MANILA, Philippines - The membership of the Philippine Jaycees was urged yesterday to “get active” in the inclusive growth and poverty alleviation program being implemented nationwide by the various local government units (LGUs).
The organization’s involvement in the program was propounded by Dagupan City Vice Mayor Brian Lim in his series of sorties in southern Philippines and Luzon to share his sentiment over the apparent snail-paced campaign to reduce poverty in the country.
Lim, a JCI senator who is seeking the Philippine presidency of one of the world’s biggest organizations of young professionals and businessmen, asserted that the group has a wide range of potentials and resources that could be tapped to strengthen the fight against poverty.
Lim, himself an entrepreneur who now oversees the operation of his family’s chain of shopping malls, made the proposal in response to insistent clamor by LGU leaders to get the Jaycees actively involved in the campaign.
The Dagupan City official cited, for instance, the livelihood enhancement package initiated by his father, Benjamin S. Lim, past Jaycees International president who was then mayor of the city.
The economic growth initiative gained wide patronage in the neighboring towns of San Carlos City, and the towns of Bayambang and Calasiao in Pangasinan as it enabled small entrepreneurs to improve their livelihood ventures.
Lim also cited the active participation of the Jaycees in the widely acclaimed success of “Kalutan ed Dagupan” (bangus grilling) which won recognition by the Guinness Book of World Records as the “longest grill” festivity.
With the Jaycees involvement, Lim expressed optimism the entrepreneurship promotion advocacy will empower less economically developed communities and thus enhance the government’s poverty reduction program.
Lim pointed out that, as of now, channels for growth in the countrysides have remained narrow, thus stunting development strides.