MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 10 July) – A round table discussion on addressing poverty is scheduled to be held in the Bukidnon State University Learning Commons on July 12 from 1 to 5 p.m.

The discussion, which carries the theme “Addressing Poverty: Prospects and Challenges in Bukidnon,” is intended to provide clarity to the media, social science educators and other stakeholders about the issue of poverty and actions being taken to address it in the province.

Organizers sought to document both challenges and prospect actions.

Representatives from the government, non-government organizations, academe, private sector, church and people’s organizations have confirmed to attend the discussion initiated by BukidnonNews.[]

Net in cooperation with the Social Sciences Department of the BukSU College of Arts and Sciences.

To speak in the discussion are representatives from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA-10), Department of Social Welfare and Development-10, Provincial Government of Bukidnon, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)-Bukidnon, Bukidnon Kaamulan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.[]

, Diocese of Malaybalay Environmental Desk, Social Watch-affiliated Kitanglad Integrated NGOs, Abag-Kalambuan, among others.

Faculty members of the social science department of BukSU-CAS and Central Mindanao University were invited to participate. Organizers also invited select members of the Bukidnon Press Club and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP-Bukidnon).

Fellows of the BukidnonNews.Net Community Journalism Youth Fellowship 2019 will be attending the forum.[]

A PSA official will explain how poverty statistics are computed and provide latest information on the poverty situation in Bukidnon, based on the latest data.

Based on figures released by the PSA in March 2015 for the Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES), Bukidnon poverty incidence among families is 53.6 percent, the fourth highest in the country. PSA’s Official Poverty Statistics were presented in 14 tables; “poverty incidence among families” is one of them.

Provincial officials said the situation has improved based on the results from data PSA gathered in the first half of 2018.

The initiative, which is part of the activities of the BukidnonNews.Net Community Journalism Youth Fellowship 2019, has received support from the Mindanao Institute of Journalism (MIJ, which runs the news service MindaNews) and the Philippine Press Institute. (MindaNews)