PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) MiMaRoPa conducted its second Listahanan Anti-poverty Symposium in accordance with the United Nations international day celebration for eradicating extreme hunger and poverty on October 28, 2015.

This year’s theme is Building a sustainable future: Coming to end poverty and discrimination.

“The Department, together with other partner-stakeholders in eradicating poverty here in MiMaRoPa, embraces United Nations Guiding Principles on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights. Our collective efforts will surely protect and secure ordinary people especially those living in extreme poverty”, Regional Director Wilma D. Naviamos said.

DSWD is implementing social protection programs such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program; Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP); and Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) and Social Pension Program for poverty alleviation regionwide.

In 2009, the Department’s Listahanan, a mechanism of identifying where and who the poor are, has identified 242,633 poor households in Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan provinces in which 196,029 households are already enrolled to Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and 53,215 identified poor senior citizens are receiving P500.00 monthly pension.

Moreover, the city government of Puerto Princesa, National Anti-poverty Commission (NAPC), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), National Economic development Authority (NEDA), and Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff (PCSDS) have presented their own sustainable anti-poverty programs implemented in Mimaropa region particularly in Palawan province.

The said symposium was also participated by different national government agencies, Provincial Government of Palawan and  Palawan-based Civil Society Organizations namely, Ligaya ng Buhay Foundation, World Vision, Palawan NGO Network Inc., Federation of Senior citizens and other local organizations.

A sustainable world cannot exist when there is poverty, discrimination and abuse of human rights. A sustainable world leaves no one behind, Naviamos concluded.

Poverty is occurring not only in the Philippines, but also in the rest of the world. Thus we are celebrating the World Day for Overcoming Extreme Poverty. This has been celebrated since 1987 and recognized by United Nations since 1992.###