By Kris M. Crismundo
MANILA, (PNA) — The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) reported Wednesday that the country has eight targets in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) that are highly achievable when deadline comes in 2015.
The report of Socioeconomic Planning and NEDA Director General Arsenio M. Balisacan, which was delivered by National Statistician and Civil Registrar General Lisa Grace S. Bersales during the Fifth Progress Report on MDG in Quezon City Wednesday, said among these highly achievable targets are: (1) decreasing number of people in food poverty; (2) increasing enrollment rate of children; (3) empowering woman; (4) reducing infant and under-five mortality rate by two-thirds; (5) halting malaria morbidity; (6) decreasing tuberculosis incidence; (7) increasing number of population with access to safe water; and (8) increasing number of population with access to sanitary toilet facilities.
Bersales noted that these targets have high probability accomplishment of at least 90 percent.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) UN Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative Luiza Carvalho said these eight MDG targets can be fully achieved within this year.
On the other hand, MDG targets with medium probability to be achieved include declining the proportion of population who are in income poverty and decreasing the number of underweight children.
Still, the report mentioned that the country has five MDG targets that have low probability to be hit in 2015 which include increasing cohort survival in education; increase political participation of women; reduce maternal mortality by three quarters; improving access to reproductive health; and reversing the spread f HIV/AIDS.
The eight major MDGs of the United Nations (UN) which should be fully achieved by UN-member states like the Philippines are eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop a global partnership for development.
Balisacan said at the sidelines of the event that in order to hasten developments, the national government will continue to invest heavily in social sector particularly in health and education.
He added that as most of the challenges in achieving the MDG are issues in the local level, the local government units (LGUs) must boost reforms in their areas to meet the goals by next year.