RP's campaign against poverty and hunger gaining ground
The Philippine"s campaign against poverty and hunger is gaining ground, thanks to the whole-hearted cooperation between the national government and the private sector.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) made this announcement during the launching recently of "The Search for the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Youth Champions" at the Manila Hotel.
"The decline in poverty incidence for the period of 2000-2006 may be traced to several factors. One is sustained growth of real gross domestic production (GDP), driven by private sector participation. Two, national policies spelled out in the mid-term Philippine development plan (MTPDP) 2001-2004 and 2004-2010, have prioritized anti-poverty strategies. The two plans espouse poverty reduction as an overarching goal, while sectoral thrusts fully support poverty-reduction targets and priorities," NEDA further stated.
It also stated that the national government is fully committed to pursue an integrated and comprehensive national anti-poverty strategy called the "Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan" (Linking Arms Against Poverty) which focuses on asset reform, human development services, employment and livelihood, social protection and participatory governance.
"To complement these policies, the government has been implementing major foreign-assisted programs and projects designed to fast-track poverty-reduction efforts which include, among others, the following: a) KALAHI-CIDSS or Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)/World Bank (WB); b) Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)/WB/Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC); c) Development of Poor Urban Communities Sector Project (Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC)/Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP)/Asian Development Bank (ADB) and d) Achieving the MDGs and Reducing Human Poverty (NEDA/United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
The Philippines, along with other UN members in 2000, pledged to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmentally sustainability and develop a global partnership for development. (PNA)