MANILA -- President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. is expected to sign the amended implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Magna Carta of the Poor before the end of June, National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) lead convenor and Secretary Lope Santos III said Friday.
Santos said this would coincide with the commission’s 25th anniversary on June 30, 2023.
NAPC crafted the IRR for the Republic Act No. 11291 or the Magna Carta of the Poor, and Marcos would have to approve it before its release and implementation as the commission’s chairperson.
“Sa kasalukuyan mayroon po tayong umiiral na IRR, iyong Magna Carta of the Poor, at mayroon tayong mga natanggap na proposal for the improvement of the said IRR, at iyon po ang inaasahan natin na mapipirmahan ng ating Pangulo ngayong buwan ng Hunyo,” Santos said in a press briefing.
The law was passed in April 2020, at the height of quarantine lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It limited the discussions on the formulation of the initial IRR so they decided to amend it, Santos said.
“More on the participation and the representation of the basic sector, iyon ang main comments doon sa MCP [Magna Carta of the Poor] dahil noong unang ginawa ito ay pandemic at hindi nagkikita kita iyong mga nag-formulate ng IRR pero ngayong nagkaroon na kami ng face to face na mga pulong ay nakitang mayroon palang kailangan na iimprove,” he said.
“Gusto natin i-encourage ang participation and representation of the basic sector kung kaya ibinukas natin iyong possible amendment of the IRR,” he added.
NAPC said the law was passed to “uplift the standard of living and quality of life of the poor and provide them with sustained opportunities for growth and development”.
It also adopts “area-based, sectoral and focused interventions” to alleviate poverty in the country.
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