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By Harley Palangchao Correspondent
BAGUIO CITY: Local folksingers,
with the special participation of a Bolivian artist, performed at
the city’s public market and shared the humanitarian message of
songs against poverty.
There was revelry in one of the
most populated areas in Baguio when local folksingers from two
bands—Binhi and Shakilan—joined other advocates in a concert in
line with the global “Stand Up Against Poverty” campaign.
The campaign was held at the city
market, particularly at the vegetable section, purportedly to stir
awareness on the need for people, especially those in the grassroots
level.
More importantly, the campaign is
in support of the call for all governments to make good their pledge
to help attain millennium development goals, particularly that of
poverty reduction.
Millions of Filipinos have
participated in this campaign initiated by the United Nations and
billed as “Stand Up Against Poverty”, which is also in support
of millions of Filipino families living below the poverty threshold.
In the Cordillera region alone,
an estimated 440,000 people are in the threshold of poverty, which
is why the Regional Development Council is urged to focus more on
antipoverty programs and projects.
“Stand Up Against Poverty,”
the global campaign in 2006 organized by the UN Millennium campaign
holds the record title in the Guinness Book of World Records for 24
million people in 87 countries standing up against poverty in 24
hours from October 15 to 16, 2006. Some 2.4 million Filipinos
counted among those who participated in the said campaign.
The Philippines is one of the 191
states that signed the Millennium Declaration, which embodies
commitments to achieve the millennium development goals—a set of
time-bound and measurable targets for combating poverty, hunger,
disease, environmental degradation and discrimination by 2015.
These goals include eradication
of extreme poverty and hunger; intention to achieve universal
primary education; promotion of gender equality and empowerment of
women; reduction of child mortality; improvement of maternal health;
combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental
sustainability and; to develop a global partnership for development.
--Harley Palangchao
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