Topic: 2026 – Combating Malnutrition
Country: Philippines
Delegate Name: Abigail Hough
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Philippines
The Philippines is an archipelago country of Southeast Asia. It’s government structure is heavily modeled on the United States system and it is a representative democracy with a democratic and republican state. Political life is heavily influenced by kinship networks, patronage, and local political families, with approximately 70% of the House of Representatives being controlled by such dynasties. The political scene features significant challenges including the impact of the drug war on law enforcement, high-level corruption, and the influence of the military in political affairs.
The Philippines pursues an independent foreign policy, balancing a strong, renewed security alliance with the US against critical economic ties with China. It stands and seeks to be “a friend to all, enemy to none”, focusing on national interests, sovereignty, and regional stability rather than siding with major powers. It prioritizes securing economic investments, particularly for infrastructure development, while managing trade relations.
The Philippines is one of the 51 founding members of the United Nations and a strong supporter of multilateralism. UN activities in the Philippines align with human rights, gender equality commitments, and the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs). Activities are executed because there are 29 UN entities that operate in the Philippines, which are coordinated by the UNCT.
B. Digital Equity for Children
As the use for technology becomes increasingly relevant and necessary in fields such as education, communication, and access to information, it is noticeable that the gap of equity between children globally significantly widened. This widening became significant after the COVID-19 pandemic when due to the closings of schools and other educational facilities, millions of children fell behind and lacked access to reliable internet, devices, and digital literacy skills. UNICEF estimates that ⅔ of children that are of school-age globally do not have access to internet at home.
Providing infrastructure is a basic foundation for digital equity, but meaningful access can still be limited because many children who gain internet access still face barriers related to cost, digital literacy, language and more. UNICEF along with the London School of Economics and Political Science, examined 126 selected digital inclusion policies from five regions and 17 countries and assessed how much they referred to children and inequalities, but the majority of the digital inclusion policies didn’t explicitly mention children or the inequalities that they face. But, the findings helped recognize requirements for more progressive policies. As AI systems and disruptive technology grows and affects society, it becomes more important for policies to be based on coordination across governments and nations.
The Philippines is actively growing digital technology in order to bridge the gap between education across its many islands. Being able to use the internet to connect at home is extremely important when it comes to extending learning opportunities, but it is difficult to implement this at a larger scale because of cost barriers. A way to combat this would be to expand broadband access at a more affordable cost for undeveloped states. For example, access to AT&T provides $30 or less per month for households that participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP) or other monetary assistance programs. Bringing these providers to countries that are trying to bridge the digital divide, such as the Philippines, would be beneficial. With approved funding for the expansion of broadband, countries could work to develop to improve digital equity globally.
C. Combating Malnutrition
With major goals in mind, UNICEF works to ensure that every child can grow up to thrive and reach their full potential in life. A major obstacle to reaching this goal is the fact that malnutrition holds to be one of the greatest threats to the survival of children around the world. Malnutrition takes many forms, some of which include undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and obesity, and many of these are developed and often interlinked with climate change, inadequate access to healthcare, education, and clean drinking water. These conditions are most common in places of poverty and in regions of war and displacement.
While short-term interventions take care of emergencies in cases of saving lives that are threatened due to malnutrition, long-term progression is much more vital. Long-term progress relies on addressing the deeper issue of the inequities that prevent families from providing nutrition for children. It requires balancing humanitarianism and sustainability in order to strengthen the fight against malnutrition and figure out how the underlying conditions of hunger continue to persist.
In the Philippines, undernutrition, caused by mainly poverty, is an unwavering issue and affects one in three children under five years old from stunted growth. Because of this massive persistence in the problem, the Philippine economy could face staggering losses. After seeing the threats that the country faces, the country formed The Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP). This program, which is funded by the World Bank, delivers a cohesive package of nutrient-specific interventions for pregnant women, focuses on equity in order to elevate the nation’s nutritional status. There are ways in which the determinants of nutrition can be addressed through a multisectoral approach. Maternal and child health programs provide the best opportunities and can implement nutrition sensitive programs that could improve dietary quality, access to clean water and sanitation, and ensures that the most vulnerable populations are being served and treated.
Works Cited
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“Young People Help Draw up UN Digital Protection Recommendations.” UN News, 24 Mar. 2021, news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1088182.
