NEWLY-APPOINTED Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation Lorenzo “Larry” Gadon yesterday said he is eyeing a feeding program for elementary students and an employment and income generation project for micro industries and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to kick off his office’s anti-poverty initiatives.
Gadon, in separate interviews with PTV4’s Public Briefing and radio DzBB, said he has yet to meet with President Marcos Jr. after his appointment was announced last Monday night.
He said he has yet to be given his marching orders but added that during his previous talk with the President, among the priorities of the government include promoting nutrition and ensuring the health of students to enable them to study well and eventually grow up healthy and become productive citizens.
He wants to launch the “Batang Busog, Malusog (BBM)” program that aims to ensure that students, especially those in the elementary level, are fed well, do not experience hunger and are healthy to be able to concentrate in class and learn well.
He said he would coordinate with appropriate government agencies about the implementation of the program and will ask some big companies and corporations to adopt the program as their form of corporate social responsibility program. He said the big companies can adopt a school in their area and help feed the students there.
Gadon said another project that he intends to undertake is helping those living in poverty earn a living instead of just giving them subsidies and other financial aid.
He said he wants to develop micro industries and MSMEs patterned after the small businesses and practices in China and Taiwan.
He said an example is producing parts or components for some appliances or equipment instead of producing the complete product and supplying these components to the bigger firms or manufacturers.
Gadon said people can earn even in their homes or small businesses, especially in the provinces and remote areas, and can help provide employment to others.
He said he also intends to ask big corporations to help by putting up small-scale factories or shops in provinces and far-flung areas to help create jobs for more people.
He said more details about his office’s plans will be available after he meets and coordinates with the appropriate agencies and private firms.
