Hunger Stalks Eastern Visayas

TACLOBAN CITY—An high ranking leader of a civic organization here has criticized local government officials for ignoring the rising poverty in the region and has urged politicians to address the problem in their campaign.
Bimbo Cabidog of the Local Network Forum said poverty in Eastern Visayas has reached alarming proportions.
He said data from the National Statistical Board showed that over 1.8 million or 48 percent of the region’s more than 3.9 million residents were living below the poverty threshold and added that the poverty incidence could be at least 50 percent. He said it was pathetic that while majority of the people of Eastern Visayas were wallowing in poverty its leaders have ignored this reality. It just shows they have no feelings for the poor.
Cabidog insisted that local leaders had been remiss in implementing projects that could have reduced poverty. He said 20 percent of its internal revenue allotment of at least P3.7 billion should have been devoted to economic development. But claimed that 20 percent went to infrastructure projects that become sources of kickbacks instead of pro-poor projects like micro-financing.
(By MARK RIMAS)

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