So far, Estrada gov't able to 'slightly' reduce poverty incidence -official

The Estrada administration, less than two years old, has so far been able to "slightly" reduce the incidence of poverty, and the chief of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) is asking Malacañang to hasten the release of funds to keep the poverty alleviation program going.

NAPC chief Donna Gasgonia estimates there are now 4.4 million Filipino families - or 23 million individuals (based on an average of five children per family) - living below the poverty line.

She based the figures on the poverty incidence parameters of the National Statistics Office (NSO) and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

As NEDA defines it, a family of six is considered living below the poverty line in the National Capital Region if it has a monthly income of P11,000 or less.

Although Gasgonia believes that the administration of President Estrada - who has vowed to reduce poverty incidence from the present 32.1 percent to 20 percent by the end of his term in 2004 - has improved the situation "slightly," this can only be validated after the NSO completes its census in October.

Gasgonia, in a press briefing yesterday, asked Mr. Estrada to release the remaining 70 percent of the P2.5 billion earmarked for the Lingap Para sa Mahihirap program in the 1999 budget.

Due to lack of funds, she admitted that the government's poverty alleviation program may suffer further delay.

Gasgonia revealed that the administration's efforts have been lagging behind the anti-poverty programs of other member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which have posted an average two-percent reduction in poverty incidence annually.

The Philippines, she said, managed to reduce poverty incidence by an average of 1.5 percent annually during the previous Ramos administration.

"So we're trying to catch up. That's why our set-up is to target two percent reduction in the poverty index," she said.

When Mr. Estrada assumed the presidency in 1998, the poverty level was 32.1 percent, down from 37 percent, due to the efforts of the former Ramos administration.

Mr. Estrada has pledged to further reduce the poverty level to 20 percent by 2004.

Gasgonia said the government's "Angat Pinoy" Medium Term Development Plan is targeting to take out at least two million Filipino families from the poverty line by June 2004, or 400,000 families every year.

She said the Department of Budget and Management released 30 percent of the P2.5-billion Lingap Para sa Mahihirap fund last October.

As of March, the funds have been disbursed to and accounted for by the six implementing agencies.

"This simply means that these programs and projects have already trickled down to their intended beneficiaries," she said.

The President urged the DBM during its 64th anniversary celebration the other day to ensure funding for the government's priority projects such as those under the anti-poverty program.