Highlighting the need to urgently address poverty and hunger in the Philippines, the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP), on Saturday, March 26, appealed for an exemption from the election spending ban.
Under the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) Resolution No. 10747, a certificate of exemption is needed to carry out and execute activities or programs on social welfare projects and services while the spending ban is in effect until May 8, 2022.
“ kasama po ng ibang mga ahensya na nagbibigay ng direktang serbisyo sa ating mga mamamayang Pilipino lalo na sa sektor ng mga maralitang tagalungsod. Kami po ay naghihintay at sana po ay magbigyan kami ng kanilang go signal dahil ang kahirapan at kagutuman ay hindi po pwedeng maghintay (PCUP is among other agencies that provide direct services to the Filipino people especially in the sector of the urban poor. We are waiting and hopefully we will be given their go signal because poverty and hunger cannot wait),” said PCUP Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alvin Feliciano in an interview over DZBB.
“Kailangan po ay patuloy ang pagbaba ng PCUP upang matulungan natin ang ating mga kababayan lalo na’t higit ang talagang mga nangangailangan (We, the PCUP, must continue our programs so that we can help Filipinos, especially those who are really in need),” Feliciano furthered.
Among the three priority programs of PCUP were the PCUP caravan, Adopt an Urban Poor Community, and the implementation of Urban Poor Privilege Card.
Meanwhile, in its 2021 year-end report, PCUP said that it has extended help to about 10 million indigents last year through its services in line with asset reform, human development and basic services, livelihood, as well as employment.