ILOILO CITY — Corruption and criminality hamper the government from properly serving the people, said the undersecretary of the Office of Participatory Government (OPG) on Sunday.
Undersecretary Joselito Libres of OPG, in his speech during the Western Visayas launching of “Biyaya ng Pagbabago” in Guimaras, stressed the active role of the public in ensuring they are properly served by the government.
“The public wants that the government is faithful, responsive, effective and there should be good, adequate and effective delivery of services,” he said.
“We want the kind of government that is addressing the problems of the people, providing their needs and giving quality of life to every Filipino people,” he added.
However, the needs of the people have yet been addressed due to the continuous problem on corruption and criminality, Libres said.
He cited cases where barangay officials were involved in the illegal drugs trade and officials who served the people to promote their own interest.
To address the problems of the people at the grassroots level, Libres said they have tapped 12 anti-poverty agencies to provide quality programs.
These agencies include the Philippine Coconut Authority, Cooperative Development Authority, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, National Anti-Poverty Commission, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, National Food Authority, National Youth Commission, Office of the President-Presidential Action Center, Philippine Commission on Women, and the Presidential Commission on Urban Poor.
The “Biyaya ng Pagbabago” aims to curb poverty, particularly at the grassroots level.
Around 500 volunteers from different parts of the region gathered in the regional launching held at the Guimaras State College Gym in Buenavista, Guimaras. (PNA)
