Senator Bam Aquino encouraged concerned government agencies to make a strong final push to reach the government poverty incidence target of 18 percent in 2016.

“Let’s put the right enterprise programs and really give it a strong final push for this administration that will uplift our poor Filipinos,” said Sen. Bam during the hearing of the Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development on the Magna Carta of the Poor bills.

At present, Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman said the country’s poverty incidence rate is 25.8 percent or about 25.8 million Filipinos.

Sen. Bam also stressed the need to consolidate, rationalize and coordinate the livelihood programs of different government agencies to effectively address the country’s poverty incidence.

In addition, Sen. Bam also encouraged DSWD to look at enterprise development as the next logical step for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or the 4Ps.

“A lot of study shows that there is a need to have government interventions at different points of enterprise development to enable poor Filipinos to get out of poverty,” Sen. Bam said.

During the hearing, the DSWD, the National Anti-Poverty Commission and the Department of Finance expressed support for the passage of Sen. Bam’s Senate Bill No. 2370 or the Magna Carta of the Poor Act.

“We should consolidate all livelihood programs and align them according to the needs of the beneficiaries,” Sen. Bam encouraged the agencies.

“Interventions need not be financial alone, we can help them through product design and development, financial management and marketing training, or market linkage,” explained Sen. Bam, a former social entrepreneur.

(Photo from globalbalita.com)