[Philippines] UN kicks off anti-poverty program

from INQ7

By Edson C. Tandoc Jr.
Inquirer

MANILA -- In a country burdened by economic and political instability, standing up against poverty can be fun, too.

Beginning Sunday evening until Monday night, the United Nations has organized a series of rock concerts, exhibits and festivals in several towns and cities across the country. The party is all about having a million Filipinos standing up against poverty, literally.

On Monday morning, simultaneous flag-raising ceremonies from Malacañang to remote public schools will see officials and students reciting a pledge of commitment to eradicating poverty.

But the bigger goal is to make people aware of the immediate need to join the challenge of making poverty a thing of the past by 2015.

"This is a pledge to encourage our leaders to fulfill their promise," coordinator Ruth Honculada told the Inquirer.

The program is called "Tumayo Tayo Laban sa Kahirapan, Tuparin ang MDGs (Stand Up Against Poverty, Stand Up for the Millennium Development Goals)" and is part of a worldwide campaign of the United Nations to remind member countries of the global vow to eradicate poverty made during the drafting of the Millennium Development Goals in 2000.

The Millennium Development Goals are eight "time-bound, concrete and specific targets to halve extreme poverty by 2015," according to a statement from the organizers.

These goals are eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combating the spread of HIV, acute immune deficiency syndrome, malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability and developing global partnerships for development.

This is the first time the United Nations office in the Philippines is organizing a nationwide event to popularize these goals to arrest poverty.

Honculada said the activities would also be supported by an auditing firm which would count the number of people who literally stood up during the simultaneous programs from Sunday evening to Monday night for the possibility of establishing a Guinness World Record.

There will be exhibits and programs in Baguio City, Los Baños, Sultan Kudarat, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu, organizers said.

There will also be a rock concert and a cultural show at the Marikina City Freedom Park Monday afternoon, where bands and artists as well as delegations from other towns in Luzon will perform.

Honculada said they were hoping that by having fun through watching performances of popular bands (like Bamboo) and artists, the youth would also be more aware of the bigger cause of contributing to the eradication of poverty.

The responsibility of fulfilling the millennium development goals does not only fall on the shoulders of the government, she said.

"Residents can also do their share," she added.

She said residents could join non-government groups which have mushroomed in the country, especially organizations that advocate and implement programs to fight poverty.

"We are asking people to go out of their comfort zones and choose an advocacy to which they could devote their time, effort and resources," Honculada added.

She said residents should also examine the millennium development goals and talk about them regularly "so that the government will listen and keep its promise."

The government appears to be fulfilling its promise so far, she said, as the administration "has been integrating in their plans the millennium development goals."

Specific accomplishments are another thing, however, and Honculada said they have a team based in the country, just like in other member-countries, to monitor the commitment to the goals.

In a brochure outlining the progress of the country on the accomplishments of the goals, the National Economic and Development Authority reported that in 2003, at least 30.4 percent of Filipinos considered themselves poor, lower than the 33 percent recorded in 2000.

But in the same report, elementary participation rate of school-age children (6-11 years old) fell to 90.05 percent in 2003 from 96.77 percent in 2001.

Honculada said that while the goals were all concrete and attainable, there were a lot of challenges threatening the achievement of some, like access to education as well as lowering the incidence of poverty and hunger.

Building new schools for primary education for instance would depend largely on policy and government resources, she added.

The NEDA also reported there was a slow decrease in the rate of child mortality and that 88 percent of all deliveries were attended by health professionals, showing a slight improvement in maternal health care.

But the NEDA also said that prices of medicines in the country remained among the highest in Southeast Asia.