MANILA, Philippines - The government is aiming to lift more than 10 million
people out of poverty in less than two years, and make an enduring impact on
lessening one of Asia's worst rich-poor divides.
The government of President Benigno Aquino III has set a target of
cutting the number of people living in poverty to 16.6% by the end of 2015,
down from 27.9% last year, Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan
said on Friday, July 5.
"It's
a big challenge. We just don't have the luxury of time and the luxury of
resources to waste," Balisacan told reporters.
The
ambitious goal is set ahead of when Aquino is required to stand down in in
mid-2016 after a 6-year term.
It
comes after stunning economic growth, credit rating upgrades and record
stock market highs in the first half of Aquino's term failed to make a dent on
crushing poverty.
Even
though the Philippines had the fastest growth rate in Asia of
7.8% in the first quarter of 2013, theunemployment rate rose to a 3-year-high of 7.5% in
April.
The
number of people living in poverty — defined as living on 62 US cents a day or
less — had also largely remained the same.
In
2012, about 27.9% of the country was classified as living in poverty compared
to 28.8% and 28.6% in 2006 and 2009 respectively.
That
means more than 25 million currently live in poverty.
The
Philippines has long had one of the biggest rich-poor divides in Asia, with a
remarkably small number of families dominating politics and business.
While
the Aquino administration has always aimed to create more inclusive growth,
Balisacan
said the government was "recalibrating" after the recent economic
performance failed to make a big impact on poverty.
"We are learning the lesson of the last three years," he said.
The
economy remains largely reliant on services and consumption, fueled by the huge
remittances of almost 10 million Filipinos working overseas.
Balisacan said that, as part of the remodeling efforts, the government would sharply increase spending on infrastructure to create immediate jobs and make areas more attractive for investment.
The
government is specifically targeting ports, airports and roads.
Overall
spending on infrastructure will rise from the equivalent of 2.5% of the
Philippines' economy in 2012 to five percent by 2016, according to Balisacan.
He
said the government would also continue to ramp up spending on social services.
One
key focus is a "conditional cash-transfer" scheme where the country's
poorest families are given money if various health and education requirements
are met, such as keeping children in school.
