THE Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) will be holding a series of briefings to tackle what the country has achieved so far in halving poverty rates by this year as part of its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The PLPCD said for the first briefing scheduled at 10 a.m. on February 24 at the Alex III Restaurant at the corner of Morato Extension and Scout Bayoran Street, Quezon City, Director Erlinda M. Capones of the National Economic and Development Authority’s (Neda) Social Development Staff will give an update on the country’s efforts to achieve the MDGs.
The most formidable MDG target is halving poverty incidence, which has worsened to 27 percent from the previous 23 percent, putting doubts to the claims of the Neda and President Aquino that inclusive growth is being achieved.
Only 85 indivuals actually own 25 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), and the top 40 families actually account for nearly half of the nation’s wealth.
Globally, the situation is pretty much the same, with less than 1 percent of the global populatuion controlling half of the entire planet’s wealth, with the trend showing that wealth is getting concentrated among billionaires who do not event reinvest and use their resources for productive activities.
Dr. Enrique Tayag, chief of the Epidemiology Bureau of the Department of Health, will talk on the challenges in meeting health-related MDG targets.
Rep. Sharon Garin of AAMBIS-OWA party-list will discuss MDG-related legislation and prospects for legislation on the post-2015 development agenda.
PLPCD was an active supporter of the reproductive-health bill, which has been enacted into law, and it is urging the Aquino administration to work double-time in achieving the MDGs for this year.
Among the issues covered by MDGs are women’s health, business and human rights, children’s rights and HIV/AIDS.
The briefing series, titled “Closing Gaps, Expanding Opportunities,” hopes to encourage government to work harder in meeting the MDGs.
In 2000, world leaders committed to address a range of issues from reducing extreme poverty to halting and reversing the spread of HIV, and set out a series of targets that became known as the MDGs to be achieved by this year.
As the deadline for the MDGs nears, key stakeholders reflect on our country’s progress on the matter.