Following reports that the Philippines, including other Asian countries, is in danger of not halving extreme poverty rates by 2015, the United Nations (UN) Millennium Campaign, together with various civil society organizations, urged the administration of President Aquino to immediately come up with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Breakthrough Plan for the country in time for the UN General Assembly next month in New York.
“The clock is ticking fast,” said UN Resident Coordinator Jacqueline Badcock during the recent launching of the 2010 Stand Up Take Action campaign at the Filipinas Heritage Library, Nielsen Tower in Makati City.
Stand Up Take Action is a global initiative led by the UN Millennium campaign against poverty that mobilizes citizens all over the world to compel their world leaders to achieve the MDGs.
Just recently, the UN determined that the country has fallen behind in achieving five of the eight MDGs, including eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality, improving maternal health, and combating HIV/AIDS.
The MDGs are a set of eight time-bound, concrete and specific targets aimed at significantly reducing, if not decisively eradicating poverty, by the year 2015.
In September, 2000, 189 UN member-countries – rich and poor alike – reaffirmed their commitment to peace and security, good governance, and attention to the most vulnerable with the adoption of the Millennium Declaration.
The overarching need is to ensure that the MDGs are integrated into and given top priority in each committed country’s development planning efforts: With efficient monitoring, localization, and advocacy systems put in place; crucial financing secured; multi-sectoral support mobilized; and an enabling environment created with an MDG-responsive policy framework and legislation.
With only five years left to achieve the MDGs, the UN has called on world leaders to meet on September 20 for the UN General Assembly wherein they will be asked to present their achievements for the last 10 years and their breakthrough plans to accelerate MDG achievements for the next five years.
According to Badcock, studies showed that 33 percent of Filipinos live in extreme poverty, 5.2 million children are not in school, 11 percent of mothers still die of pregnancy-related cases and the number of HIV is rapidly on the rise.
“But despite the dismal close of the10th year for the MDGs, we are happy to note that the Philippines is at a turning point to better times,” Badcock said.
Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon J. Soliman pointed out that the administration of Aquino will focus on poverty alleviation efforts at the local level in a bid to achieve more of the MDGs by 2015.
Soliman said this is the only way to make more gains towards the eight MDGs, namely: Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability; and developing a global partnership for development.
