With only 11 months left on her term, Vice President Leni Robredo said that her flagship anti-poverty program Angat Buhay is her “best legacy” as she hopes her successor and other government agencies can expand the concept.
She spoke during a webinar and delivered the keynote address at the 5th Asian Philanthropic Development Conference (APDC) on Wednesday, July 28.
“My hope is that it is the legacy I left behind at the Office of the Vice President... I always tell my staff that would be the best legacy that we will leave behind,” Robredo claimed, adding that she hopes to continue the Angat Buhay program even after her term ends next year.
“Even before I was elected in Congress and as a VP, I have been doing similar things. Meaning to say, even without an elective position, I can still continue doing it.”
Angat Buhay aims to empower the poor and the marginalized sectors of society—fisherfolks, farmers, and market vendors, among others—through poverty alleviation programs that support their livelihoods.
The objective of the program is to alleviate poverty in a community through mobilizing public and private organizations and individuals to capacitate key sectors such as the urban poor, women, disaster-affected families, and the youth.
READ: Robredo assures support for Angat Buhay beneficiaries
Some of the projects under the program are the Angat Buhay villages in Bicol and Marawi, medical assistance, and the construction of health centers and classrooms, among others.
Robredo said she hoped whoever her successor will be can continue the program. The same goes for government agencies that, unlike her office, have bigger budgets.
“Because number one, it’s easy to replicate. Number two, they do not have to go through the same many learnings that we went through. So, the model is there already especially for offices with budgets,” she stressed.
“This can be easily replicated and we have been introducing the program to many LGUs already. Because beyond our term, the LGUs that we are partnering with right now will also continue with the program.”
READ: Robredo breaks ground for 2 more Angat Buhay Villages in CamSur
Before becoming a congresswoman in 2013, Robredo worked as a human rights lawyer in her home province of Camarines Sur. She worked with farmers, fisherfolks, and women. She was poised to become a regional trial court judge before she decided to run as vice president for the 2016 national polls.
As of December 2020, the OVP, through Angat Buhay, has partnered with 330 organizations mobilizing a total of P441.14 million worth of resources to assist 341,779 families and 221,122 individuals in 381 communities nationwide.