DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman addresses participants during the conference. In the background are the resource speakers (from left) Assistant Director Myrna Clara Asuncion (partly hidden) of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Professor Federico Jose Lagdameo, Ateneo de Naga University; Professor Mary Racelis,  Institute of Philippine Culture in the Ateneo de Manila University; and Dennis Arroyo, fellow and board member, Social Weather Stations (SWS).

“Poverty is a complex and multi-faceted issue which calls for the combined efforts of everyone to address it.  Likewise, poverty is not always visible because decent clothes are not the sole indicators to measure poverty, “Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman stated during the Conference on Poverty held recently at the GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center, UP Diliman, Quezon City.

Secretary Soliman’s statement was shared by the experts from the academe and private sector, as well as media.   Both Prof. Mary Racelis of the Institute of Philippine Culture in the Ateneo de Manila University and Prof. Randy David, from the University of the Philippines,underscored that “looks can be deceiving and the possession of material things, such as nice clothes or a pair of shoes does not indicate that a person is well-off.” Prof. David even stressed that the behind every image of the poor lies an observer with specific interests.

The Conference on Poverty was organized by the DSWD to present and forge a common understanding of the complexities behind the issue of poverty.

Among the experts who discussed various topics on issues related to poverty were Professor Racelis, Assistant Director Myrna Clara Asuncion of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Professor Federico Jose Lagdameo of the Ateneo de Naga University and Mr.Dennis Arroyo, fellow and board member, Social Weather Stations.

NEDA Assistant Director Asuncion stated that “from a development planner’s point of view, the persistent and high poverty in the Philippines is an outcome of the interplay of three major development processes, namely; the generation of more productive employment, consumption of basic services, and reduction of inequalities in income and access.”

Professor Racelis’ presentation, “Resilience of the Poor,” focused 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.  On the difference between the poor of the past and today, Professor Racelis disclosed that “today’s poor is organized, better informed, and conscious of their rights. Further, partnerships between government and poor communities with NGO support offer productive breakthroughs.”

Finally, Professor Lagdameo, presented his paper, “Human Capability Expansion and the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or conditional cash transfer (CCT),” which cited the gains achieved by the program in alleviating poverty.Professor Lagdameo emphasized, “Pantawid Pamilya can still improve as a program that addresses the problem of poverty if it explicitly adopts the aim and framework of expanding the human capabilities of its partner-beneficiaries, focusing on their well-being and human flourishing, rather than simply aiming to improve their productivity.”

In a nutshell, the CCT is a breakthrough because it places premium on human development and recognizes the capacity of the poor to change their lives, the experts concluded.

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. ###