The UP Asian Center will be hosting a virtual dialogue, "Sharing Lessons on Sustainable Development from Portugal and the Philippines," on 23 October 2026, 2:30 PM, PHT, Online via Zoom. The event is free and open to the public, but signing up for a (free) Zoom account is required.
ABOUT THE VIRTUAL DIALOGUE
Food security, water governance, and human mobility are closely interconnected development concerns. Food production depends on reliable access to water and labor, while shortages and disruptions may increase dependence on resources, workers, goods, and remittances from elsewhere. Examining these issues together provides a broader understanding of how countries respond to interconnected challenges affecting food systems, natural resources, livelihoods, and population mobility.
Portugal and the Philippines offer useful cases for comparative analysis. Portugal, historically a country of emigration, has increasingly become a destination for migrants and workers, while the Philippines remains a major labor-sending country and relies on overseas remittances and food imports, including rice. These contrasting experiences provide an opportunity to examine how water governance, food systems, labor, and migration intersect across national borders. Biosecurity concerns and agricultural shocks, including bluetongue in Portugal and African swine fever in the Philippines, further demonstrate the vulnerabilities affecting food systems and agricultural communities. This webinar aims to bring together scholars from the Universidade de Lisboa and the University of the Philippines Asian Center to discuss these interconnected issues through comparative perspectives. The discussion will focus on food security and water governance, followed by an examination of how these challenges relate to human migration and mobility.
This activity is also in line with the observance of World Development Information Day on 24 October. Established by the United Nations in 1972, the observance highlights development challenges, promotes the dissemination of development-related information, and emphasizes international cooperation in addressing these concerns. In the Philippines, the observance has been recognized alongside United Nations Day through development-oriented information, advocacy, educational, and public engagement activities.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS
The activity is organized by the UP Asian Center in partnership with the Instituto do Oriente and the Colégio Tropical of the Universidade de Lisboa.
The webinar also contributes to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) through its focus on food security; SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) through water governance; SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) through its consideration of labor and mobility; SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) through its discussion of migration and unequal vulnerabilities; SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) through sustainable food systems; and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through academic and international cooperation between Portugal and the Philippines.