Dinner for QC’s urban poor

Representatives of Quezon City’s urban poor sector will be the dinner guests of Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on Sunday, one of the highlights of the week-long festivities commemorating the city’s 64th founding anniversary.

The fellowship dinner involving 2,500 persons, representing the more than one million poor residents of the city, will be held at the Amoranto stadium.

Belmonte said the welfare of the disadvantaged and the poorest sector of Quezon City has been the focal point of the poverty alleviation program of his administration.

The mayor has promised to transform the city into quality community and make it a model of effective governance and responsible leadership. He said once local governance capacity has been strengthened, focus will be on the most pressing problems of his constituents.

"In a city where more than half of the people are poor, poverty alleviation assumes the urgency of a life and death situation," he said.

Earlier in the week, hundreds of street children were given a tour and free rides at a carnival at the Quezon City Memorial Circle grounds.

Belmonte has been reaching out to the thousands of market vendors, informal settlers and senior citizens and religious sectors during the anniversary celebration.

On Oct. 17, the city mayor will lead city officials in holding a testimonial dinner in honor of the outstanding citizens of Quezon City for 2003.

Former President Corazon Aquino will be the guest of honor and principal speaker during the Gawad Quezon rites. – Perseus Echeminada