Urban poor need bigger share of dev’t — World Bank
THE World Bank said policy makers must not lose sight of the needs of the urban poor even as some countries move to prioritize rural development.
The bank said East Asia and the Pacific is the most rapidly urbanizing region of the world, with an average annual urbanization rate of 3%. The region also has the largest slum population, estimated at 250 million people.
Slums are urban communities where residents lack secure housing, safe and suff icient water supply and sanitation, among other basic services.
The report said that China, Indonesia, and the Philippines account for bulk of the region’s urban poor, at 75 million.
“Rapid urbanization is a challenge and an opportunity. Provide low-income residents with affordable transport services or housing, so they can save for their children’s education. Ensure that social protection programs are in place to help families cope during diff icult times, such as in the aftermath of natural disasters,” World Bank Lead Urban Specialist Judy Baker was quoted in the bank’s Expanding Opportunities for the Urban Poor report.
The report provided recommendations to cater to the urban poor such as connecting them to job markets; investing in integrated urban planning; and ensuring affordable land and housing.
“Cities across East Asia have propelled the region’s tremendous growth. Our collective challenge is to expand opportunities to all in the cities — from new migrants living in the peripheries to factory workers struggling to pay rent — so that they can benefit more from urbanization and help fuel even stronger growth,” said Victoria Kwakwa, World Bank vice-president for East Asia and the Pacific.
The Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 aims to push infrastructure and social development to rural areas, thereby reducing congestion in Metro Manila.
According to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), 2,857 infrastructure projects worth P524.48 billion or about 56.06%, of the total P935.55 billion region-specific projects in its three-year rolling infrastructure program will be built in areas outside the National Capital Region.
However, Metro Manila is expected to receive 293 projects worth P180.37 billion for an outsized 19.28% share.
Meanwhile, NEDA noted that the poorest regions in the country — the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Caraga, Eastern Visayas, Soccsksargen, and Northern Mindanao, will get 1,313 infrastructure projects worth P157.44 billion — or a share of 16.82%.
“Programs and policies to tackle urban poverty and social inclusion are not intended to come at the expense of addressing rural poverty, but rather are aimed at ensuring that urbanization’s benefits are widely shared and can create future opportunities for those in rural areas,” the report read.
It noted the Philippines’ conditional cash transfer as a “successful program” in providing social safety nets to the urban poor.
“Employment and income generation are critical to achieving poverty reduction and economic inclusion. A concerted effort by policy makers to better connect the urban poor with job markets is necessary if the urban poor are to secure “good jobs” or jobs with high enough wages to allow them and their households to meet basic needs,” the report read. —