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THE
government should reveal where it intends to get the
money to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
targets by 2015, a commitment it made to the United
Nations.
The
challenge was issued by the antipoverty group Global
Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), as it expresses
dismay over the government’s silence on the progress of
the government’s overall effort to meet its targets.
A study
made by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies
(PIDS) showed the Philippines needs to allot P39.7
trillion for nine years to poverty reduction, universal
access to complete primary education, health-related
MDGs, and improved access to low-cost water supply and
sanitation, according to GCAP.
Dr.
Rosario Manasan, author of the PIDS study titled
“Financing the Millennium Development Goals: The
Philippines,” pointed out an expected MDG resource gap
of P409.5 billion from 2007 to 2010, and P778 billion
from 2011 to 2015.
“Where
are we getting the money to meet the MDGs? Is the
government imposing another tax? The government will be
relentlessly punishing the people given the situation we
are already in,” GCAP national coordinator Joel Saracho
said.
Saracho
pointed out that prices of food had been steadily
increasing, so does the prices of social-sensitive oil
products, such as diesel and liquefied petroleum gas.
The
Filipino’s capacity to buy food and his other basic
needs is eroded by the day, he said.
Prof.
Leonor Magtolis Briones, coconvenor of Social Watch
Philippines, earlier pointed out that domestic resources
alone will not be sufficient to meet the MDG targets.
Social Watch also pointed out the consistent revenue
shortfall from tax collection and foreign direct
investments.
“We fear
that the government may be forced to sacrifice some of
the MDGs. It will resort to publicity stunts to appear
that they are complying with the targets. The people
should be vigilant,” Saracho said. |
