Since 2006, Milalin Javellana has supported Australian Government programs in the Philippines as a champion for localisation.
Milalin started her career in the Philippines more than 30 years ago when words such as “localization” and “inclusion” were rarely mentioned and not major priorities within the international development space. As the first woman and first Filipino to become a program director of an Australian Government development project back in 2006, she has been strongly advocating for greater local agency in decision-making delivery and accountability.
While Milalin has seen some resistance across the broader industry along the journey, she feels we’ve reached an important turning point locally that is showing promise for powerful and positive change. Her lived experience drives her advocacy for localisation. It provided her with a voice and empowerment in those early years. Milalin is committed to passing on the same opportunities to other Filipinos, particularly those who have traditionally been marginalised.
How is localisation evolving in our industry?
Localisation is now a major priority, with the Australian Government at the forefront—driving development action that is locally informed and locally led—so it meets the needs of partner organisations, particularly government agencies.
That is vital because it leads to more effective and sustainable development outcomes for local communities and organisations.
Throughout my career I have worked with more than 35 partner organisations—from national, subnational, local governments and CSOs. Tetra Tech has worked in the Philippines for decades enabling us to enhance the approach we are taking towards localisation.
What's special about our localisation strategy in the Indo-Pacific region?
This has seen Tetra Tech develop a new localisation strategy that responds to Philippine policymakers’ objectives, and brings Australian Government’s localisation goals to life.
It is centered around four localisation pillars—respect, relationships, opportunities and governance.
At a project level this involves:
- Valuing: Local Actors and Knowledge
- Co-creation: Jointly Design, Deliver and Evaluate
- Equity: Structure, Pay Benefits
- Mutuality: In Partnerships, Learning and Capacity Development and Mentoring
- Contextual: Country Specific, Culturally Responsive
What kind of impact are you seeing on the ground in the Philippines?
Tetra Tech’s commitment to localisation is felt by my local team on a daily basis.
Our Filipino team engages in corporate meetings and key strategic company decisions. This starts with our managing director and flows throughout the entire organisation, within Australia and throughout the Indo-Pacific.
Our local voices are valued and we contribute to the body of knowledge. We are being developed as thought leaders. This gives us greater agency within our roles and empowers us to deliver more effective development outcomes for our local communities.
This is extremely fulfilling and validates the years I have spent championing localisation and its in-country benefits.
During my time as Program Director of the Philippines-Australia Human Resource and Organisational Development Facility (PAHRODF), we emphasised collaboration and partnership with government partner organisations in designing program interventions to ensure they were relevant, sustainable and led to better service delivery for Filipinos.
We also pioneered the engagement of Filipino experts to carry out program interventions. By doing this, we helped develop a pool of local service providers that are now serving other foreign-assisted development projects, as well as projects initiated by the public sector.
When we lift someone up and give them the opportunities to empower themselves, they in turn empower others. It has a cumulative and exponential effect that ignites large scale transformation across society.
How is the Australia Awards program driving inclusion?
This thinking drives our capacity and capability-building interventions, including Australia Awards and the Alumni Engagement Program.
Australia Awards is a prestigious scholarship program by the Australian Government. It provides life-changing study opportunities in Australia for Filipino development leaders, especially women, people with disabilities, Indigenous people, members of the LGBT community and members of other minority groups.
Upon their return to the Philippines, these individuals have empowered other Filipinos in their fields, communities and organisations through their re-entry action plan or REAP. The REAP is a unique mechanism of the Philippine program, which enables Filipino scholars to apply their Australian education to meaningful development programs in the Philippines.
Australia Awards alumni have gone on to hold key policymaker, department and stakeholder positions that create substantive impact within the Philippines and strengthen our nation’s relationship with Australia and the shared regional development goals.
It is about creating systematic change that leaves a legacy within the Philippines, and I am proud to lead a team that facilitates this.
What's ahead for localisation in development?
While there is so much to be proud of, there is still much more to be achieved.
After decades advocating for greater localisation in the international development space, I believe we have reached a transformative juncture—where ideas, learnings and policies can be scaled to achieve long-held economic and social development aspirations.
With the Philippine Government, Australian Government and Tetra Tech working together, we have the perfect platform to empower locally led change, and in turn advance a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
