In order to help the poor, there should be a common understanding of who they are and where they are.
In an effort to understand the complexities behind the issue of poverty, the Department of Social Welfare and Development will conduct a Poverty Conference on October 29 at the GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center, UP Diliman, Quezon City.
It will be attended by members of the academe, development practitioners, policy-makers, and members of media. The resource speakers are:
Assistant Director Myrna Clara B. Asuncion, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA); Prof. Maricel Racelis from the private sector; and Prof. Federico Jose T. Lagdameo, Ateneo de Naga University.
Assistant Director Asuncion will discuss “Income Vulnerability: The Real Face of Poverty,” which aims to define poverty using income indicators.
Professor Racelis will talk about the “Resilience of the Poor,” which presents the poor in a positive light. Her presentation focuses on the strengths of the poor in spite of the harsh social conditions confronting them and the range of strategies that they also employ for survival and improved well-being.
Professor Lagdameo will delve into the “Human Capability Expansion and the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program,” in support of the Department’s efforts to fight poverty through the Pantawid Pamilya.
The conference seeks to forge a common understanding on who the poor are, determine the difference between the poor of today and the poor of the past, discuss the linkages between poverty and social exclusion, examine current policies and strategies in addressing poverty and social exclusion in relation to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and to cull out strategies and policy recommendations to enhance selection process and targeting of the poor.
Moreover, the poverty conference is in line with the development goals and social protection objective of the Philippine Development Plan, which seeks to empower and protect the poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals, families and communities from individual life cycle, economic, environmental and social risks. ###
