Sunday, August 15, 2004 28.4-M Pinoys live below poverty level
ABOUT 28.4-million Filipinos are living below poverty line, while the poorest of the poor is 13 percent (out of the 28.4) or an equivalent of 3.692-million.
"The 3.629-million figure translates that these Filipinos are living below the food threshold," said Secretary Imelda Nicholas of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) during the meeting of the Regional Kapit-bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Convergence Group (RKCC) in Southern Mindanao held Thursday at the DSWD conference hall.
"In the rural areas, nearly half of the population live below the poverty threshold as compared to 20% of the families living in the urban areas, which means that poverty is more felt in the rural than in urban areas," she said.
Secretary Nicholas said that between 1997 and 2000 there is an increase of poverty incidence because this was the height of the Asean financial crisis.
According to Nicholas, stakeholders of Kalahi will have to focus its attention on the poverty level to lower the poverty index as envisioned by President Arroyo during her State of the Nation Address where the President announced her 10-point agenda for implementation within the period of her six year-term.
"There's a tendency among many people to look at poverty only in terms of income but we have to look as a whole in terms of (1) human capital which means the lack of access to health, services, poor nutrition, lack of opportunities to education; (2) human security--the land tenure security whether urban or agriculture; environment; and the lack of human empowerment; and (3) peace and security--not only in terms of national peace and order but for women in terms of freedom from violence," she stressed.
All of these dimensions should be considered in looking at poverty thresholds of every Filipino, she added.
Secretary Nicholas also pointed out that the target of President Arroyo is to increase economic growth and sustainability up to seven percent or more up to 2010.
"This means that every year, we will have to target a growth national product of seven percent to bring down to half the poverty incidence from the present 28.4 percent to 14.2 percent by 2010," she said.
Secretary Nicholas called on all stakeholders of Kalahi to seriously support Arroyo's 10-point agenda, which requires a united effort to make it doable and successful.
The 10-point legacy, which was articulated by the President include: the creation of 10-million jobs by promoting agri-business and microenterprises; classroom gaps and provision of scholarships and computers for every school; balance of budget although this is very difficult to do because the government has, at present, a deficit of more than Php 200-billion; develop network of transport and digital infrastructure to introduce us to the 21st century; provide water and power in the entire country; decongest Metro Manila by developing new centers for government business and housing; develop Subic and Clark into the best international logistic and service center; automate electoral process; arrive at just completion of peace process; and arrive at a just closure to the divisions resulting from Edsa 1, 2, and 3. (PIA-Rpalacio)
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