Secretary Domingo F. Panganiban of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) yesterday urged local leaders to invest in accurate data monitoring system to help in tracking down poor communities in their respective localities.

In his keynote address during the 5th Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) National Conference held at Manila Hotel, Panganiban said “the ability to monitor the poverty situation at the community level could help the government in taking the necessary steps in improving the standard of living of every Filipino.”

According to Panganiban, the objective of the conference is to mobilize local leaders and donor agencies to organize modern data monitoring system for the government to monitor key socio-economic indicators at the community level. Winning the war against poverty demands clear thinking, rapid and precise coordination, and a strong resolve to bring the simplest, most practical solutions to problems at the grassroots level, Panganiban said. With accurate monitoring system, the government could plan and carry out effective anti-poverty programs, he added.

Citing the United Nation’s mid-term report on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), Panganiban said that the country is on the right track – and that the national gains have trickled down to the grassroots. In the UN report, there is a 15.5 percent decrease in the incidence of extreme poverty among Filipino families. A 12.5 percent in the number of households that have survived on inadequate food is also reduced. The report also indicates that there is a 10 percent reduction in the number of underweight children below five years old.