CEBU CITY — An estimated 10,000 Cebuanos from the different parts of the province flocked to the Cebu Technological University (CTU) grounds Saturday to witness the launching of the “Biyaya ng Pagbabago” poverty alleviation program in Cebu.
“Biyaya ng Pagbabago” is aligned with the objectives of the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 to alleviate poverty in the country from 21.6% to 14%.
“We are targeting to alleviate poverty by 7%, or lift the lives of about 6 million people listed under the poverty level, before President Rodrigo Duterte’s term ends in 2022,” said Undersecretary Joselito Libres of the Office of Participatory Governance (OPG), which is initiating the pro-poor program.
The program aims to make government services more responsive, adequate, effective and timely delivered to those that need them the most.
It also encourages the people to become proactive in participatory governance and help in solving the problems of the country.
Assistant Secretary Jonas George Soriano of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary said Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. would have been glad to see the success of the launching.
“If he were here, I’m sure the cabinet secretary would be delighted to see this big turnout of people,” Soriano said.
Evasco failed to attend the launching due to some pressing matters, said Soriano, who was accompanied by Libres.
Libres said “Biyaya ng Pagbabago,” short for “Biyaya ng Pagbabago Tungo sa Masagana at Matiwasay na Buhay Pilipino,” is the poverty alleviation program of Evasco.
Seen among the crowd were city and municipal mayors, including Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, and other government officials.
At least 23 government agencies put up booths at the CTU grounds to render their services to the participants.
The Department of Agriculture allotted seedlings to the farmers, while the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources distributed fishing gadgets to the fisherfolk and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) awarded scholarship grants to deserving applicants.
A significant number of the participants also trooped to the 8888 Citizen’s Complaint Booth to air their grievances.
Other agencies that rendered their services at the launching were the Philippine Coconut Authority, National Irrigation Administration, National Food Authority, Department of Interior and Local Government, Philippine Commission on Women, Department of Tourism, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Trade and Industry, Cooperative Development Authority, Philippine Information Agency, Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the housing agencies. (PNA)