PHILIPPINES: EFFORTS TO ERADICATE POVERTY

(5 Mar 1995) Tagalog/Nat Some of the 13-thousand delegates to a week-long international conference on world poverty began arriving today (Sunday) in Copenhagen. The United Nations Summit for Social Development - which begins Monday - will look at new strategies for lifting the majority of the world's population out of poverty. The government of one of the world's poorest countries, the Philippines, is already making its own efforts towards eradicating poverty. The Philippines is one of the poorest countries in South East Asia. While most of its neighbours can boast fast-growing economies and new centres of industry, the Philippines is still largely agricultural and poor. Around half of the capital's 8 (m) million population live in shanty huts on land they don't own. Many have no access to clean water. Here at a rubbish dump known as Smokey Mountain, thousands scavenge garbage to find things they can sell. They earn around two dollars a day. Many can't afford to send their children to school and medical care is considered a luxury. Two years ago the government took steps to close the dump and convert the area into a commercial centre with factories, shops and housing. The 25-thousand scavengers feared for their incomes, but were promised a better life when the new commercial centre was up and running.. The plan was part of a new strategy the Philippine government calls Philippines 2000. President Fidel Ramos has said he wants the country to catch up with its South East Asian neighbours by the end of the century. SOUNDBITE: By that time, number one, we will lessen the number of poor families and increase the per capita income. In other words, in fact very concretely, the president was saying about the farmers being able to go on holiday in Hong Kong, that's economically you can measure that. But to my mind, my own indicators are under the context of minimum basic needs, that no family will be bereft of food, clothing and shelter. SUPER CAPTION: Corazon Alma de Leon, Secretary for Social Welfare and Development Recently, the president inaugurated a new housing project on the site of Smokey Mountain. The houses are intended for those who lived as scavengers. The president said the new houses would be a symbol of "Philippines 2000". In line with the kind of social development strategies that are being discussed at the Copenhagen summit, the Ramos government has declared that it will focus on trade rather than aid. In the past it has been one of the world's largest recipients of foreign aid. Summit delegates will try to persuade world leaders to think in the same way. SOUNDBITE: That involves two questions, one would be, will the approach be that the more developed countries giving more resources to us because the assumption is they understand our plight? On the other hand the idea that we will develop a new kind of relationship with these developed countries so we will not just be donor-driven. SUPER CAPTION: Corazon Alma de Leon, Secretary for Social Welfare and Development Many experts think future strategies towards eradicating poverty must be based on low- cost, people-oriented projects. The Fabella maternity hospital in Manila is a pioneering example of a low-cost scheme putting people first. The United Nations Children's Organisation (UNICEF) introduced what it call "baby-friendly" regulations at the hospital - in short, it enforces breast feeding. The mothers say they are delighted with the Fabella scheme. Baby-friendly hospitals are being introduced all over the developing world. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...