain highly exposed to various shocks, including food price volatility, health emergencies, climate-related disasters, and labor market disruptions.

Balisacan emphasized the role of the Filipino middle class in driving long-term development outcomes.

“Building a resilient middle class is therefore more than a social aspiration. It is a socioeconomic imperative that underpins robust domestic demand, broadens the country’s tax base, supports human capital investment, and strengthens social cohesion and institutional stability,” he said.

Read more: https://tinyurl.com/37xdnk82

Download the report here: https://bit.ly/WBPhPovertyEquityAssessment

The World Bank Group's Poverty and Equity Assessment (PEA) helps policymakers better understand the drivers of poverty and inequality, and how to address them. This evidence-based analytical report explores how to make economic growth work better for people living in poverty and propose a set of actionable policy priorities.

The PEA report for the Philippines, with the title “Building the Filipino Middle Class: Towards Resilient Futures and Poverty Eradication”, uses new evidence on poverty and vulnerability, subnational service delivery, labor regulations, and fiscal incidence to identify opportunities to reduce poverty and to build a resilient middle class. It shows that if the Philippines combines reforms boosting productivity and job creation with a focused equity and resilience package, it can nearly eradicate poverty by 2040 and expand the secure middle class to more than half of the population, while keeping inequality in check.

Join the report launch and forum tomorrow at 9:30 AM for a presentation of the report's key findings and listen to the views of experts and practitioners in the field.

Tune in here on Facebook or join via Zoom: bit.ly/WB-PEALaunch

This is what resilience looks like on the ground. 🇵🇭
In Cebu, World Bank Division Director Zafer Mustafaoglu met with communities leading the way under the Philippine Community Resilience Project (PCRP).
Local leaders and volunteers are not just receiving support—they’re asking the critical questions that shape their future:
What are our risks?
Who is most exposed and vulnerable?
What should we prioritize?
And who can we partner with to get there?
In Barangay Candaguit, communities are mapping risks, guiding decisions, and working hand in hand with local governments to strengthen preparedness and protect what matters most.
Together, they are building resilience through:
• participatory planning
• nature-based solutions and resilient infrastructure
• stronger livelihoods and community services
Because resilience isn’t built in the middle of a crisis—
it’s built long before it. 💙

Malnutrition isn’t a statistic. It’s a daily reality. ⚠️

In Cebu, World Bank Division Director Zafer Mustafaoglu visited community health centers—meeting health care workers and families at the heart of a multisector nutrition effort. 👩‍⚕️👶

The impact is clear: 96% of children are exclusively breastfed, 97% receive vitamin A supplements, 93% of mothers have better access to iron and folic acid, and nutrition convergence has reached 42% of households—from a baseline of 0%. 📊

From increased antenatal care to stronger local nutrition systems, communities are taking the lead in improving child health. 🌱
Because ending malnutrition starts on the ground.


Department of Health (Philippines) Department of Social Welfare and Development - DSWD