BONTOC, Mountain Province – The National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) held a coordination meeting with the provincial government on May 28, 2024.
The meeting was held at the Provincial Governor’s Office purposely to coordinate the conduct of an orientation-seminar (OrSem) focusing on the Magna Carta of the Poor (MCP) or Republic Act No. 11291 and the Local Poverty Reduction Action Plan (LPRAP). The said OrSem was tentatively scheduled on August 13, 2024.
NAPC-CAR Focal Person Noriel C. Miguel said that the target participants of the OrSem include the provincial government and the 10 municipal governments of the province. Moreover, he explained that the OrSem aims to present and discuss the salient features of the MCP and its implementing rules and regulation, present the country’s local poverty situation, expound the LPRAP formulation processes and procedures, capture field-level observations and learning in terms of processes, and have an agreement on ways forward for the MCP and LPRAP-related activities.
As an overview, Miguel explained that the RA 11291 directs the government to establish a system of progressive realization or implementation to provide the requirements, conditions, and opportunities for the full enjoyment or realization of the five fundamental rights of the poor which are the right to adequate food, right to decent work, right to relevant and quality education, right to adequate housing, and right to the highest attainable standard of health.
“Progressive realization refers to the process of implementation which will be paced according to the availability of funds and which adjusts to the exigencies of the times,” Miguel further explained.
In relation to poverty, Miguel said that the poverty incidence of the Philippines increased from 16.7% or 17.67 million in 2018 to 18.1% or 19.99 million in 2021 during the heights of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
“From 18.1% in 2021, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. seeks to reduce the poverty rate to 9% by 2028 as mentioned during his First State of the Nation Address,” he continued.
Meanwhile, present during the meeting on behalf of the Provincial Government were Executive Assistant Florence R. Gut-omen, Provincial Planning and Development Office Assistant Department Head Deborah F. Fakat, Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Ian Neil D. Culallad, Provincial Health Officer Carolyn D. Yawan, Public Employment and Services Officer Ernesto Emilio, Agriculturist Regina C. Panilas, and Social Welfare Officer Genoveva C. Yodong. By HENT
