ILOILO CITY, Philippines--Do more to reduce poverty and do more for those who are poor.

This is the appeal of Jaro Archbishop and Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines President Angel Lagdameo to government as President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo delivers her State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.

"I think that government, as I also invite Church people, should be pro-poor," Lagdameo told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) last week.

The prelate did not specify what measures government should take to reduce poverty, saying it would be up to government to implement them.

"The problem of poverty will have a solution. The solution requires more sharing from people themselves," the prelate said at the sidelines of last Thursday's prayer rally held here against the Reproductive Health Bill pending in Congress.

"The greatest cause of poverty is not the (number of) people. The greatest cause of poverty is graft and corruption," he said, stressing the Church's line on the population management issue.

The prelate said God was born to a poor family "because he knew that there would be more poor people. He showed us how to help the poor."

But militant groups in Iloilo blamed the seven-year-old Arroyo administration for worsening poverty with millions going hungry, jobless and homeless.

"We are suffering the worst crisis ever. The natural calamities have been aggravated by the worst calamity of all--Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo," said Bayan-Panay spokesperson Reylan Vergara.

Thousands of protesters led by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan are set to hold protest actions in Iloilo, Aklan, Capiz and Negros Occidental on Monday to dramatize their protest against the administration.

In Iloilo City, protesters will assemble at 1:30 p.m. at the public plazas of Jaro and Molo districts before marching to the grounds of the Iloilo provincial capitol where a cultural protest rally will be held.