VP Leni to launch anti-poverty program in Cebu, Bohol

Keeping her anti-poverty program going, a local version of “Angat Buhay” of Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo is being readied in Cebu and Bohol to uplift the lives of the poor.

Robredo, speaking to reporters, said her office is working on the launch of Angat Buhay in the provinces after various local governments expressed their interest to have their own version of the program.

“The plan is to launch Angat Buhay both in the city and province. We think it is an important development because more local government units are becoming interested,” she said.

Robredo, a lawyer for the poor before she entered politics, explained the local version of the anti-poverty program would create more opportunities for collaboration between the government and private sector.

The Vice President is also hopeful that it would give a “new dimension” to the anti-poverty approach.

“This is not only the responsibility of the government alone, but it is the coming together of government and private sector,” she noted.

Just last weekend, the former housing chief went to Naga City to launch the partnership program with Unibersidad de Sta. Isabel, where she finished primary school.

Angat Buhay is Robredo’s flagship project, which targets five core advocacies namely nutrition and food security, healthcare, education, rural development, and women empowerment.

After her resignation in the Cabinet, she added housing as sixth advocacy in the anti-poverty program.

The Office of Vice President has designed the program to bring about collaborative change while empowering transformation in the country’s poorest and farthest communities.

“Since the OVP does not have much resources, we are linking them with development partners who will provide the resources. Trust, not funding, is our common currency,” Robredo said during the program launch in Naga City.

From March to April, the Vice President will be in Bohol and Cebu to launch Angat Buhay.

Lanao del Sur is another province that is interested to have its local version of the anti-poverty program.

“We are excited with Lanao because we know it’s really in need of help,” Robredo said in the hopes the launch will take place next month.

The Vice President noted they were looking into the good programs of various local government units that can be replicated by other LGUs apart from the Angat Buhay program.