Job creation, good gov't keys to reducing poverty - prexy bets

Four presidential aspirants said Saturday that reducing poverty in the country could be achieved by creating more jobs and improving governance.

Senator Panfilo Lacson said that eradicating corruption, enacting budget reforms, and distributing national resources fairly would help to alleviate poverty.

“‘Pag nawala o nabawasan ng malaki ang katiwalian sa gobyerno, aasenso ang ating mga mahihirap...kaya nga mayroon akong budget reform advocacy na kung saan ‘yung budget ikakalat natin sa mga malalayong kanayunan,” he said during the Jessica Soho Presidential Interviews.

(If corruption in government is either eliminated or substantially reduced, the poor will have better lives. I am pushing for this budget reform advocacy so that the budget can be distributed to the countryside.)

Good governance and a better economy can generate more jobs in the country, Vice President Leni Robredo said. 

"Ififix natin 'yong ating institutions, imamaximize natin 'yong opportunities ng mga local industries. Sisiguraduhin natin 'yong kapakanan ng ating mga workers," she said.

(We will fix the institutions and maximize the opportunities for the local industries. We will ensure the welfare of the workers.)

Senator Manny Pacquiao said he would create more jobs for Filipinos by strengthening the economy.

"Palakasin natin 'yong ekonomiya natin nang sa gayon ang trabaho maghanap ng tao, hindi tao ang maghahanap ng trabaho," he said.

(We have to strengthen the economy so that jobs will come to people, not the other way around.)

Pacquiao, who is well-known for his rags-to-riches journey, also said that he wants to provide free education.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno vowed to provide basic needs, including housing and healthcare facilities.

“Galing ako sa hirap, iskwater ako. Mahirap maging iskwater sa sarili mong bayan,” he said.

(I also came from a poor background. It is hard to be a squatter in your hometown.)

“I think naturally...addressing basic needs will alleviate 'yong katatayuan ng buhay ng isang mahirap na pamilya,” he added.

(I think that naturally addressing basic needs will alleviate the situation of a poor family.)

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported in December that the poverty incidence among Filipinos increased to 23.7% in the first half of 2021, up from 21.1% in the same period in 2018.

This translates to an additional 3.9 million Filipinos living in poverty, according to Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua.

Poverty incidence among the population is the proportion of poor Filipinos whose per capita income is not sufficient to meet their basic food and non-food needs. — VBL, GMA News