MADEL R. SABATER
Manila Bulletin

23 June 2009 -- The Spanish government will be funding a US $6 million program that aims to help the Philippines achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by providing the Filipino youth with an alternative option to migration in the next three years focusing on areas with the highest incidence of poor young Filipinos and the lowest rates of school enrollment.

"We're trying to encourage the youth to stay where they are most needed," Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Luis Arias Romero said.

"It is crucial to guarantee decent work to Filipinos as an alternative for migration," he said.

The Spanish government, through the Millennium Development Goal Achievement Fund (MDG-F), will be allotting US $6 million for a youth focused program on education and employment in the provinces of Masbate for Region V, Antique for Region VI, Agusan del Sur for Region XIII and Maguindanao for the Administrative Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The Spanish envoy noted that although remittances from overseas Filipino workers OFWs are good for the Philippine economy they also lead to loss of local workforce that also hampers development.

"It is as well evident that the youth are the most precious resource of any society and a national asset," he said.

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Marianito Roque said the program will benefit 10, 000 poor and vulnerable Filipino youths between 15 to 24 years old living in the listed areas.The areas were selected based on incidence of poverty, number of out of school youths (OSYs) and incidence of migration pressures.

The program entitled "Alternatives to Migration, Decent Jobs for Filipino Youth" will be implemented by the Philippine government and four United Nations (UN) Country Team agencies.

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) resident representative Vanessa Tobin said the project is the third MDG-F-funded program in the Philippines, the other two being on climate change and on democratic economic governance. She said the three MDG-F-funded projects in the country amount to US $22 million to date. Roque said the project aims to minimize the incidence of migration among the youth by providing them with decent jobs here.