Cebu City a priority area for poverty reduction

CEBU, Philippines —  Cebu City was among the seven identified by the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) as a priority area for the implementation of poverty reduction projects in a long-term bid to bring about a middle class society in the Philippines by 2040.

NAPC Secretary Noel K. Felongco said in a statement that the projects, to be funded with the Philippine Gaming Corporation’s (PAGCOR) P49 million assistance, will consist of compact farming, construction of multi-purpose buildings, and the development of a village-linked coconut industry.

The other priority areas are Majayjay, Laguna; Calbayog City, Samar; Talipao, Sulu; Valladolid, Negros Occidental; Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya; and Kauswagan, Lanao Del Norte.

Felongco said the Sambayanihang Serbisyong Sambayanan (SSS), NAPC’s five-year development plan, aims to carry out a “climate-responsive, culture and gender-sensitive, and convergent and anti-poverty strategy” that will alleviate and reduce poverty incidence in the country.

The passage of Republic Act No. 11291 or the Magna Carta of the Poor shows the current administration’s “heart for the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed,” said Felongco, as the legislation assures the poor of the right to adequate food, decent work, relevant and quality education, adequate housing and the highest attainable standard of living.

Poverty incidence in the country was pegged at 22.2 percent in 2015, which was reduced to 16.1 percent (about 16 million individuals) in 2018. In the next three years, NAPC is aiming to bring the statistics down to 14 percent (about 14 million individuals).

Felongco said that some individuals or families from the poorest of the poor sector were able to improve their status due to several factors such as the 4Ps program of DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), more job opportunities and the reduction of the end of contract scheme. — VAB (FREEMAN)