500 stakeholders tackle anti-poverty moves in Bohol
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — At least 500 stakeholders from civil societies and people’s organizations convened on Friday to strengthen further local anti-poverty initiatives.
The National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) has introduced a five-year strategic framework development plan or the “Sambayanihan Serbisyong Sambayanan” to answer the need to reduce poverty by developing rural and urban agriculture and industry.
NAPC Secretary Noel Felongco said they were working with provincial governments and other local stakeholders to establish an anti-poverty Provincial Consultative Body (PCB).
He said the PCB is the participatory and convergence program of NAPC, a convergent consultative mechanism at the provincial level that would serve as an avenue for collaboration and coordination between government agencies, led by local governments, and local communities.
They will recommend, implement and monitor anti-poverty programs and services.
Undersecretary Pat Ruiz said at least 14 key sectors were included in the PAB. These were composed of artisan fisherfolk, farmers and landless rural workers, urban poor, indigenous peoples, formal labor and migrant workers, workers in the informal sector, women, children, youth and students, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, victims of disasters and calamities, non-government organizations, and cooperatives.
Felongco said the PCB would be chaired by the provincial governor, with the selected sectoral representative serving as co-chair.
He said they have set mechanisms to ensure that the anti-poverty bodies, which would be monitored by NAPC, would not be tied to the preferences of the governor.
The poverty incidence in the country has been reduced from 27.6 % to 21% in the first semester of 2015, said the recent poverty incidence data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority. This is equivalent to about six to eight million Filipinos who were lifted out from poverty.
Lanao del Sur remains the poorest province in the country.
By 2020, Felongco said all Filipinos would have a comfortable life. (Editor: Leti Z. Boniol)
