By Cyrus A. Natividad
Attendees in the World Bank Multi-Stakeholder Forum at the CPU Educational Media Center Conference Room.
A Multi-Stakeholder Forum on the World Bank Report was held on Thursday, February 9, 2023 at the Educational Media Center Conference Room. The report highlighted on “Overcoming Poverty and Inequality in the Philippines: Past, Present and Future Prospects.”
The program started at 1:30 PM with the singing of the National Anthem. The Opening Prayer was led by CPU Communications Director Rev. Francis Neil G. Jalando-on. University President Dr. Teodoro C. Robles in his opening remarks thanked the facilitators and participants for being able to bring a timely forum on the issues of today, relevant to the present and future of the youth and the country.
The highlights of the World Bank Report was presented by Dr. Nadia Belhaj Hassine a Senior Economist with the East Asia Poverty Global Practice covering Thailand and the Philippines. Prior to that, she worked on poverty in Tanzania, Burundi, Sudan, Gabon, Cameroon, Comoros and Madagascar. Prior to joining the World Bank she was Senior Program Specialist with Canada International Development Research Center. She also taught in many universities including the University of Toulouse in France and University of Nabeul in Tunisia. Her research areas are poverty and inequality, agricultural economics and applied econometrics. She has published many articles in academic journals including World Development, The World Bank Economic Review, European Review of Agricultural Economics and Journal of Development Studies.
She said, “After three decades of sustained decline in poverty and a decade of reducing inequality, COVID-19 is partly reversing those gains. In 2020, the pandemic halted economic growth and began to eat away at gains in reducing poverty. She added that, “In 2020, the number of poor people is estimated to have risen by 4.9 million. As economic growth recovers through 2024, it is expected that poverty will begin to decline gradually but will continue to be considerably higher than it was pre-pandemic.”
“Strict containment measures at the onset of the pandemic were a severe shock to employment and incomes”, according to the World Bank Report. More of the report were discussed with questions from the students.
The open forum was facilitated by Mr. Danz Rashed Reynald P. Quimba, CPUR President. Prof. Saquibal delivered a Synthesis. The Closing Remarks was delivered by Dr. Fernandez, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Ms. Divine Grace M. Sorioso, Faculty Social Work Department and Mr. Danz Rasheed Reynald P. Quimba, President CPUR were Masters of Ceremonies.
The forum was initiated by the College of Arts and Sciences under the leadership of Dean Dr. Stella G. Fernandez. In particular, it was an outreach activity – basically for Pol. Sci and Public Ad students, BS Social Work and student leaders. The activity was chaired by Prof. Ernesto S. Saquibal, Jr., Faculty, Social Sciences Department and facilitated by Engr. Dymphna Castigador, the Office Institutional Advancement Director.