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Breaking through to Sustainability

Breaking through to Sustainability. Isagani. R. Serrano PRRM/Social Watch Philippines. INTRODUCTION. BACKGROUND. The Breaking Point Project. one among the significant projects in the world that hopes address poverty. involves group of countries that collectively

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Breaking through to Sustainability

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  1. Breaking through to Sustainability Isagani. R. Serrano PRRM/Social Watch Philippines

  2. INTRODUCTION

  3. BACKGROUND The Breaking Point Project • one among the significant projects in the • world that hopes address poverty • involves group of countries that collectively • or individually could offer solutions

  4. Objectives of the Research • Critically analyze the changing development context • Review available national data and statistics • Identify gaps and challenges to MDG implementation and propose solutions and alternative strategies for accelerating MDG achievement • Review partnership experiences for delivery and advocacy Contribute to the national effort to accelerate progress in MDG achievement General Objective Specific Objectives

  5. Research Methodology • Desk review of assessment reports of different • units of the Phil. government, the UN agencies, • the World Bank, ADB, bilateral donors, non- • State organizations, media, business sector • Interviews and focused group discussions with • select informants • Key meetings of researcher with rich sources of • information and assessments

  6. Limitations of the Research • Baseline data are moving targets – adjustments in • poverty statistics • Absence of widespread consultation due to • funding constraints

  7. The Philippines: A Profile • Land Area: 30M has • Territorial Waters: 200M has • Population: close to 100 Million

  8. The Philippines: A Profile • Economy: Middle income country valued at • Php9.4 trillion or $224.75 (WB, 2011) • Poverty incidence: more than 3 people of 10 still live • below the poverty line • Outstanding issues: high poverty/high inequality, • unemployment, environmental degradation, • natural vulnerabilities, bad governance

  9. Focus of Pnoy Administration • Cleaning up the government • Growing the economy

  10. Assessing Progress from 2010 1. MDG 2010 baselines Non-government Government

  11. Assessing progress from 2010 The government’s 4th MDG report: country was on track – MDG 1 (reducing food poverty), MDG 3 (gender equality), MDG 4 (reducing child mortality), MDG 6 (combating TB and malaria) and MDG 7 (ensuring environmental sustainability); lagging on – MDG 2 (universal primary education, MDG 5 (improving maternal health), and MDG 6 (combating HIV and AIDS) SWP assessment showed that Phil. poverty situation is worse in 2010 than in 2000

  12. 2. MDG acceleration and Catch-up • Focus on MDG 1, 2 and 5 , thru: • Rural employment thru green jobs • Completion of land distribution targets • (backlog of 1.1M has) To meet 2015 targets, the Phil. has to: • MDG 2: • ensuring that children are able to go to school • Providing better benefits package for teachers and other school staff

  13. 3. Where we are now (MDG watch statistics *In all, the prospects of achieving MDG commitment is far from reassuring. Proportions of births attended by skilled health personnel remains far short of target 100% and progresses slowly from 58.8 in 1990 to 74.3 in 2009. MMR per 100,000 live births increased to 221 (as of 31 July 2012 Socio Eco. Report) from 95 in 2010 & 97 in 2011 Most of the education or MDG 2 indicators are in bad shape The spike in HIV-AIDS cases is worrisome

  14. What the President says: SONA (July 2012) Progress in curbing corruption, infrastructure, incremental increases in spending for MDGs and social development Said to be physically stronger than women But still, economy relying heavily on remittances of 8 M OFWs (+$20 B/yr) to keep Philippine economy growing Unemployment is still at 6.9%

  15. Comments to Pnoy Administration

  16. According to Rigoberto Tiglao of PDI

  17. According to Benjamin Diokno (Business World, May 8, 2012): “Poverty has reached new peak during Pres. Aquino III’s watch and involuntary hunger has reached a new peak ever “ Said to be physically stronger than women According to former National Treasurer Leonor Briones Pnoy government’s macroeconomic targets are flawed and financing for MDG were sorely inadequate.

  18. Responses to Questions Pnoy doing well overall. Some members view CCT as great/very helpful , others see it as merely inadequate. Said to be physically stronger than women UN-CSAC & other CSOs Others call for a change in development strategy (growth-oriented and dependent in foreign direct investment).

  19. Breaking from Business as Usual

  20. 1. What business as usual we’re breaking away from The problem is less about growing, more about growth that reduces and reproduces poverty at the same instant, growth that increases inequality and destroys the environment. PnoyAdministration pins its hope on growing the economy though under the tagline of inclusive growth. UNRISD : economic growth does not guarantee gender equality. It also stated that improvement of women’s lives in countries associated with economic development is not simply a by- product of that development. The picture of poverty & inequality hardly changed since 2000. the poor lives in rural communities far from Manila – Bicol, Visayas and Mindanao

  21. 2. What government did differently Accountability to the people, allowing more people’s participation. Cleaning-up a corrupt government (tuwidnadaan, wang-wang) Participatory budgeting – bottom-up budgeting (paggugol na matuwid) Increased social spending (e.g. the conditional cash transfer or CCT)

  22. Criticisms on CCT ADB: CCT helps achieve its objective of keeping children healthy and in school. DSWD Sec. D. Soliman: CCT is effective in creating avenues for the poor to have improved quality of life S.S. De Guzman: CCT encourages dependency, complacency and medicancy. According to her, offering work is better to give them better opportunities and new experiences in life that will help them elevate their lives.

  23. 3. What non-state actors (NSAs) did differently NGOs and social movements long-engaged in advocacy saw a great opportunity for advocacy for basic reforms and win as much political space to advance their causes. A huge section became conduit of public resources for MDG acceleration (e.g. 4 Ps and CCT). Some maintain critical distance but continued to engage government around the Phil. Development Plan 2011-2016, budget, NCCAP, etc.

  24. 4. What business “un-usual” really matters to the “left-behinds” Progress on the MDG should be measured in terms of how far it has advanced in achieving social equity and soical justice (MDG-F project: A Citizens’ Agenda for MDG achievement): Dedicated focus by government in its MDG acceleration efforts especially for the poor and vulnerable sectors of the society Agenda for inclusive development through the voices of the “voiceless” and excluded.

  25. Post-Rio+20, Post-2015 Development Framework

  26. 1. Resolving the Paradox Prosperity without growth: is it possible? Nobel Prize laureate J. Stiglitz stated: widely unequal societies do not function efficiently and their economies are neither stable nor sustainable. There comes a point when inequality spirals into economic dysfunction for the whole society, and when it does, even the rich pay a steep price.

  27. 2. Beyond MDGs: According to Social Watch, there is a need to look beyond MDG The need for reforms which are encompassing and far reaching, such as: MDG sensitive budget should be able to address and rectify the inequalities in society. The PDP and PIP must be audited for MDG-fit and sensitivity to climate risks. Education, health, decent work, livelihood, food security for all are a basic minimum in any decent society. Government must ensure people’s participation at all times in all levels.

  28. 3. Back to basics: sustainability indicators The Phil. Government has set sustainable development (SD) as the goal of national development policy. How is SD measured? Challenging the dominant GNP, GDP People use one or other set of indicators, depending on what ‘s important to them. To some, infant mortality rate (IMR) is the most sensitive single indicator of a society’s well-being. Indicators suggested in PA 21 cover the 4 pillars of economy, society, ecology and governance.

  29. Building the future we want Ending poverty, reducing inequality, enlarging freedoms, honoring human rights, restoring the natural resources, resilient & sustainable communities Putting MDGs behind us Aspiring for higher level of well-being, happiness Peace & security: getting at the roots of communist & Muslim rebellions, wars and social conflicts Good governance & People’s participation Resilient & sustainable communities

  30. What to look into The structure of growing andwealth creation in the country contradicts the broad-based, inclusive growth. The need to break the current elite and urban-centered structure of power and resources. There is nothing we can do about our geographic vulnerability. But there is a range of measures we can adopt to adapt to changes in climate and weather. The high population growth rate makes the country vulnerable and is a reflection of poverty and inequality. How then do we address population growth? The government, in cooperation with the farmers, NGOs, mass media , schools and national agriculture research system need to prove that agriculture can feed the people and food security can be achieved.

  31. What to look into Human needs can never be met from an impoverished environment and impoverished human beings. Addressing the vulnerability of our environment is important as growing the economy. Our forest cover, the marine resources and mineral reserves are at critical conditions. These resources, if restored from its present degraded state could help our nation through worst case scenarios. The government borrows a lot to fund its MDG commitments. Major anti-poverty programs is financed through foreign debts. Keeping debts at sustainable level and controlling the repayment hemorrhage is central to solving the issue of financing development initiatives. Corruption in the Phil. has been a constant feature of governance.It is symptomatic of the state of governance. Curbing corruption is therefore a big part of the solution to our development dilemma.

  32. Conclusion

  33. The Pnoy Administration The President in his first 3 years has been doing things right, but failing to do the right things that matter most to sustainability. Pnoy’s inclusive growth is not inclusive development. Including some excluded and left-behinds is not development for all. Pnoy has not broken away from business-as-usual. It’s more of the same, though doing it through good governance might lead to the desired direction. Breaking through to sustainability will take much, much more than just righteous governance.

  34. The Pnoy Administration With huge people’s mandate and support from donors and business community, Pnoy has what it takes to steer the nation to the sustainability path. Pnoy’s view to curb corruption signals a clean break from a past characterized by abuse of power, culture of impunity, hopelessness and widespread mistrust of government. Pnoy led by example in cleaning up government in improving public service. People were offered more scope and space for participation.

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