PASAY CITY—A Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cabinet (HDPRC) Cluster Pre-SONA Forum was held in the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on July 11, 2018.

HDPRC, composed of selected national government agencies, is mandated to “exert all efforts to improve the quality of life of the Filipino people through a broad-based approach in the delivery of services.”

Among the goals of the Cluster are to increase social protection and engage communities in their own development, build capacities and create opportunities among the poor and the marginalized, as well as ensure effective coordination of national government programs for poverty reduction at the local level.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is one of the members of the (HDPRC). DA’s Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program is one of the projects supporting the Cluster’s goals.

Poverty in the Philippines remains to be a predominantly rural phenomenon, with three-fourths of the poor residing in rural areas. Among the basic sectors, poverty incidence (2015) is highest among farmers (34.3 percent) and fisherfolk (34.0), far above the national average of 21.6 percent.

Writer: Ela Arciaga, SAAD NPMO PR & Communications Officer

Photo courtesy: PTV News

Sources: HDPRC materials, PTV News, DSWD Website

Special thanks to: Ms. Kristine Eusebio , Planning and Monitoring Service