VP: Int’l aid not beggar-donor relationship
Receiving foreign aid should not be construed as a form of begging, but rather a recognition of the nation’s limitations and the need for cooperation to address problems faced by Filipinos, Vice President Leni Robredo said yesterday.
“I’ve never looked at aid from other countries as a beggar-donor relationship,” Robredo said during the launch of Office of the Vice President’s Partnerships Against Poverty summit in Pasay City yesterday.
“I like to think that it’s a human response to show mercy, compassion, regardless of our nationalities, our race, our religion and even our political beliefs,” she said.
The Vice President’s statement appeared to be in response to President Duterte’s earlier remarks that the Philippines should stand on its own and not beg for foreign aid.
He specifically challenged the United States, the European Union and the United Nations to pull out their aid to the country.
But in her remarks, Robredo – who earlier expressed concern about the effects of Duterte’s tirades against foreign powers on the support that the country receives from the international community – stressed the need for cooperation to address complex issues such as poverty.
“Our relationship with our foreign neighbors is not a one-way street, where we are the only one on the receiving end,” she said.
“As such it is not about a country begging from another, but about human beings who recognize each other’s limitations and their need to harness their unique gifts and strengths, for the benefit of the greatest number who remain vulnerable,” added the Vice President.
Robredo yesterday led the launch of Angat Buhay, an initiative of her office that seeks to facilitate partnerships between local government units (LGUs) and different stakeholders to address specific poverty-related problems.
“Our diversity and difference must never be a barrier to reach out to each other when anyone is in need. The problems we face require building bridges, not walls,” said Robredo.
‘Speed-dating’ for development
During the summit, representatives from LGUs, civil society organizations and the public sector engaged in what Robredo dubbed as “development speeddating” to find matches between problems and solutions.
“For LGUs to properly orchestrate the holistic change processes in their areas, convergence and collaboration is necessary,” said Robredo.
“The end goal is for LGUs to find your best match, and we are very excited about the concrete gains and collaborative work that we hope to see during this session,” she said.
The summit is a culmination of the visits made by Robredo to far-flung communities where she sought to understand the problems facing the poorest of the poor.
In the summit, different stakeholders submitted commitments and pledges on how they can provide support to the LGUs that have presented their specific problems.
Robredo stressed the need to address poverty, calling it the root cause of the suffering of many Filipinos.
“Poverty is a larger war that needs our focus and attention. It claims lives of pregnant women who do not have access to proper health care. It causes irreversible stunting in the first 1,000 days of children, forcing them to suffer for the rest of their lives,” said the Vice President.
“Poverty undermines millions of children’s capacity to absorb knowledge and skills that are crucial for gainful employment and livelihood. It has pushed our people, young and old, to take or sell drugs, and commit all forms of crimes,” she said.
At Malacañang, a Palace official yesterday said President Duterte is challenging every Filipino to let go of the mendicant or beggar mentality and not be dependent on foreign aid.
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said while Duterte’s critics like actress Agot Isidro are entitled to their own opinion, the President also wants to address certain issues like the attitude of Filipinos.