Ten provinces which are included in the special interventions program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) registered dramatic reduction in poverty incidence in the latest report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
A report published in the Business Mirror based on the PSA Poverty Incidence report said “10 provinces saw huge cuts in poverty incidence in the first half of 2018. Siquijor topped the list, with the rate falling by 39.71 percentage points to 10 percent, followed by Ifugao, falling by 28.38 percentage points to 15.5 percent; Northern Samar, 23.78 percentage points to 30 percent; and Apayao, 23.56 percentage points to 23.2 percent.”
The report added that “other areas where poverty incidence declined are Sorsogon, down by 22.22 percentage points to 24.5 percent; Bukidnon, 22.08 percentage points to 32.1 percent; Lanao del Norte, 18.53 percentage points to 23.6 percent; Catanduanes, 17.93 percentage points to 19.4 percent; Mt. Province, 17.35 percentage points to 24.4 percent; and North Cotabato, 16.75 percentage points to 25.6 percent.”
All of these 10 provinces are among the beneficiaries of the Special Area for Agricultural Development Program (SAAD) and the Easy Access Credit Program of the DA.
The SAAD Program which was started in 2016 right after President Rody Duterte assumed the Presidency, identified 10 of the country’s poorest provinces every year.
Special livelihood interventions were provided including backyard chicken raising, native pig raising, egg production, duck raising and financial assistance in income-earning projects.
In Indigenous People’s communities work animals like horses and carabaos and seeds for upland rice and corn were given to poor families.
As of this year, 30 provinces have been included in the SAAD program with 30 more to be identified in the remaining three years of the Duterte Presidency.
The Easy Access Credit Program extends non-collateralised loans for agricultural and fisheries production to registered farmers and fishermen in at least 49 provinces all over the country.
The DA Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) has already released a total of P1.6-B in loans of which the matured portion has a repayment rate of 91%.
While there is no official study yet to determine whether the special programs of the DA directly contributed to the reduction of poverty in these areas, this report comes as a great relief to the department.
I am extremely relieved that my home province, North Cotabato, which had a poverty incidence of 42.35% in 2015, now has a lower poverty incidence of 25.6%.
Aside from the SAAD and Easy Access Credit Program, North Cotabato is also a beneficiary of the “Abono sa Uma” fertiliser loaning program of Planters’ Products, Inc. which has a repayment rate of 99%.
In just three years of the Duterte Presidency, life is changing for the better in many farflung areas of the country which were largely untouched by government in the past.
(Photos of the DA SAAD and Easy Access Credit Program implementation taken by DA AFID and RAFID)
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