Government claims drastic cut in poverty by 2016

By Riza Lozada

The government unveiled a bold program which it claims will bring down the poverty level to 18 to 20 percent by next year from the current 24 percent of the population through a poverty alleviation scheme in nine select provinces with the poorest families.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Director General Arsenio Balisacan bared the government’s Accelerated and Sustainable Anti-Poverty Program (Asapp), which is being conducted in Pangasinan, Quezon, Camarines Sur, Negros Occidental, Cebu, Leyte, Zamboanga del Sur, Davao del Sur and Sulu provinces.

Balisacan said Asapp would reduce the poverty incidence among the population to 18-20 percent in 2016 by creating income opportunities and enhancing the employability of the poor.

“The challenge that remains is that there are still many Filipinos who are poor. Simply waiting on growth to trickle down to the poor would amount to social injustice,” Balisacan said.

Asapp has been piloted in selected cities and municipalities in 10 provinces classified as category 1 in the Updated Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016, which consist of provinces with the highest number of poor families.

Balisacan said Neda would be more precise in intervention schemes to attain inclusive growth.

The Asapp model, called Salubungan, will have the public-private partnership concept as model to tap the skills and resources of the poor to expand production capacities and markets of local firms.

It brings together regional government agencies, local government units, the private sector, and representatives from select poor cities and municipalities to discuss factors that inhibit local private enterprises from increasing their linkages with the poor.

Projects will be implemented supported by government policies and programs to link the poor with private enterprises.

These may include skill enhancement to increase the poor’s employability in businesses with growth potentials.

They may also include trade facilitation and market linkages such that the poor get to supply the raw materials, inputs and services needed by bigger businesses.

“We will try to address gaps with government intervention and support from the private sector to create massive employment so that those currently considered below the poverty threshold can be included in the growth process,” Neda Deputy Director General Margarita Songco said.

“We don’t need grand projects. What we need are doable targets for the private sector, and enabling environment and commitment from the government to encourage businesses to hire the vulnerable and source inputs from them,” she added.

Another Asapp model involves employing the poor in government programs and projects, such as in public works, shelter and facilities improvement, as well as education, health and nutrition, and ecological management programs.

“In planning and implementing Asapp, we should always remember that if the poor are able to participate and not only benefit from the growth process, then the growth is inclusive,” Assistant Director General Rosemarie Edillon said.

In an Asapp workshop in Iloilo province, the private sector, represented by medium scale and social enterprises in hotel, resort, restaurant, food processing, construction, and agribusiness industries, identified the skills they require for their operations and expressed their willingness to hire individuals from the target communities.

The pilot municipalities also have the potential to supply raw materials such as bamboo, poultry and livestock, seafood, spices, and vegetables.

Neda is the convener of the Asapp action team of Iloilo and Cebu, composed by the members of the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster and selected members of the Economic Development Cluster.

A series of consultations and follow-up activities will follow to ensure the sustainability of the Asapp.