MANILA, Philippines – The flagship anti-poverty program of Vice President Leni Robredo has benefitted 83,707 families across the country in its first year of implementation.

Robredo’s spokesperson, Georgina Hernandez, said in a press conference on Thursday, October 12, that the poverty alleviation projects under the Vice President’s Angat Buhay program covered families in 153 areas in the country.

“We were able to implement Angat Buhay in its first year without a budget. We just relied on the support from private companies,” Hernandez said in Filipino. 

Given its low budget, the OVP does not fully subsidize Angat Buhay. Instead, the OVP links mediator private companies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to local government units (LGUs) to provide assistance to families in need. 

Angat Buhay is meant to complement the government’s Conditional Cash Transfer program.

Since its launch on October 10, 2016, Angat Buhay helped companies, NGOS, and LGUs provide P145 million worth of services to poor communities in the Philippines:

• P8.5 million for feeding and nutrition programs that benefitted 2,345 stunted and wasted children, and lactating mothers
• P1.45 million food packs and multivitamins for 5,392 families
• P33 million worth of livelihood opportunities for 7,691 farmers, fisherfolk, and indigent families
• P26.73 million for classroom construction, teacher training, scholarships, school supplies, and other equipment that benefitted 21,791 students, out-of-school youth, and teachers
• P2.29 million worth of solar kits and generators, water filters, water pumps, hygiene kits, sinks, and toilet bowls for 1,868 individuals and 725 families 

A total of 75,633 families affected by various natural calamities were given disaster rehabilitation aid – P30.43 million from Angat Buhay’s partners and another P12.43 million from the OVP.

Angat Buhay was also able to help 3,646 indigent patients get assistive devices and free health services, while 935 women were able to attend product development and marketing workshops, gender and development planning, Violence Against Women orientations, and courses on hairdressing and cosmetology.  

The Senate had  increased the OVP’s proposed budget for 2018 by P20 million to help fund the Angat Buhay program.

“Our senators recognized that the Vice President is doing something good with Angat Buhay that’s why they added P20 million to the OVP’s budget. We’re hoping this is just the beginning of other public servants’ recognition of the good things VP Leni Robredo was able to do through Angat Buhay,” said Hernandez. 

On October 17, the OVP will officially launch Angat Buhay’s livelihood arm Angat Kabuhayan during a multi-stakeholder summit at the SMX Convention Center. – Rappler.com