Roi Anthoni B. Lomotan
DUMAGUETE CITY, June
16 (PIA) – Silliman University linked with two other universities in
Iloilo and Davao and with World Bank in setting up a pioneer course on
“Localizing poverty reduction targets.”
According to Silliman
University Information Officer Mark Raygan Garcia, the course draws on the
experiences of Local Government Units (LGUs) and civil society on how they have
been able to localize and achieve poverty reduction targets outlined in the
national agenda.
Garcia said, it
focuses on best practices, challenges and local initiatives driven towards
improving quality of life in three Philippine cities namely Dumaguete, Davao
and Iloilo.
The course opened on
June 9 and will cover a span of three weeks. Participants of the course are
representatives from LGUs, academe and civil society in the three mentioned
cities.
Garcia said the first
four development discussions will focus on the national perspective on poverty.
Speakers for the first development session will come from the National Economic
Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Interior and Local Government
(DILG), Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department and World Bank.
The succeeding
discussions will center on national to local initiatives to address
poverty.
Participants from the
three cities will also present some initiative of their respective LGUs in
pursuing local development agenda specifically in livelihood, employment, food
sustainability, healthcare, climate resiliency and education areas.
By the end of the
course, participants are expected to develop a concept paper explaining how
LGUs can better engage community communities and achieve local targets aimed at
poverty alleviation and shared prosperity.
The other schools that
partnered with Silliman University in this endeavor are Central Philippine
University (CPU) in Iloilo City and University of Southeastern Philippines
(USEP) for Davao. Participants will be convened at their respective schools.
They will be connected
via internet during the development discussions except during activities in
their areas.
Silliman University,
CPU and USEP are part of the Knowledge for Development Community, an
organization composed of World Bank partner universities in the Philippines.
(mbcn/ral/PIA7-Negros Oriental/with reports from Mark Garcia, Director/SU-OIP)