‘Biyaya sa Pagbabago’ launched in Benguet

THE OFFICE of the President through Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. spearheaded the launch of the regional roll-out in the Cordillera region of the Duterte adminstration’s Biyaya ng Pagbabago on Saturday, July 7.

Evasco said President Rodrigo Duterte is committed to reduce the poverty incidents during a simple program at the Benguet State University in La Trinidad.

To solve the poverty in the country, Evasco said the President wants focus and needed depth to solve poverty. Twelve agencies are under the supervision of the cabinet secretary realizing the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 to lessen poverty incidents from 21.6 percent to 14 percent.

Aside from the mechanism to have significant results to solve the problem in poverty, Evasco said for the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in the Cordillera region and in the country, it is now the government make aware of the IP rights through the Indigenous People Right Act.

“There are many agencies who are not aware. This is our move from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, making agencies aware of what they can do in the people in the ancestral domain.”

Office of Participatory Governance Undersecretary

Joselito Libres said a target of six million Filipinos will be alleviated from poverty.

“Generally, the Indigenous Peoples is the impoverished sector. The president made a directive to give adequate focus and attention to IPs where a task force IP was created to focus on the development and ancestral domains,” said Libres.

To lessen poverty incidents for IPs, Libres added an initial funding of P50 million was allocated by the Senate while department and agencies were instructed to ensure allocation budgets purposely for IPs.

Libres said in the coming months, the services will be delivered and P50 million will be for livelihood and economic related activities.

On the same day, a ceremonial turn-over of programs as statement of commitments of the different government agencies in the Cordillera region was held.

At least P22 million were awarded to 957 Indigenous Peoples Youth beneficiaries through National Commission on Indigenous People.

Benguet Governor Crescencio Pacalso assured in behalf of the province and the region the coordination of the province in line with the programs of the government.

Biyaya ng Pagbabago move to give emphasis and to strengthen poverty alleviation programs to fast track services for the most marginalized sectors. The activity roll-out in the region expected the people to collaborate from local government units.