In the meeting attended by Vice President Gloria Macapagal, cabinet members and local executives, Estrada emphasized that food security must be supported by agricultural modernization and sustainable development, low-cost housing and peace and order.

Presidential Assistant Donna Gasgonia, the chief convenor of the meeting said that the President wanted more action and less time-consuming meetings as he called for closer ties between the government and the private sector in the total effort to stamp out poverty.

During the Malaca�ang meeting, cabinet members led by Agrarian Reform Secretary Horacio Morales and Agricultural Secretary William Dar took turns in explaining the various tasks that have to be accomplished to heed the call of President Estrada for the eradication of poverty in the country.

Gasgonia explained that the private sector will also be able to meaningfully participate in the NAPC through their sectoral representatives who are now in the process of being chosen as stipulated in Republic Act 8425 or the Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act.

It was underscored during the meeting that local government units will play an important role in the NAPC since the implementation of the poverty eradication program at field level will greatly depend on them.

The President also stressed the importance of winning the war against poverty in order to win the fight against crime.

• The Estrada administration will pursue a POVERTY ERADICATION PROGRAM AND NOT MERELY A POVERTY ALLEVIATION PROGRAM.
• The POVERTY ERADICATION PROGRAM will focus on FOOD SECURITY, MODERNIZATION OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES within the context of SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, provide LOW COST MASS HOUSING, ensure the ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF THE LGUs, and PROTECT THE POOR AGAINST CRIME AND VIOLENCE. These components address the minimum basic needs of a Filipino family - SURVIVAL, SECURITY and ENABLING SERVICES.
• The 1999 General Appropriations Act established a "LINGAP PARA SA MAHIHIRAP FUND" amounting to P2.5 BILLION divided among six agencies - Department of Health, The Cooperative Development Authority, the National Housing Authority, the Local Water Utilities Administration, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the National Food Authority. The Lingap Fund shall be USED EXCLUSIVELY TO SATISFY THE MINIMUM BASIC NEEDS OF POOR COMMUNITIES AND DISADVANTAGED SECTORS, and that the funds shall be released to the implementing agencies upon prior consultation with the members of the Congress.
• But MUCH MORE THAN P2.5 BILLION IS NEEDED to make a positive dent on poverty. President Estrada is optimistic that foreign governments, multilateral and bilateral institutions, even private institutions will extend help. In a recent Donors� Consultative Group Meeting for the Philippines the government was able to articulate clearly its Poverty Eradication Program and it was well received.
• The target of the Poverty Eradication Program is to REDUCE THE POVERTY INDEX FROM 32.1% (DEC 1998) TO 12% by the year 2004 or down by 20%.
• THE NAPC MEMBERS ARE TASKED TO FIND THE 100 POOREST FAMILIES IN EACH PROVINCE AND EACH CITY. THE GOVERNMENT WILL THEN DELIVER INTEGRATED AND COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES TO THESE POOREST FAMILIES SO THAT BY THE YEAR 2004, THEY WILL NO LONGER BE POOR. Considering that the 100 poorest families are part of a network of relationships, any improvement in the basic services that they enjoy and eventually in the their own lives will have a ripple effect on the entire community.
• THE ESTRADA ADMINISTRATION WILL CONFRONT THE PROBLEM FROM THE DEMAND SIDE OF THE MARKET. To increase the purchasing power of the poor their income will not simply be increased through regulated wage increases, but instead economic activities that involve the poor will be increased.
• INSTEAD OF THE "TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT" OR THE "CASCADE EFFECT" the Estrada administration will devise the development assistance from the masses and let the positive economic impact "TRICKLE UP OR CASCADE UP" to the rich. "MULA SA MASA, BUBUHOS ANG KASAGANAAN PARA SA BAYANG PILIPINAS, MAHIRAP AT MAYAMAN."
• POVERTY IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, JUST AS ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION CAUSES POVERTY. Development Plans must be long term, even if the development assistance is short term. For example, when we plan for fisheries, we must look at the fish habitat, the water quality and the marine life. We cannot just keep on increasing the volume of fish-catch, but consider their life cycle and their continuous survival. Environmental laws will be strictly enforced and in the example of the fisheries, the fishing community must be armed with equipment to give them communication capability to monitor the fish stock to determine if there is an increase or decrease of the resource. The LGUs, the local police or enforcement agency must be able to enforce the law, impose the proper sanctions within a reasonable time.

Representatives of the poor will join heads of national agencies and representatives from the concerned committees of the Senate or House of Representatives to oversee the implementation of projects under the P2.5 billion Lingap Para sa Mahihirap Program Fund or Lingap Fund.

This was contained in Executive Order No. 92 that President Joseph Estrada recently issued providing for the general guidelines and institutional arrangements for the Lingap Para sa Mahihirap Program Fund.

Among those named as representatives of the basic sectors in the National Anti-Poverty Commission are Romulo Tapayan representing farmers, Cynthia Villarin for urban poor, Arnel de Guzman for formal labor, Princess Anna Maria Nemenzo for women, Myron Gawi-gawen for cooperatives, Bonifacio Federizo for fisherfolk, Arnold Obina for youth and students, Mariano Pagang for indigenous people, Julie Diez for informal labor, Ricardo Calapatia for persons with disabilities, Pilimpinas Conding for senior citizens and John Paul Claudio for children.

The inclusion of three representatives from the basic sectors in every Project Advisory Board to be created by each Lingap Fund Implementing Agency is in line with the President�s desire to utilize the Lingap Fund as efficiently and effectively as possible.

In his speech before the first meeting of the National Anti-Poverty Commission in Malaca�ang, the President urged those involved in the Commission to keep a close watch on each one to make sure that the anti-poverty funds will be used as intended.

President Estrada also said that he wants to see concrete accomplishments by the NAPC as soon as possible.

Out of the P2,5 billion allotted by the 1999 General Appropriations Act P500 million will go to food, nutrition and medical assistance care of the Department of Health, P500 million to livelihood development care of the Cooperative Development Authority, P500 million for socialized housing care of the National Housing Authority, P300 million for rural waterworks system care of the Local Water Utilities Administration, P300 million for protective services for children and youth care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and P400 million for price support for rice and corn care of the National Food Authority.

President Estrada also directed various national agencies to identify and segregate other projects not covered by the Lingap Fund that will complement the effort of the National Anti-Poverty Commission.

According to Secretary Donna Gasgonia, Presidential Assistant for Poverty Alleviation and Chairman of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, the sectoral representatives together with their respective sectoral councils are expected to formulate their agenda of participation in government.