Policy Forum on Inclusive Growth
The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), in cooperation with the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center (APC), organized the pre-conference briefing on Pathways to High and Inclusive Growth which takes up current policies on poverty reduction, job creation and promotion of good governance exemplified both here and abroad. It was held on September 21, 2011 (Wednesday) at the JV Room 2-5, 4/F AIM Conference Center Manila (Benavidez corner Trasierra Sts., Legaspi Village, Makati City) from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
This briefing is designed to encourage media attendance and participation in the international conference on September 23 organized by the APC. This is the third in a series of programs organized by CMFR in partnership with APC.
The Philippines faces both persistent poverty and inequality despite recently improved economic performance. While robust economic growth is critically important, this alone is not necessarily going to translate into poverty and inequality reduction as well as stronger human development. The challenge is to promote a more inclusive growth process—one that sustains competitiveness and economic growth performance, while ensuring that wealth creation provides the widest possible benefits, notably for the low income sectors of the population.
The conference addresses the concern: Does economic growth benefit all and improve the national living standards? The conference features international speakers and responses from national experts, focusing on three of the main levers for high and inclusive growth:
1) Social protection;
The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is a key part of the poverty reduction and social development strategy of the Philippines, yet challenges remain in scaling up the program and ensuring that it contributes to a coherent and adequate social protection system for all of Philippine society.
2) Pro-poor employment;
Despite the 7.6% economic growth of the Philippines in 2010, the unemployment rate in the country reached 7.4% and underemployment rate posted at 19% the same year. This raises some questions on whether the economic growth carries a significant effect on job creation especially for the low income population.
and 3) Good governance and political participation.
The intention of the discussion is to assess the extent to which the evolution of some Philippine democratic institutions is helping (or hindering) the country’s social and economic objectives. The conference serves as a platform for dialogue on issues of governance as well as the role of socio-economic and electoral reforms in promoting political equality.
CMFR hopes that the pre-conference briefing will promote more public discussion and news coverage in order to raise greater public awareness on pressing national challenges by providing updates, analyses, and forecast on these topics.
[nggallery id=4]
[…] can be “targeted” for special outreach and assistance. Not perfect, at this point, a program that needs review and re-adjustment perhaps, as most government or non-government programs would […]