Section 5December 11, 1997, Sec./Art. 5

The National Anti-Poverty Commission. – To support the above-stated policy, the National Anti-Poverty Commission, hereinafter referred to as the NAPC, is hereby created under the Office of the President, which shall serve as the coordinating and advisory body for the implementation of the SRA. The Presidential Commission to Fight Poverty (PCFP), the Social Reform Council (SRC), and the Presidential Council for Countryside Development (PCCD) are hereby abolished and the NAPC shall exercise the powers and functions of these agencies. The NAPC shall be the successor-in-interest of the three (3) abolished commissions and councils.

The creation and operationalization of the NAPC shall be guided by the following principles:

(1) Incorporation of the Social Reform Agenda into the formulation of development plans at the national, regional, sub-regional and local levels;

(2) Efficiency in the implementation of the anti-poverty programs by strengthening and/or streamlining present poverty alleviation processes and mechanisms, and reducing the duplication of functions and activities among various government agencies;

(3) Coordination and synchronization of social reform and poverty alleviation programs of national government agencies;

(4) Exercise of policy oversight responsibilities to ensure the attainment of social reform and poverty alleviation goals;

(5) Strengthening of local government units to more effectively operationalize the SRA in local development efforts;

(6) Institutionalization of basic sectoral and NGO participation in effective planning, decision-making, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the SRA at all levels;

(7) Ensuring adequate, efficient and prompt delivery of basic services to the poor; and

(8) Enjoining government financial institutions to open credit and savings windows for the poor, and advocating the creation of such windows for the poor among private banking institutions.