A bishop said on Tuesday the government is lacking focus and programs to address poverty in the country.

Kidapawan Bishop Jose Collin Bagaforo said the government should focus on building more jobs and opportunities to elevate the Filipinos’ state of living following a recent Social Weather Station (SWS) survey which revealed that 44 percent or 7.7 million poverty-stricken Filipino families consider themselves poor in the first quarter of the Duterte administration.

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Bagaforo said the result of the survey was a “wake-up call” for the government to encourage foreign companies to invest and grow their businesses in the country to create more jobs.

He also pointed out that the administration should eradicate corruption in government agencies.

“Kaya nga po 44% pa sa Filipinos poor (That’s why 44% of Filipinos are still poor)! Kulang government focus on job generation & opportunities The government lacks focus on on job generation & opportunities)… More investors are needed to make jobs available, more government spending on infra to generate employment at ikot ang pera (the money circulates). Aggressive efforts on exporting agri products… total eradication of corruption, nandiyan pa rin (which are still present),” Bagaforo said in an interview with Veritas Patrol.

Puerto Princesa Bishop Pedro Arigo in the same interview opposed the partnership between the Philippines and China in resolving widespread poverty in the country.

He doubted China’s intention behind its funding of 3.7-billion dollars in 30 poverty reduction projects of the Philippines and said that China may only be doing it to cover the issue on the West Philippine Sea claims.

“Definitely yung mga ganyang mga subsidy o anumang tinatanggap ng Pilipinas kalimitan ng mga iyan ay (Subsidies like that or anything the Philippines receive usually come) with exchange attached. Natutuwa tayo parang good news merong poverty alleviation funds pero ang magandang isipin ano ang kapalit niyan (We are glad to receive good news of poverty alleviation funds but we should ask if it would be in exchange for something). Baka (Perhaps) at the end we will be losing more than what we receive,” Arigo said. RAM/rga

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