Millenium Challenge

LINGERING conflicts, fragile political situations and armed violence in Southeast Asia hamper the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) among the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

THE PHILIPPINES stands nearly at par with Southeast Asian neighbors in its progress to fight poverty, disease, pollution and illiteracy — the targets of the so-called Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) — with roughly half of its indicators on track or at optimum levels before a 2015 deadline.

UNITED NATIONS – Looking to bolster the global fight against poverty, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday launched a $40 billion plan aimed at saving the lives of 16 million women and children over the next five years.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) signed an agreement to help some countries in Asia and the Pacific region, including the Philippines, to reduce poverty and inequalities and improve child welfare.

WITH only five years remaining until the deadline of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a joint report of the two United Nations agencies and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) showed the Philippines can achieve the poverty and health targets, but only after 2015.

MANILA, Philippines – The European Union (UE) expressed its continued support for the Philippine health care sector as it aims to meet the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of infant and neonatal mortality reduction (MDG 4) and maternal mortality reduction (MDG 5) by 2015.

LONDON (AFP) – – Amnesty International on Wednesday accused world leaders at a UN summit of damaging the fight against global poverty through their failure to combat human rights violations.

DAYS before the national government delivers a report to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, an official revealed the government’s view that not all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be met by deadline year 2015.

THERE IS need to regain the pre-crisis growth momentum and increase aid especially for developing countries to meet poverty reduction goals, two international organizations said days before a high-level summit to assess progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

THE Philippine government would have to pursue fiscal reforms if it were to have a chance of meeting the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a nongovernment organization (NGO) said on the eve of President Benigno Aquino 3rd’s visit to the US. The President is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly and report…

THE PHILIPPINES will miss all eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) if lawmakers will fail to pass laws in aid of fiscal reforms, which had been languishing in Congress for several years, according to a non-government organization.

MANILA, Philippines—The poverty situation in the Philippines is “much worse” that the government is prepared to admit in its 2010 progress report on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the nongovernment Social Watch Philippines (SWP) said Wednesday.

IN order for the Philippines to finance the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), civil society organizations (CSOs) believe that pursuing the debt for MDG swap scheme can help the Philippines address financing gaps.

MANILA, Philippines – Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. affirmed the House of Representatives’ commitment to achieve the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDG) for the Philippines and called on lawmakers to pitch in to help end poverty.

MANILA, Philippines – Countries including the Philippines are expected to gear up for new development goals, dubbed as Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Plus during the upcoming United Nations Review Summit on MDGs on Sept. 21, said UN resident coordinator in the Philippines Jacqui Badcock.

Editor’s note: The fifth part of this series discussed how direct subsidy programs of the government for the poor may be flawed, and how the implementation of the PhilHealth program is lagging because of lack of funds on the part of local governments, among others. Last of six parts Last year, the National Economic and…

MANILA, Philippines — The United Nations has urged the Philippines to step up efforts at improving social services for the poor, saying in a progress report that the country is at risk of missing the targets on poverty reduction, education, and maternal health stated under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

IN order for the Philippines to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on poverty by 2015, the economic managers have estimated that public and private investments in the country need to increase by around P180 billion every year in the next five years.

Editor’s note: The third part of this series discussed, among others, how various factors have affected the government’s programs to attain Millennium Development Goals. According to the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), a woman in the lowest wealth quintile will bear an average of 5.2 children in her lifetime, compared to an average…

MANILA, Philippines – The country is committed to pursuing its five-year Millennium Development Goals (MDG) through good governance, transparency and accountability in government, President Aquino declared yesterday.

Editor’s note: The second part of this series discussed why the government’s anti-poverty program has been not effective in some way because of its basic design or politics. Third of Five Parts

MANILA, Philippines – Core values and business principles of a United Nations-led global initiative could help reduce poverty in the country and contribute to meeting the targets of the Millennium Development Goals, an official of the Philippine Business for Social Progress said Monday. Rafael Cojuangco Lopa, PBSP executive director, said the delivery of basic services…

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said that the food poverty reduction target under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for 2015 is still achievable. In a statement, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cayetano Paderanga Jr. said that the country has a high probability of meeting most of the MDG targets, including reducing the number of Filipinos…

IT will be his first official trip overseas as the country’s chief executive, but President Benigno Aquino 3rd has little reason to look forward to his upcoming visit to the United States. On September 20, President Aquino will be at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he is expected to present just…

THE Philippines’ goal to reduce the number of Filipinos living in extreme poverty and subsistence by 12.5 percent in 2015 is “unrealistic,” according to the chief of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

AT the current pace of progress in the country’s aim to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said there are more than 10 indicators and targets that will not be met in five years.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines will soon sign with the United States Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC) an agreement for a grant of $433 million which would be used to finance crucial revenue and infrastructure projects, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – The Aquino administration said it would incorporate in the next Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan programs the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

THE GOVERNMENT will focus on poverty alleviation efforts at the local level in a bid to achieve more of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, a Cabinet official said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – It’s been 10 years since member-states of the United Nations (UN), including the Philippines, pledged to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of 8 targets anchored on eradicating poverty.