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PASIG CITY, April 19, 2023 — The Department of Education (DepEd) gathered representatives of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) Partners on Thursday to discuss existing and future support for the MATATAG Agenda.

“[Our ODA partners] have tirelessly committed to the DepEd’s mission of promoting every Filipinos right to quality basic education. Let us continue to forge genuine partnerships and pursue new projects and programs for the advancement of basic education in the Philippines,” Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla said.

The meeting was conducted to align the partner programs to the MATATAG Agenda, provide insights and suggestions for regions that may need more programs, and identify the key areas into which partners can provide their expertise and assistance.

Currently, ODA Partners are facilitating a total of 13 ongoing and pipeline projects in the country. These ODA initiatives are administered by partners to promote sustainable social and economic development and welfare of the Philippines in accordance with the Republic Act No. 8182 (ODA Act of 1996).

The meeting is also part of the series of preliminary activities the Department has organized in preparation for the Partners Forum to be held on May 25, 2023.

The convergence was attended by the Official Development Assistance (ODA) Partners, which includes Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of the Philippines, Government of Australia-Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (GoA-DFAT), and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Korea Eximbank Resident Mission, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Bank (WB), and Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) also attended the said meeting.

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