Gov. Migs targets to erase poverty in Sarangani by 2012

ALABEL, Sarangani (November 30, 2009) - GOVERNOR Migs Dominguez wants to eliminate Sarangani Province in the magic 20 poorest provinces of the country by 2012.

This he bared during the Sarangani Reconciliation and Reformation Organization (Sarro)/Lakas-Kampi-CMD Party Meeting at Isla Parilla Resort in Alabel, Friday (November 27).

To make this happen, Dominguez said the province will be focusing its resources and funds to where it matters most."My target for the next three years is to take out Sarangani in the magic 20 poorest provinces of the country. It's about investing in people, it's about investing in the right place where it counts," the governor said.

Dominguez earlier said that based on surveys, Sarangani Province was included in the top 20 poorest provinces of the country where it ranked number three in 2004 and number 11 in 2006.He said the province will focus to pour its funds to education, universal health coverage, and access to potable water to the different sitios and barangays of the province where poverty has rooted over the last 17 years.

The root of poverty in the province, he said, was realized through the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS), a database completed through monitoring each household of every barangay of the province.

The system now can be used as a tool for decision-making in establishing development programs in the barangays.

Meanwhile, Roy Chiongbian, Sarro president, said that his advocacy was focused on education, saying it is one of the most important tools to erase poverty in the province.

He said quality education can lead to employment which can give stable income to the people."The province has projects pertaining to education, all we have to do is to expand it. One way to expand is to hire teachers from areas where these teachers can also teach in their own locality ," he said.He said whatever projects that is good for the constituents just needs to be supported, pushed, and developed.