Philippines, World Bank launch 2025–2031 development framework

The Philippine government formally received the World Bank’s Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for 2025–2031 on Tuesday, marking a renewed push for inclusive growth, digital transformation, and climate resilience as part of the country’s long-term development agenda.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led the ceremonial turnover of the CPF at Malacañan Palace, underscoring its importance in strengthening the Philippines’ 80-year partnership with the World Bank Group.

Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan welcomed the CPF, calling it a strategic and timely blueprint aligned with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023–2028 and AmBisyon Natin 2040.

“We welcome the World Bank’s Country Partnership Framework for 2025–2031, which supports our national vision as articulated in the AmBisyon Natin 2040,” Balisacan said.

“This framework reinforces our shared commitment to sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth by focusing on high-impact interventions promoting high-quality job generation, human capital development, climate resilience, good governance, and digital transformation,” he added.

Balisacan reaffirmed the government’s commitment to advancing socioeconomic reforms and maximizing the CPF’s potential to foster long-term prosperity.

“We look forward to working closely with the World Bank to ensure the effective implementation of the CPF,” he said.

“Together, we aim to translate this strategic partnership into meaningful and tangible outcomes that accelerate our progress toward a more inclusive, innovative, resilient, and sustainable Philippine economy.”

World Bank Division Director for the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei Zafer Mustafaoğlu outlined the CPF’s three core objectives: advancing human capital, improving job quality and access, and building climate resilience.

The CPF aims to deliver better health care and education outcomes for millions of Filipinos by expanding access to universal health care, enhancing child nutrition, and reforming primary care delivery.

It targets reaching 19 million additional individuals with improved health services and 15 million students with enriched educational opportunities through curriculum reform, teacher training, and digital tools.

On employment, the CPF supports regulatory reforms to enhance competitiveness, modernize agriculture, and expand broadband connectivity—bringing internet access to an estimated 19 million more Filipinos.

Through International Finance Corporation (IFC) investments, the CPF aims to attract USD $2 billion in private capital and help generate 4 million quality jobs, making the Philippines a more competitive and investor-friendly economy.

The CPF also addresses climate vulnerability by expanding the government’s modernized Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and adaptive social protection systems to cover 12.5 million beneficiaries.

In parallel, it will help 13 million people become more resilient to climate and disaster-related risks through infrastructure upgrades, climate-smart agricultural practices, and disaster financing programs.

Another major component of the CPF is digital governance.

The partnership aims to improve public sector efficiency by expanding access to digital services for 20 million citizens, supporting the broader goal of inclusive digitalization.

“By supporting the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028, the CPF directly contributes to the Philippine government’s efforts to reduce poverty, promote social and economic inclusion, and enhance the country’s capacity to withstand future shocks,” Mustafaoğlu said.

The CPF 2025–2031 succeeds the previous 2019–2023 framework and is the World Bank’s primary strategy document for guiding its assistance in the Philippines.

The country has been a founding member of the World Bank since 1945 and has since received billions of dollars in financial and technical assistance for infrastructure, social welfare, education, and climate adaptation programs.

The CPF’s rollout comes as the Marcos administration prepares to release the Midterm Update of the PDP 2023–2028, which will refine national development strategies in light of global megatrends and domestic challenges.

With the new CPF in place, both parties hope to solidify a results-driven partnership that improves lives and builds resilience in an era of economic transformation and climate uncertainty.