MANILA -- Urban poor community members convened on Thursday for a two-day summit that would tackle ways to address the various problems besetting the poor, particularly housing, in all regions of the country.
The National Urban Poor Summit (NUPS) 2018 was led by the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) and the Office of the Cabinet Secretary, in partnership with other national government agencies, at the Agricultural Training Institute in Quezon City.
Francis Tolentino, political adviser to President Rodrigo Duterte, said the summit reflects that the "whole government" is keen to engage individuals directly concerned, as well as to identify solutions based on their insights.
"Ito 'yong parang bottom-up approach in dealing with urban issues. (This would be the bottom-up approach in dealing with urban issues.) So you get the inputs not just of the government sector but also the persons concerned," he told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
The conference will run from Aug. 30 to 31 and is expected to produce a report on how to move forward based on fresh inputs by the communities concerned.
In an interview, PCUP Chairman and CEO Noel Felongco told reporters that the summit will feature nine thematic discussions that tackle housing issues and peace and order in an urban poor community.
Included in the discussions are subjects on demolition, eviction, social preparation on the access to asset reform, access to housing, land titling, and social protection.
The NUPS is a convergence of selected and pre-listed leaders of different urban poor organizations from the National Capital Region, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
During the summit, Felongco also led the ceremonial turnover of the Five Year Urban Poor Development Plan to Tolentino and the Office of the Cabinet Secretary, represented by Assistant Secretary Isabelita Moncano-Somozo. (PNA)
