Kalinga govt uses Ramos formula to reduce poverty

By Peter Balocnit

TABUK, Kalinga – The provincial government, to reduce poverty in Kalinga, has adapted the comprehensive and integrated delivery of social services under the Social Reform Agenda of the Ramos administration.

This developed after the National Anti-Poverty Commission and the Food and National Research Institute revealed Kalinga was the second highest in poverty and malnutrition in the Cordillera.

The town of Tanudan was also tagged the second poorest municipality nationwide.

Dubbed Formula Four or F4, four barangays in each municipality are identified as pilot areas of convergence.

Here, the provincial government unit and partner agencies will pool human and material resources to develop said barangays.

Gov. Jocel Baac, in an executive order created the Provincial Poverty Reduction Program Council to lead the undertaking.

“The objective is to empower the populace to take lead in the resolution of their problems. We are there to re-direct their action to become partners of development,” he said .

He added the program will be implemented in the target barangays for six months to avoid dependence of the populace on government.

It will be moved or expanded to another set of barangays.

The criteria used in selecting areas of convergence is based on the minimum basic need survey result, accessibility, probability of success and acceptability of the barangay.

The provincial government plans to raise P10 million for this program.

To start the program, Baac authorized to use part of the Technology and Livelihood Development Center funds of P500,000 for Rizal town barangays San Francisco, Kinama, San Pedro, and Bulbul/Bagbag.

The Provincial Poverty Reduction Program Council recently launched the program at Moleg, San Francisco in Rizal.

For this project, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources committed 300 assorted seedlings for planting while the National Irrigation Administration will inspect the Kinama small water impounding project for rehabilitation.

Other agencies also agreed to put in their contribution after the needs of the people have been determined.

The group will split to conduct planning in cluster barangays covered by the convergence to include organizing, updating of barangay plans, training and delivery of basic social services.