Armm officials to intensify anti-poverty drive

By TENG DATU,
Cotabato City Bureau Chief

Cotabato City  – Officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) met last week to intensify the region’s anti-poverty drive aimed at uplifting the lives of poor families who are mostly living in impoverished communities.

“The best way to combat poverty in the region is to properly deliver the programs and projects because these will have significant effects on their daily lives,” Armm Executive Secretary Atty. Laisa Alamia said.

“It will take time to solve the poverty challenge, but we in the regional government must continue to lead the fight,” said Alamia who presided an expanded meeting involving heads of different departments, line agencies and locally created offices.

Armm’s programs and projects on poverty reduction were discussed during the meeting especially those implemented in conflict-affected areas. Executive Director Baintan Ampatuan of the region’s planning and development office presented during the event ARMM’s medium-term regional development plan (MTRDP) covering the years 2017 to 2022.

Ampatuan explained that MTRDP is a six-year undertaking aligned with the national government’s Philippine Development Plan. The strategic cluster convergence plan, a three-year initiative of the Armm cabinet cluster to carry out the administration’s priorities for 2016-2019, was also discussed.

Alamia said the region has various programs and projects on poverty alleviation such as the Bangsamoro Regional Inclusive Development for Growth and Empowerment, Humanitarian and Development Action Plan, and Health, Education, Livelihood, Peace and Governance, and Synergy.

The regional government will further improve its services in education, health, welfare, barangay, agri-fishery, infrastructure and non-infrastructure, she said.

Two strategies were also discussed during the poverty reduction meeting. The immediate strategy is the ‘Labanan ang Kahirapan sa Armm,’ or the ‘Apat Dapat Program,’ that focuses on key interventions concerning the four basic needs of every family, namely food, lighting, water and sanitation, and shelter.

The region’s anti-poverty long-term strategy is the balancing of the economy that includes enhancing the productivity of the farming sector in order to increase agricultural production in rural areas.

“The local and regional governments will jointly work to provide an environment conducive to industrial development and in strengthening the services sector,” Alamia said.