National Anti-Poverty Action Agenda on final stages of completion

The National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) of the Philippines is finalizing the National Anti-Poverty Action Agenda and the National Poverty Reduction Plan.

In a public briefing on Monday, NAPC Lead Convenor Secretary Lopez Santos III said they came up with several more programs for poor Filipinos after holding regional sectoral assemblies this month.

He added that the regional sectoral assemblies consist of 14 sectors, including farmers, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples, and children.

"We ask them about the programs and policies they want to promote to expedite our poverty reduction program," Santos said.

"Our goal is to promote cooperation, harmonization, and convergence between national government agencies and local government units," he added.

Santos also emphasized the importance of the participation of basic sectors in poverty reduction programs.

"We're emphasizing the active participation, full representation, and involvement of basic sectors at all levels of governance, from the national level down to the local government units," he said.

Santos also explained the institutional mechanism for implementing programs for the poor.

"We have an established institutional mechanism, and the National Anti-Poverty Commission serves as that mechanism," he said.

Santos said that the NAPC has 25 national government agencies responsible for implementing government programs, as well as four leagues of LGUs and 14 basic sectors.

"Each specific program has its own institutional mechanism within each government agency," he said. "But what we're emphasizing is the active participation, full representation, and involvement of basic sectors at all levels of governance, from the national level down to the local government units."

Santos also said that the NAPC has raised with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) the concerns raised by some Manobo women from the Caraga Region regarding mining in their area.

The issue involves the protection of their ancestral domain and the release of royalties from mining operations in their ancestral domain.

"We have already had discussions with the NCIP chairperson, some commissioners, and regional directors, and they have thoroughly discussed this matter," Santos said.