The University of San Carlos, headed by the Department of Political Science and the School of Law and Governance, hosted the World Bank Group (WBG) Philippines Country Partnership Framework (CPF) Stakeholder Consultation today, Tuesday, August 27, 2024, in Dingman Hall, USC Downtown Campus.
Vice President for Academic Affairs Fr. Jesuraj Anthoniappen, SVD, Ph.D., welcomed participants from the government, civil society organizations, academic institutions, the private sector, and the youth.
According to Fr. Anthoniappen, collaboration between the University and the World Bank Group has been established years before. In May 2019, USC hosted a similar regional consultation that tackled different issues, challenges, and priorities for local development for Fiscal Year 2019–2024.
The Country Partnership Framework intends to support a member country, such as the Philippines, in its “efforts to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity in a sustainable manner.”
For F.Y. 2025–2028, WBG’s priorities in the Philippines are based on the following criteria: Philippine National Development Goals, Country Diagnostics, and WBG Comparative Advantage.
Gonzalo Varela, World Bank Group’s lead economist and program leader of the Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions Practice Group for Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, presented an overview of the Consultation Process.
He highlighted the Philippines’ development context, identifying areas of strength and challenges, as well as how the World Bank plays a role in supporting “better quality of life for all Filipinos through enhanced economic opportunities, strengthened human capital, and greater resilience in a greener and more sustainable environment.” The stakeholders were then given the chance to ask questions and share their thoughts through small group discussions.
The final draft of the Country Partnership Framework will be shared with the Philippine government by late September 2024 and will then be submitted to the World Bank Group’s Board of Directors for discussion by December 2024.
The event was made possible with the assistance of World Bank Group Philippines representatives and the following USC representatives: Fr. Anthoniappen, Brenette L. Abrenica, M.A.P.A., M.P.S. (Director, Human Resource Management Office), Lauro Cipriano R. Silapan Jr., D.B.A. (Dean, School of Business and Economics), Atty. Jose Glenn Capanas (Dean, School of Law and Governance), Br. Bela Lanyi, SVD, M.Arch. (Director, External Relations and Internationalization Office), and Alaine T. Liggayu, D.P.A. (Chair, Department of Political Science).