Humanitarians across the Philippines commemorate #WomenHumanitarians during World Humanitarian Day

(Manila, Philippines, 19 August 2019): Every day, women humanitarian workers in the Philippines stand in the front lines ready to brave tremendous dangers and difficulties to deliver assistance to those who are most in need.

Marking the tenth anniversary of World Humanitarian Day on 19 August, the humanity community will honor the contribution of women humanitarian aid workers who provide life-saving support to millions of people caught in crises. Women humanitarians in the Philippines work in the front lines of one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. Disasters brought on by typhoons, floods, earthquakes and volcano eruptions displace millions of people each year and leave hundreds of thousands living in protracted displacement. In Mindanao, decades of armed conflict and instability continue to drive new displacement. About 3.8 million new displacements were recorded in the Philippines in 2018, the highest figure associated with disasters in the world. “Bringing attention to the plight of affected people, listening to their needs, their hopes for the future and taking action is what being a women humanitarian means to me,” say Sapia Taulani, a humanitarian worker for OCHA Philippines who was born and raised in Cotabato City, Mindanao. “We offer our hearts to the people we serve.” The commemoration of World Humanitarian Day will be held in Metro Manila and Mindanao:

In Manila, a Stand-Together event in Greenbelt 3 Park in Makati City will be held in partnership with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and Ayala Malls. Opening remarks will be given by Mark Bidder, OCHA Philippines Head of Office followed by Kristin Dadey, UN Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator, a.i. A keynote address will be given by Veronica Gabaldon, Executive Director of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and Luz Bador, President of the National Rural Women’s Coalition. A 12-foot heart installation with photos of women aid workers in the Philippines will also be unveiled and will remain in Greenbelt Park for a month.
In Mindanao, a Stand-Together event will be held at the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) compound in Cotabato City during their Monday morning flag ceremony, followed by a press conference honoring 10 women humanitarians. Collage photos of women humanitarians will be posted at the BARMM Chief Minister’s building and will remain for a month. A photo exhibit at Marawi City Hall with photos of women humanitarians in action from different agencies responding to the Marawi Response will be displayed at the city hall lobby. A short programme will be held after the unveiling of the exhibit, with a message of solidary from Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra to kick off the event.

Photo advisory: High-resolution photos and video of the Stand Together events in Manila, Cotabato City and Marawi City can be found here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1V2JOI-1A7tBLHpF40Z0DFoaQDEVGjnxL

For further information, please contact:

In Manila: Gina Maramag, Public Information Officer, maramag@un.org Tel. +63 917 174 3546