Manila, Aug. 20 -- The Philippines has brought together eight South and Southeast Asian countries to strengthen public finance systems and protect spending on education, health, nutrition, and social protection for children amid fiscal and climate pressures.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), with support from the European Union (EU) and UNICEF, hosted the South-South Exchange from Aug. 18 to 20.

The DBM, in a news release Thursday, said the three-day meeting gathered representatives of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam to exchange reforms and tools for improving the efficiency, transparency, and resilience of public spending.

Discussions focused on how governments can su...