The National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) recognized the need to synchronize and harmonize local poverty reduction plans at the grassroots level through cooperation among local government units (LGUs).
NAPC Secretary Lope Santos III, in a televised interview on Sept, 25, said that during the consultations with stakeholders, the Commission observed that there are “numerous programs” related to poverty reduction implemented by LGUs that are aligned with that of the national government
“We would like to harmonize and consolidate all these programs to create a significant impact on poverty reduction,” Santos explained.
Related to this, Santos said that the NAPC is coordinating with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to synchronize poverty reduction plans in various LGUs.
“Ito ngayon ay binabalangkas natin at hindi lang yan tumatawid na tayo dun sa preparation ng local poverty reduction action plan (Right now, we are in the process of outlining this and we're also progressing towards the preparation of the local poverty reduction action plan),” Santos explained.
“Kausap na natin dito ang DILG sa posibleng pag issue ng joint memorandum circular para sabay sabay na magkaroon ng local poverty reduction plan ang mga LGUs natin (We are in discussions with DILG regarding the possible issuance of a joint memorandum circular to synchronize local poverty reduction plan in LGUs),” he added.
This, Santos said, will help ensure that there will be a harmonization and “convergence” of programs between the National Government Agencies (NGAs) and LGUs through “collaborative effort and mutual assistance.”
Poverty reduction in rural areas
Since NAPC is multi-sectoral, Santos explained that its programs are conducted and implemented by 25 NGAs.
One of the agencies, Santos said, is the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) which implements programs including the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the sustainable livelihood program.
He added that the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) also has an Integrated Livelihood Emergency Employment Program while the Department of Education (DepEd) has school-based feeding programs "to address malnutrition." The Department of Agriculture (DA), Santos added, also has many programs for farmers.
“Ang pinag uusapan natin dito ang poverty reduction is whole of the government approach (What we are discussing here is a whole-of-government approach to poverty reduction),” he explained.
This is why all agencies, including the DILG and the National Security Council, among others, actively participate in poverty reduction efforts under the purview of NAPC, Santos added.
As NAPC endeavors to fulfill its mandate, Santos urged the public and its partners to continue supporting the programs of the government especially those related to poverty reduction. (Erika Mariel Custodio Escover)