Alamin: 2023 year-end activity report ng Office of Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation
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00:00 First in our discussion this morning is about the steps that the Office of the Presidential Advisor for Poverty Alleviation is taking to alleviate poverty in our country.
00:13 Among them is the 2023 Year-End Activity Report of the Office to learn more about their achievements, challenges, and projects.
00:26 If we have that, we will be able to watch Secretary Larry Gatun, the Presidential Advisor for Poverty Alleviation.
00:34 Sec, good morning to you. Welcome back.
00:36 Good morning, Audrey, and good morning to all of your viewers of Rise and Shine Philippines.
00:43 Happy New Year!
00:44 Happy New Year to everyone.
00:46 Secretary, let's go back to 2023. What are some of the highlights or the most important part of the 2023 Year-End Activity Report of the Office of the Presidential Advisor for Poverty Alleviation?
01:02 You know, Audrey, I was appointed last week of June and I took my oath on July 10. So, that's when I started having activities.
01:16 And the highlights I had there were the ones I studied about the problems of Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro. And we are also working on a way to solve the problem of their electricity because it is really lacking.
01:33 And to think that Mindoro is a food basket, right? It is very rich in agriculture and aquaculture. And that is what we are doing now, to have more electricity.
01:49 Anyway, that is according to the advocacy and the goal of our beloved President Bongbong Marcos Jr. that electrification is a priority because electrification will be one of the most important solutions for poverty alleviation.
02:14 Because if we have electrification in all places, the economy will be able to survive and people will have jobs.
02:25 Actually, poverty alleviation is just one solution. Just give people jobs and income.
02:33 And also, livelihood. Yes, livelihood. So that we will not always rely on dole outs. It is very difficult to pass on those dole outs to the government.
02:47 That's right. Especially in the remote areas. Our fellow countrymen are being used as rebels because they are not informed about the services that the government is providing because there is no electricity in their area.
03:00 So it is important that they have electricity. But of course, investors are also needed here. How do we look at this?
03:07 There are many places that have rich raw materials and their agriculture is also rich and their fisheries.
03:18 Because of the lack of electricity, they do not have cold chain, they do not have manufacturing facilities.
03:27 So their economic activities are very limited. Their economic growth is also very limited in their area.
03:35 So what happens is that people do not have jobs. Or if they have jobs, they are what we call under-employed and underpaid.
03:46 That's why in this kind of situation, we will not really increase the poverty incidence.
03:55 But anyway, the highlight of 2023 is that our poverty incidence is reduced because the latest data shows that almost 25% of our total population is under poverty threshold.
04:15 And this year, according to the PSA, it only reached 23% more or less. So we reduced by almost 2% or 1% more.
04:32 And this is translated to around 1 million Filipinos. Because the programs of President Marcos are very good.
04:40 Just like what he did with the New Tenant Emancipation Act that he signed and passed in June 2023.
04:52 He also write-off all the loans of farmers who were tilling lands under the Agrarian Reform Act. The land that was given to the farmers under the land reform act, their loans were already deducted.
05:13 Because even if you give them the land, they are still required to pay the loan they have been paying for so many years.
05:22 And that's where our farmers will be able to grow.
05:25 But Secretary, what are some of the biggest challenges of the country when it comes to poverty? What are the challenges that your office is facing now?
05:37 That's really the source of livelihood. Loss of jobs.
05:43 Although for now, our indications are good because our employment rate is 95.8% and our unemployed rate is 4.2%.
05:57 So 95.8% is the highest in 18 years. Because the hardworking life of the Marcos administration, President Bongbong Marcos is very good in making plans and strategies.
06:14 If you notice, the employment rate suddenly increased because he is encouraging the establishment of business.
06:22 Because this is the time when new businesses will open, that's when jobs will be created.
06:30 And that's the one solution to poverty alleviation.
06:34 Work or livelihood.
06:35 Work.
06:36 Okay. Secretary...
06:37 We also did something.
06:39 The trust and confidence rating of the business community is good and high for President Bongbong Marcos.
06:49 BDO had a program where I was one of the advisors of FILCO. They had a memorandum of agreement of BDO, Banco de Oro, Unibank.
07:09 The small and medium scale industries that were vetted by FILCO, if it passes the evaluation of FILCO, a company with many businesses,
07:28 if it passes, BDO will give them short term loans or long term loans depending on their study.
07:43 And that's what they are doing now.
07:44 That can be used for business.
07:47 If it's business, there will be jobs. It's good that BDO will help in that.
07:57 The loans provided to SMEs, small and medium scale industries.
08:07 Especially now, Secretary, we have many countrymen who are tired of being an employee and want to try in business.
08:14 Yes, that's good. Although we are not discouraging them to have a job.
08:21 Of course, for the economy to run, all companies should run.
08:28 But Secretary, we have many people who are interviewed, OFWs who are tired of being OFWs.
08:33 Those who want to invest in the Philippines and come back here.
08:37 You know, in truth, that's one of the first things that President Bumbong Marcos is thinking.
08:44 That our brothers and sisters, OFWs in the Philippines, can go home and be with their families here and they can also live here.
08:54 That we can do when we have spread 100% electrification. That's our target, electrification.
09:07 My office is helping foreign investors who are interested in putting alternative energies.
09:17 Secretary, when the poor are listening to the government, their main interest is cheap goods.
09:27 Yes, that's the only thing.
09:29 What are our benefits to those projects?
09:31 So, Secretary, can you tell us what are the plans or half of what your office will do for 2024?
09:39 Our general plan is to help the industry to grow. That is to create jobs.
09:47 And that is through attracting or inviting foreign investors to build small power plants here to help our economy.
10:05 That is really the number one solution, giving jobs.
10:10 How about your partnership with the local government units to implement your projects?
10:16 Is it the same with the non-government organizations?
10:19 We are doing that in specific areas for now.
10:26 Because what we are focusing on is the lack of economic activities.
10:35 Just like what I mentioned earlier, Mindoro, this is a huge province.
10:40 This is probably the fourth biggest island in the country or fifth, I can't remember.
10:49 But it is very rich in agriculture and aquaculture. They are very rich.
10:55 But you will be surprised, even if there is a cold chain, there is none.
10:59 Even if there is a cold storage facility, there is none.
11:05 So, the government needs to support it.
11:07 Not just one, but many.
11:10 It really should be a cold chain because different towns have their own production.
11:16 So that they can earn and the middlemen won't abuse our farmers.
11:22 Take for example Zamboanga.
11:25 When I attended the 6th National Congress of Sardines Industry in Zamboanga.
11:33 In Zamboanga City alone, they are employing 35,000 people working in the sardines factory.
11:43 Because most of the sardines factories are there.
11:46 Imagine 35,000 in one place, they have employees like that.
11:51 And there are no diversified industries that they can help.
11:58 Like those who make ketchup, tomato sauce, spices, and many more.
12:07 So there are many opportunities.
12:09 And our situation is very good now with our fisheries.
12:15 Because our aquaculture is very high, the production of aquaculture is higher than commercial fishing.
12:24 Alright.
12:25 Secretary, we hope that all of your projects and programs will be fulfilled.
12:31 Especially this year, the Filipinos need it.
12:35 Thank you very much for all the information.
12:37 All of that, Audrey, is under the name of the President.
12:40 Because all of that are his ideas.
12:43 And all of that are under his direction.
12:48 Our President is very good.
12:50 Alright. Again, thank you very much for visiting us this morning.
12:53 We will now listen to Secretary Attorney Larry Gadon.