SENATOR Paolo Benigno Aquino IV encouraged concerned government agencies on Wednesday to exert more effort to lower the country's poverty incidence from 25.8 percent to 18 percent by 2016.

Based on the 2014 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey of the Philippines Statistics Authority, poverty incidence among Filipinos in the first quarter of last year was estimated at 25.8 percent or about 25.8 million people.

The study also showed that poverty incidence among Filipino families was around 20 percent.

PSA attributed the result to rapid rise in food prices, particularly of rice, and the lingering effects of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in the first half of 2014.

To effectively address the country’s poverty incidence, Aquino said different government agencies should consolidate, rationalize, and coordinate livelihood programs, which must be aligned to the needs of beneficiaries.

He said beneficiaries may be assisted through product design and development, financial management, and marketing or market linkage.

“Let’s put the right enterprise programs and really give it a strong final push for this administration that will uplift our poor Filipinos,” said Aquino.

“A lot of study shows that there is a need to have government interventions at different points of enterprise development to enable poor Filipinos to get out of poverty,” he added. (Sunnex)