Press Release
April 14, 2007

ANGARA SAYS RURAL DEVT, JOBS BEST CURE FOR POVERTY

Sen. Edgardo J. Angara said yesterday that aggressive rural development and job creation are the most effective way of fighting poverty.

Angara, a former agriculture secretary, said that the Philippines has had impressive economic growth although some criticized that it has not yet seeped into the countryside.

The challenge before us is how to extend the benefit of economic growth and bring it to the grassroots, he added.

He maintained that development and job creation focused on the countryside were the best way to spread the economic gains of the country.

It is in the countryside where jobs can be created faster and cheaper, Angara pointed out.

He said that rural development to fight poverty should start with enhancing agriculture, which is the main source of livelihood of those in the rural areas. He proposed the building of more farm-to-market roads, post-harvest facilities, cold storage and ice plants to improve the income of farmers and fishermen and to generate jobs.

The post-harvest facilities will save at least 20 percent of the harvest of farmers. The cold storage for vegetables and fish could help bring down the cost of food and reduce the cost of living, he explained.

Angara cited the creation by President Arroyo of a P5-billion fund for hunger mitigation as another means of fighting poverty.

This is very good but it could very well serve as seed money for rural development and job creation, he said.

He stressed that attempts to help the poor should not be limited to hand-outs. As the saying goes, give a man a fish and he will have something to eat for a day; but teach him how to fish and he will have something to eat his entire life, Angara intoned.

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