Aquino sends top official to south to inspect anti-poor programs

GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines (Xinhua) - President Benigno Aquino III today sent a top official to inspect several anti-poverty programs in the south, where Muslim militants linked to al-Qaeda are active.

Corazon Dinky Soliman, secretary of Department of Social Welfare and Development, arrived here and led a road show of Manila's pro-poor programs in the restive oil-rich Mindanao.

Soliman said the government is promoting the convergence of Manila's three core programs namely: the Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), and the Self-Employment Assistance (SEA-K).

Soliman hopes that these projects will not only uplift the lives of poor people but as well solve insurgency problems.

Leftist New Peoples Army, Muslim separatist rebels, Abu Sayyaf militants and armed men engaged in kidnapping and bomb attacks operates in the region.

"These programs were identified as the office three legs of convergence for poverty reduction. She will meet the direct beneficiaries of these programs as well as local officials, stakeholders, and media," Soliman said.

The Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services, was launched in 2001 as a strategy of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for reducing poverty in the country.

In the SEA-K Program, 662 projects were put in place, helping 12,942 families throughout the country. A total of P63.369 million ($1.43 million) has been released as seed capital for livelihood projects. (report from Philstar.com)