Mindanaotoday.com | NAPC successfully undertakes special programs on poverty reductionย
THE National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) has successfully implemented special projects and programs in close partnership with national government agencies (NGAs) to help reduce poverty in the country.
This is part of the agencyโs mandate to advocate for the mobilization of funds by the NGAs and local government units (LGUs) to finance social reform and poverty alleviation programs and capacity-building activities of the basic sectors.
One of its special projects which yielded positive results is the prototyping of an affordable and sustainable food source for impoverished families.
The Integrated Community Food Production (ICFP) Program started as a prototype project called Sapat at Masustansyang Pagkain sa Bawat Tahanan (SAPAT) to address malnutrition among children and mitigate hunger by ensuring that healthy and nutritious food is readily available to communities.
It was first implemented in 10 pilot villages with 1,200 beneficiary families from 2009 to 2010.
ย In 2015 and 2016, the ICFP became part of the poverty reduction programs and projects of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). A total of 401 LGUs prioritized ICFP in their Local Poverty Reduction Action Plans (LPRAP).
ICFP focused on providing food for marginalized families throughout the year, especially during calamities and disasters.ย
To achieve this, families were trained in organic and climate-adaptive agriculture, seeds and livestock distribution and dispersal, and establishment of communal gardens.ย
NAPC capacitated LGUs to implement ICFP effectively.ย They were advised to conduct baseline and end-line surveys to gauge the changes in the food consumption patterns of partner families and types and volume of consumption, among others.ย
At the end of the program, partner families attested that they were able to reduce their food expenses, improve the weight and health of children, earn additional income from the sale of surplus vegetables, improve awareness and adoption of a sustainable way of living, and promote the value of sharing within the community.ย
Because of the encouraging results, many LGUs replicated the program in other communities, even providing funds from their own budgets. Some beneficiaries also shared their benefits, such as livestock, with other families in need.
Meanwhile, the NAPC employed the Rapid Community-Based Monitoring System (RCBMS) between 2016 and 2018 to generate data to map-out poverty incidence in select areas in Luzon.ย
RCBMS is a system developed by the agency to speed up the data collection process in profiling the intended population.ย It uses android-based mobile gadgets and available information and communications technology in the target areas.
RCBMS was the main data-gathering methodology to implement the โData Generation on the Welfare and Amenities of Households in 26 Resettlement Sitesโ project.ย ย
In 2018, the government institutionalized the monitoring system under the Community-Based Monitoring System Act. This aims to help the government generate updated and disaggregated data necessary to target beneficiaries, conduct more comprehensive poverty analysis and needs prioritization, design appropriate policies and interventions, and monitor impact over time.ย
NAPC exercises oversight functions in incorporating anti-poverty strategies and programs in national, regional, sub-regional, and local development plans. It is mandated to institutionalize basic sector participation in formulating, planning, implementing, and monitoring of anti-poverty policies, strategies, and programs. (PR)
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