Experts, policymakers, and advocates gathered on Thursday to highlight the crucial role of equity and sustainability in achieving inclusive and resilient development.

With the theme “Equity and Sustainability in Focus: 20 Years of Transformative PHE,” the 10th National Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) Conference celebrated two decades of advancing integrated approaches to population, health, and environmental issues —a framework that links human well-being with ecological sustainability.

PATH Foundation Philippines, Inc. executive vice president and lead convener of the conference Joan Castro said the theme reflected both the progress made and the continuing challenges in building communities that are empowered, equitable, and environmentally resilient.

“Now more than ever, the dynamics of population, health, and environment are crucial in fostering and enabling actions among government, non-government, and civil society organizations to empower and build resilient communities,” Castro said.

The PHE Network, established in 2002, has long championed a cross-sectoral approach to addressing the interlinked issues of population growth, health inequities, and environmental degradation.

The 10th conference aimed to draw fresh insights and strategies to sustain these efforts, especially in the face of climate change and social inequalities.

Castro said the event not only revisits 20 years of successful PHE programs but also looks ahead to new challenges and innovations.

“Through the best practices and initiatives, the PHE Network will also look at fresh perspectives on how persistent and new challenges to current plans and ongoing efforts can be addressed,” she said.

The three-day event features plenary and parallel sessions on topics such as climate resilience, environmental sustainability, gender inclusivity, and human resource development. A special focus this year is placed on the youth, with the network working to integrate young people’s perspectives and leadership into the PHE discourse.

“PHE is our shared legacy of equity, health, and sustainability —and the youth are its torchbearers, leading the way toward resilient communities and a thriving planet,” Castro added.

In line with this, Family Planning Organization of the Philippines Executive Director Nandy Senoc said the youth, especially young girls, must be empowered and one way this can be achieved is through comprehensive (correct and scientific) sexuality education.

“If they are empowered, alam nila kung paano nila protektahan ang mga sarili nila (they know how to protect themselves) against teenage pregnancies,” he said.

Coron Youth Eco-Warriors member Joan Escal, for her part, said the PHE approach can be achieved through peer education which already provided benefits in their community.

“Build leaders, where capacity building must be conducted. We cannot teach what we don’t have, it is important to have peer education programs where culture, religion are considered especially topics on reproductive health, integration of salient topics on population and health,” she said. (PNA)