Kamalayan Party-List hopes to reduce the poverty rate to 12% by 2025 from the current rate of 16.7% estimated by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
This stems from Kamalayan’s belief that poverty will be reduced when every Filipino is afforded equal opportunity and access to HELPS (Healthcare, Edukasyon, Livelihood, Pabahay, and Seguridad), its five-pronged framework upon which social programs are anchored.
Just recently, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) published results of its survey on self-rated poverty, which found that 45% of Filipino families consider themselves poor while another 34% is at the borderline. Kamalayan was initially established out of the need for a progressive organization that will unite the basic sectors, particularly the poor, and consolidate efforts in the pursuit of advancing and promoting their interests and well-being. Prior to being accredited as a regional political party, Kamalayan has already been implementing and instituting programs and projects anchored on HELPS.
“Ang totoong solusyon sa kahirapan ay nasa baba. Kung atin lamang pakikinggan ang hinaing ng mga mamamayan at isusulong ang sama-samang pagkilos para sa ikauunlad ng lahat, mas mabilis nating maiaangat ang ating bansa mula sa malawakang kahirapan (The true solution to poverty lies on the ground. If we only listen to the concerns of the people and promote collective action for the betterment of all, we’ll be able to raise our country faster from widespread poverty),” said Marilou Cayanan, Secretary General of Kamalayan Party-List.
To better address the issue of poverty during the pandemic, Kamalayan ramped up its HELPS initiatives to provide essential relief to communities in need. The group has been working with community leaders, the youth, and informal settler families (ISFs), among others, conducting relief operations, medical missions, livelihood seminars, legal consultations, paralegal training, and consultative meetings to address their concerns directly.
Kamalayan has long been involved in liaising with local government units to assist families in availing financing services such as the Community Mortgage Program of the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) for decent housing options for ISFs. Through its expertise in socialized housing programs, it has helped form two housing programs in Caloocan City and Muzon, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan which will serve over 1,500 ISFs.
The party-list is pushing for a holistic solution to address poverty, from advocating livelihood options that come with relocation and the standardization of a minimum wage nationwide to strengthening education, both formal and informal, which will help the citizenry develop and deploy more effective and efficient methods, actions, and responses to whatever challenges that may arise and confront them.
Poverty reduction is a monumental task and a long-standing war that the whole world has been seeking to win. Nonetheless, Kamalayan believes that the solution lies with consistent good efforts and sustainable projects. At the helm of it all is a nation of individuals willing to work together to truly lift each other up.
While deeply rooted in communities throughout the National Capital Region (NCR), Kamalayan was also able to forge alliances with various associations, organizations and groups nationwide. In fact, the formal establishment of Kamalayan chapters in Visayas and Mindanao have already begun.
Individuals interested to join Kamalayan must go to their local chapters to formally express intent. It is also necessary to actively participate in its activities and respond to calls to join movements to be launched by the party. More information about Kamalayan is available in its official Facebook page <fb.com/kamalayanpartylist> or by emailing [email protected].