A Collective Statement of the Philippines Humanitarian Actors at the Grand Bargain National Conference in the Philippines – 28 August 2025
We, the participants of the Grand Bargain National Conference in the Philippines, composed of local and national humanitarian actors (LNAs), donors, UN agencies, international NGOs, International Federation of the Red Cross and Philippine Red Cross Societies, government partners, civil society organizations, private sector, think tank, and crisis-affected representatives, hereby affirm our shared commitment to advance localisation, quality funding, accountability, and system transformation in line with the Grand Bargain 3.0 priorities.
Guided by the theme “From Commitments to Co-Creation: Advancing Localisation of Humanitarian Aid in the Philippines”, and building on the progress and lessons from the 2021–2025 localisation journey, we recognize that:
- Progress has been made but remains uneven, with persistent barriers such as donor-driven partnerships, limited flexible funding, compliance burdens, and tokenistic participation.
- Innovations led by local actors, women-led organisations, and affected communities have shown that equitable partnerships, risk-sharing, and inclusive participation are not only possible but essential to humanitarian effectiveness.
- The National Reference Group (NRG) Philippines is a vital platform for bridging local realities with global Grand Bargain discussions, ensuring accountability and co-creation of solutions that reflect the voices of the most affected.
Therefore, through this Covenant, we solemnly agree to:
Strengthen Partnerships – Build trust-based, equitable, and long-term collaboration that recognizes local leadership and ensures resources, decisions, and visibility flow to LNAs, including women-led and women’s rights organizations (WLO/WRO), not just larger NGOs.
Unlock Quality and Flexible Funding – Secure predictable, multi-year, pooled, and rapid financing with simplified requirements so grassroots groups in affected communities can access funds directly from LNA humanitarian actors.
Simplify and Harmonize Systems – Co-create practical reporting and compliance frameworks with LNAs, WLO/WRO, and grassroots actors, keeping accountability robust but not burdensome.
Institutionalize Localisation – Embed localisation beyond pilots into policies, financing, and coordination systems, with formal recognition of the 14 basic sectors recognized under RA 8425 comprising grassroots groups.
Ensure Participation and Accountability – Move from consultation to systematic influence, enabling affected communities to shape priorities and decisions through simple, transparent, and accessible mechanisms.
Advance System Transformation – Shift resources and power to communities, fostering risk-sharing, anticipatory action, innovative financing, and HDP–climate resilience strategies that treat grassroots groups as equal partners.
Our Commitment
We sign this Covenant as a collective pledge to act on the recommendations co-created in this conference, and to contribute to a stronger, more inclusive, and accountable humanitarian system in the Philippines. Together, we move from commitments to action, from pilots to systemic change, and from tokenism to genuine partnership, so that humanitarian aid truly empowers and uplifts the communities it seeks to serve.
Our Call to Grand Bargain global leaders
As the Grand Bargain nears its 10th year in 2026, we call on all signatories and global leaders meeting in Geneva on October 8–9, 2025, to take a decisive leap forward—addressing barriers of trust, power, and access, and turning incremental gains into bold actions that advance localisation, flexible funding, and meaningful participation in humanitarian action, placing leadership in the hands of local and national actors, including WLOs/WROs, with affected communities truly at the center.
Covenant agreed on 28th day of August 2025 at ParkInn Radisson Hotel, and finalized thru further online consultative process with all statement signatories. Finalized October 5, 2025.
