The Philippines hosted a three-day South-South Exchange from 18 to 20 August 2026 on child-responsive public finance, according to a UNICEF press release dated 20 August 2026. The event, organized through the Department of Budget and Management with support from the European Union and UNICEF, gathered representatives from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Discussions centered on protecting investments in education, health and nutrition, child protection and social protection when fiscal space is tight. Participants exchanged approaches to budget tagging, expenditure tracking, evidence-based planning and the Social Sector Dashboard Budget Tracker, tools intended to show whether public resources reach critical services and improve outcomes for children.

The exchange took place as the Philippines transitions toward upper-middle-income status. UNICEF Philippines Representative Kyungsun Kim said the talks reaffirmed a commitment to systems protecting children's rights, while DBM Acting Secretary Kim Robert C. De Leon said spending on children should not be seen merely as a cost. The EU-UNICEF Public Finance Facility, launched in 2019 with a EUR 3M contribution, supports such regional knowledge sharing.