05/06/2026
๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก
The Zero Poverty PH 2030 (ZeP2030) Health and Social Services Cluster convened a meeting on May 29, 2026, following the coalition's restrategizing efforts. The meeting brought together 22 organizations, including Local Convenors and organizations working in health and social services, to discuss priority issues and opportunities for collaboration in improving health and social protection outcomes for vulnerable communities across the country.
The meeting was presided over by the Cluster Co-Leads, Zuellig Family Foundation President and Executive Director Austere A. Panadero and World Vision Development Foundation, Inc. National Director Dr. Herbert Q. Carpio. Discussions centered on priority issues identified through family profiling conducted by ZeP2030 Local Convergences, as well as concerns raised by meeting participants.
Key health concerns raised included malnutrition, teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, mental health, inadequate treatment and rehabilitation support for cancer patients and persons with disabilities, capacity-building needs of local health workers, and limited access to health promotion and information services. Supply-side constraints were also identified as contributing factors to these challenges.
For Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), access to safe water and sanitation facilities still emerged as a critical concern. Meanwhile, social protection issues highlighted the need for stronger support for internally displaced persons and families, improved access to government assistance programs, streamlined PWD registration processes, and enhanced child protection and safeguarding mechanisms.
Participants also discussed cross-cutting concerns that influence health and well-being, including access to livelihood opportunities, climate resilience for agriculture and fisheries, capacity development for farmers and agro-fishery workers, education and scholarship support, and food security and access to nutritious food.
The meeting reaffirmed the cluster's commitment to harnessing collective expertise, resources, and partnerships to strengthen health and social services interventions and contribute to ZeP2030's shared goal of improving the income and access to essential social services of 100,000 poor Filipino families by 2030.
