UNHCR has been operating in the Philippines for over 30 years. For many years, its presence was limited in Manila with focus on asylum-seekers, refugees, broader asylum-migration issues and statelessness.
UNHCR supports the process whereby refugees can acquire citizenship and helps refugees to become self-reliant. The Philippine Government is being assisted to increase its capacity to implement its obligations as a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention.
UNHCR assumed leadership of the protection cluster under the joint UN response to the situation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Mindanao in mid-2010. It assists the authorities to ensure that the protection needs of vulnerable populations are met through effective coordination. In the context of a renewed dialogue between the Government and armed groups in southern Philippines, UNHCR established presence in Mindanao by opening a field office in Cotabato City.