COMBINING THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY REDUCTION FUNCTIONS

 COMBINING THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY REDUCTION FUNCTIONS

In Indonesia, there exists a Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs—a cabinet-level position that supervises all national efforts related to human development, poverty reduction, and social welfare. This model is both elegant and practical. Why? Because human development and poverty reduction are two sides of the same coin.

When poverty goes down, human development goes up. It’s as simple as that. And when human development improves—when people are educated, healthy, skilled, and employed—poverty is naturally reduced. So why do we still treat them as separate, disconnected government functions in the Philippines?

TWO SIDES OF ONE COIN

In theory, every government program that improves education, health, housing, or livelihood contributes to human development. Likewise, every measure that increases income, creates jobs, or expands access to markets reduces poverty. Yet our bureaucratic setup has long treated these as parallel tracks rather than as an integrated mission.

If Indonesia can have one coordinating minister that oversees both human development and poverty reduction, why can’t we? Why do we still have different agencies running overlapping programs with little coordination and even less accountability?

WHO IS IN CHARGE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT?

Here’s a simple but important question: Which agency in the Philippines is actually in charge of human development?

We could assume it’s the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), but that agency is more focused on social assistance—helping families in crisis, not necessarily developing their long-term human potential. The “development” in DSWD’s name has not always translated to human development in the holistic sense.

Perhaps the newly created Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) could be seen as part of this, but that’s focused on housing, not human capacity. Could there be a “Department of Human Development” someday? Maybe—but until that happens, no single agency truly owns the mandate for human development.

WHO IS IN CHARGE OF POVERTY REDUCTION?

The same question applies to poverty reduction. We have DSWD implementing cash transfer programs like the 4Ps, and the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) doing advocacy work, but no single office with the authority to coordinate and evaluate all poverty reduction efforts across government.

Worse, some officials still confuse poverty alleviation with poverty reduction. The former only provides temporary relief—food, cash, or aid. The latter requires structural change—jobs, livelihood, access to credit, and long-term empowerment.

If we don’t clearly distinguish between these two, we’ll always be caught in a cycle of assistance instead of advancement.

WHAT INDONESIA GOT RIGHT

Indonesia’s model solves this confusion. Its Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs oversees multiple ministries and programs under one unified vision.

This minister integrates initiatives from the Ministries of Education, Health, and Social Affairs, ensuring that programs for schooling, healthcare, and social protection move in sync. They also coordinate national efforts on stunting reduction, family-based welfare, and community empowerment.

The genius of this setup is in coordination. Instead of separate silos, they operate as one ecosystem aimed at improving quality of life and reducing poverty simultaneously. It’s not about more bureaucracy—it’s about better integration.

A MODEL FOR THE PHILIPPINES

The Philippines could adapt this model by creating a Coordinating Office for Human Development and Poverty Reduction—a high-level body that brings together DSWD, DOLE, TESDA, DTI, DA, DepEd, and DOH under one national framework.

This body would not replace existing agencies but rather align their goals, budgets, and performance indicators toward shared human development outcomes—jobs created, incomes increased, nutrition improved, literacy rates raised, and stunting reduced.

This coordination could even be anchored on the circular economy and dignity-based governance, ensuring that every livelihood program contributes not just to income generation but also to environmental sustainability and human empowerment.

STAFF VS. LINE FUNCTIONS

Perhaps it’s time the Philippine Cabinet distinguishes between staff and line functions. Agencies that deliver services (education, health, livelihood) are “line agencies.” But there should be a “staff” office that ensures these functions are harmonized toward national human development goals.

Without that staff-level coordination, we’ll continue to have fragmented efforts—TESDA training people without linking them to jobs, DTI helping MSMEs without access to finance, and DA supporting farmers who can’t find markets.

A COORDINATED, DIGNIFIED FUTURE

If Indonesia can do it, why can’t we? What we need is not more programs but better integration—a single steward for human development and poverty reduction who ensures that every peso spent truly improves Filipino lives.

I have always believed that governance should be rooted in dignity. Poverty strips people of dignity; development restores it. But dignity can only be restored through work, education, health, and opportunity—all coordinated under a unified vision of national human development.

So perhaps it’s time for our leaders to stop asking “Who owns what program?” and start asking “Who ensures that every Filipino truly benefits?”

Because in the end, human development is not just a government program—it’s a moral obligation. And poverty reduction is not just an economic goal—it’s the measure of a nation’s humanity.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres

iseneres@yahoo.com, senseneres.blogspot.com 

09088877282/02-27-2026

ORGANIZING AGAINST POVERTY

 ORGANIZING AGAINST POVERTY

The idea of organizing against poverty is not new—but what if we could finally do it right? What if all the government agencies, private organizations, and civic groups now working separately could come together, not under one new bureaucracy, but as a united front—a truly integrated effort to help poor Filipino families rise above poverty through employment and entrepreneurship?

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), a family of five must earn at least ₱12,030 per month to escape poverty. That’s only ₱401 per day per family, or just ₱80.20 per person—barely enough to buy a modest meal, much less pay for utilities, rent, or school expenses. These numbers tell us that poverty in the Philippines isn’t merely about hunger—it’s about the absence of sustainable livelihoods.

A UNITED FRONT, NOT A NEW AGENCY

The concept of a “united front” against poverty doesn’t require the creation of yet another office with another acronym. We already have enough of those. What we need is coordination—a way to make the right hand know what the left hand is doing.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) runs the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), focusing on microenterprise and employment for poor households and the Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita (AKAP) Program. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) offers livelihood starter kits through its Department of Labor and Employment’s Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (DILEEP) program and the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program. TESDA provides training and certification. The Department of Agriculture (DA) supports farmers through inputs, credit, and market access. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) promotes MSME growth, packaging, and marketing. Even the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) runs livelihood programs tied to forestry and ecotourism.

But where is the integration? Is there anyone ensuring that a family trained by TESDA also gets product marketing help from DTI or a financing link through DSWD’s microenterprise fund?

DO WE NEED A “LIVELIHOOD CZAR”?

Some have suggested appointing a “livelihood czar”—a central figure tasked with weaving together all these scattered efforts. It’s not a bad idea. We already have housing and urban poor “czars,” so why not one for livelihood?

Other countries have done something similar, albeit under different names. In India, the Minister of Rural Development oversees vast livelihood programs like the Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana. In Indonesia, a Coordinating Minister supervises human development and poverty reduction. In Malaysia, a Minister for Entrepreneur Development integrates cooperative and MSME support.

So why can’t the Philippines have one person who is directly accountable for reducing poverty through employment and enterprise?

LIVELIHOOD IS NOT WELFARE

Livelihood is not about giving away starter kits and hoping for the best. It’s about helping people earn their way out of poverty. That means sustained access to markets, mentorship, and support systems—not just one-time assistance.

I have long argued that livelihood should be treated as an economic strategy, not merely a social welfare function. Poverty is an economic problem, not just a social one. It is caused by the absence of income-generating opportunities and the lack of integration between government services that could create them.

Imagine if we could align TESDA’s training programs with DTI’s MSME development, DA’s agricultural value chains, and DOLE’s employment generation schemes, all linked through DSWD’s poverty targeting system. That would be a genuine anti-poverty architecture—one that empowers instead of perpetuating dependency.

INTEGRATION AT THE BARANGAY LEVEL

The best place to integrate these programs is not only in Metro Manila, but in all barangays nationwide. Every barangay could have a Livelihood Integration Council—a local body linking the efforts of national agencies, LGUs, cooperatives, and private groups. This could function as a “one-stop shop” where people can access training, financing, marketing, and employment information all in one place.

The private sector, NGOs, and cooperatives could also play key roles. Microfinance institutions can offer credit; universities can provide business incubation; and cooperatives can give access to markets.

BEYOND AID: BUILDING DIGNITY

Poverty is not just about the absence of money. It’s about the absence of dignity. When we help the poor only through aid, we reinforce dependency. But when we help them build livelihoods, we restore dignity and self-respect.

Every peso spent on welfare should have a clear path toward work or enterprise. Every livelihood program should have measurable outcomes—jobs created, businesses sustained, and incomes increased. Yet, how many government programs today can show that data? Who monitors the long-term results of livelihood interventions?

MY SUGGESTION

Let us organize against poverty—not by creating another agency, but by creating a movement. A national movement for integrated livelihood, anchored in every barangay, coordinated across all agencies, and supported by both government and civil society.

In this movement, livelihood is not a project—it’s a right. Employment is not a favor—it’s an obligation of society. And escaping poverty is not just a personal struggle—it’s a collective mission.

If we can organize for elections, why can’t we organize for livelihoods?

After all, nation-building begins when every Filipino can stand on his own feet—with work, with dignity, and with hope.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres

iseneres@yahoo.com, senseneres.blogspot.com 

09088877282/02-26-2026

SAVING THE VISAYAN LEOPARD CAT

  SAVING THE VISAYAN LEOPARD CAT

What’s bigger than your house cat but smaller than a tiger? What carries the name “leopard” yet is no leopard at all? Meet the elusive, beautifully spotted forest feline that rightly deserves front-page attention: the Visayan leopard cat (scientific name Prionailurus bengalensis rabori).

Endemic to the Philippines, it can only be found—if one is lucky and forests remain—on the islands of Panay and Negros. It has close relatives in Borneo and Sumatra, yet this Visayan version is uniquely ours.

The good news is: we have a native wild cat that’s part of our natural heritage.
The bad news is: it’s under threat—all but missing the data we need to save it properly.

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What do we actually know?

This cat is about the size of a larger house cat: agile, slender, alert. Its coat is dark ochre to buffy fawn, adorned with large dark spots. Its skull is narrower than its Sumatran or Bornean cousins.  It lives mostly in remaining forest fragments on Panay and Negros, and even in sugar-cane fields where forest has been cleared. 

But here’s a wrench: we do not have reliable, recent population numbers for how many individuals remain in the wild or captivity. One source says the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listing lacks a total population size.  Another indicates it was listed as “vulnerable” in 2008, with a decreasing trend. Without those baseline numbers, how can we define clear conservation targets, how many breeding pairs we need, or whether a captive breeding program can even start safely?

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We have questions—and we should.

• Do we have enough breeding pairs in the wild (or in captivity) to maintain genetic health?
  
  

• Are local conservation units equipped and resourced to track it properly?
  
  

• Have we set clear targets for new births, territory restoration, population growth?
  
  

• Should oversight be only by the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) under Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), or should there be stronger linkage with higher-education institutions (for research) and private sector or NGOs (for funding, public awareness)?
  
  

• Which local government units (LGUs), NGOs, private entities should be mobilised and empowered?
  
  

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What’s happening now?

There are conservation efforts:

• Rescues: Juvenile cats have been rescued in places like Talisay City, Negros Occidental.
  
  

• Protected areas and captive-conservation: For example, the Mariit Wildlife and Conservation Park in Lambunao, Iloilo (Panay) houses five Visayan leopard cats.
  
  

• Private recognition: A resort (KGM Resorts) has highlighted the species in its blog, indicating private-sector interest.
  
  

These are commendable. But we must ask: is that enough? Are resources sufficient? Are efforts coordinated across LGUs, DENR/BMB, academia, private sector and community stakeholders?

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What can be done — suggestions for action

1. Establish a baseline survey: Funded by DENR/BMB with university partners (e.g., University of the Philippines College of Veterinary Medicine, or local veterinary/biology faculties) to determine current numbers, sex/age structure, territory size, threats.
   
   

2. Develop clear conservation targets: For example, “breed X individuals within Y years”, “restore Z hectares of forest in Panay/Negros”, “establish corridors between remnant patches”. Without targets, we cannot measure success.
   
   

3. Mobilise stakeholder network:
   
   

• LGUs in Panay and Negros: support habitat protection, local awareness campaigns.
  
  

• Private entities like KGM Resorts: recognition + financial support—for example adopt-a-pair programmes, corporate-sponsored habitat restoration.
  
  

• NGOs: empower local biodiversity groups to conduct monitoring, community outreach.
  
  

• Academia and DOST (Department of Science and Technology): studies on genetics, breeding‐behavior, veterinary needs, habitat modelling.
  
  

4. Integrated awareness campaign:
   
   

• Could the Philippine Postal Corporation feature the Visayan leopard cat on a stamp? Perhaps the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas could use its image on banknotes or commemorative coins. This helps build national pride and awareness.
  
  

• School curricula: include modules on endemic species like this cat, its role in ecosystems (rodent control, indicator species) and why its survival matters.
  
  

5. Community-based conservation and sustainable livelihoods: Involve barangays living near forest fragments. For example, ecotourism is tied to forest trails with real time watching, native tree nurseries, rodent-control services (since the cats help farmers naturally). The cats become allies, not pests.
   
   

6. Legal enforcement and habitat protection: Ensure wildlife protection laws (e.g., RA 9147) are enforced; strengthen protected-area management; halt illegal logging and land conversion in key forest patches. For example, on Panay and Negros forest loss has been devastating (90-95% of natural habitat reportedly gone) so habitat restoration is urgent.
   
   

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My reflections and call to action

It pains me to write this, because the picture is sobering. We have an endemic wild cat, beautiful and ecologically important, and yet its survival is precarious. The lack of concrete data is alarming: how many are left? Can we ensure genetic diversity? Are there enough in captivity to breed? Do we even know where they roam? Without answering these, conservation is a shot in the dark.

This should not be a project only for wildlife specialists. Protecting the Visayan leopard cat should be a whole-of-nation effort: government, private sector, academia, local communities—everyone has a part. Time is ticking.

To the LGUs of Panay and Negros: you are guardians of this cat’s last homes. To the DENR/BMB: you hold the mandate—but do you hold the resources and coordination power? To our universities and DOST: study this cat, design the breeding programme, monitor genetic health, train our conservation workforce. To our private firms and individuals: adopt a pair, restore a forest patch, raise awareness in your networks.

And to all Filipinos: imagine a future where our children and grandchildren know wild Visayan forests—and the maral still prowls there. A future where our endemic cat still plays its natural role—rodent control, ecosystem balance—rather than being just a footnote in extinction reports.

Let’s shine the spotlight on the Visayan leopard cat—not just to save it, but to save its forest home and in so doing, ourselves. Because when we lose a species like this, we lose part of our identity. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres

iseneres@yahoo.com, senseneres.blogspot.com 

09088877282/02-25-2026