Closing Remarks for the International Conference on Philippine-Pacific Partnership on Sustainable Health Workforce for Health Security
MANILA 29 November 24
Esteemed health ministers and officials from the Pacific Island Countries and Forum. My fellow colleagues in the Cabinet, Secretary of Health Teodoro J. Herbosa, Dr. Susan P. Mercado, Director for Programme Management of the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office . Delegates, Excellencies attending this conference, Friends, Ladies and gentlemen, Good afternoon.
Our Conference this week is a testament to the synergy between the wisdom of Talanoa and the spirit of Bayanihan.
The Pacific concept of Talanoa upholds the importance of open, inclusive, equitable, and transparent dialogue, drawing on our collective wisdom so that we may reinforce one another’s strengths.
First let me extend my heartfelt deepest appreciation to all of you for coming to Manila.
Our Conference this week is a testament to the synergy between the wisdom of Talanoa and the spirit of Bayanihan.
The Pacific concept of Talanoa upholds the importance of open, inclusive, equitable, and transparent dialogue, drawing on our collective wisdom so that we may reinforce one another’s strengths.
Throughout this Conference, we have engaged in a productive dialogue aimed at addressing the challenges of building resilient health systems in the Pacific.
And I am pleased to see enthusiasm to move our conversation forward. Our work is not about abstractions, but about our people – our responsibility to protect them, to care for them, to nurture them.
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the Pacific's vulnerability to massive trans-boundary health challenges and the profound social impacts that they induce. Limited resources, in particular the declining number of health workers in our countries, overwhelmed our Governments’ ability to take care of our communities.
These vulnerabilities, compounded by challenges brought about by our unique geographical and national situations, highlight the need to ensure that our efforts to galvanize global action to address public health emergencies are guided by the principle of equity and national ownership.
And this is how Talanoa resonates with Philippine diplomatic advocacies. We have been at the forefront of defending the principles of equity in the World Health Organization Pandemic Agreement being negotiated in Geneva; also in championing Pacific interests in security and development forums in New York; and in safeguarding the transparency and responsiveness of the Loss and Damage Fund by hosting its Board in the Philippines.
The Philippines shares the interests and advocacies of small island developing states and we will remain steadfast in promoting an enduring partnership guided by the spirit of Bayanihan – a Filipino value that is shared across Pacific cultures.
The principle of Bayanihan, illustrated by the iconic image of community helping a family move their home, evokes the spirit of island people working together for a common purpose.
Bayanihan is about cooperation. It is about pooling our strength and it is about solidarity.
This is the spirit that guides the Philippines in building our partnership with our Pacific community.
And Inspired by the spirit of Bayanihan, we intend to work with our Pacific kin in an enduring partnership that will bridge our respective development agendas, including the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and our Ambisyon 2040. Together, we will forge a path towards resilient societies across our vast, pristine, and tranquil Blue Continent.
The Philippines under President Marcos’ leadership envisions this partnership as a pillar of strength in our global efforts to address the transcendent challenges of our time – whether it be ensuring the best health outcomes for all, ensuring access to emerging technologies, mitigating the effects of conflicts, restructuring international financing for development, or overcoming the impacts of a changing climate such as seal-level rise and extreme weather through genuine climate justice.
The new health report, “Sustainability and Resilience in Pacific Island Health Systems,” identified key challenges facing the Pacific region, including gaps in health system financing and governance and the urgent need to strengthen healthcare workforce capacity, – all exacerbated by the climate crisis.
So these are challenges that no single nation can address alone. Global problems require global solutions. And each sovereign state, especially the vulnerable maritime nations, have considerable contributions to make.
So this again Bayanihan at work. This is the heart of the Philippines’ diplomatic brand, the central tenet of our common Pacific values.
All our efforts should be underpinned by agreements and international norms.
We have now taken the important first step in initiating this International Conference on Philippine-Pacific Partnership.
We believe that this gathering has been a testament to the power of collaboration, unity, and shared purpose in addressing the most pressing health challenges of our time.
For the Department of Foreign Affairs, this constructive interface with the Department of Health and the WPRO has been an inspiration as we work with the Pacific community to forge a new era of partnership, one that the Philippines is determined to pursue actively through our bilateral cooperation and multifaceted engagements on areas such as development, disaster risk resilience, migration, climate change, environment peace and security, in regional and global platforms.
This also aligns with our common aspirations as countries in the Pacific and with the Philippines’ intense international engagements in various activities and candidatures in the UN.
I encourage all of us here to gird ourselves together as we, guided by the principles of Talanoa and Bayanihan, embark on our common voyage towards the future to which we all aspire.
Thank you very much. END