The Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) are set to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to coordinate their efforts on giving access to livelihood and employment opportunities to urban poor groups.

PCUP chairperson Elpidio Jordan Jr. said the two agencies agreed to seal the agreement after a virtual meeting with DOLE workers’ welfare and protection cluster Assistant Secretary Dominique Rubia-Tutay and labor employment officer Erickson Mag-isa.

The signing will be in line with the PCUP’s celebration of “Urban Poor Solidarity Week” (UPSW) on December 7.

This year’s UPSW theme dubbed “The PCUP and the Urban Poor Sector: Together Meeting the challenge of the New Age,” is the agency’s mandate to support President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s pro-poor initiatives and alleviation program.

Marcos has vowed to fast-track the country’s economic recovery and bring progress and development not only in urban centers but also in the countryside.

“We will not leave a single stone unturned in helping our urban poor. Ito ang nais ng ating Pangulo—ang masolusyunan ang kahirapan sa ating bansa sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng oportunidad sa ating mga maralita sa trabaho at kabuhayan (This is what our President wants—to solve poverty in our country by giving opportunities to our poor people in work and livelihood),” he said.

Late last month, the PCUP renewed its cooperation with the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) as it enhances its pro-poor programs.

Jordan and PCSO Chair Junie Cua discussed the former’s advocacy to support the administration’s poverty alleviation program, particularly for persons with disabilities and senior citizens, and its upcoming UPSW.

Cua expressed support for both initiatives, vowing to provide medical supplies and food packs that would be distributed to accredited urban poor organizations.

The PCUP, created during the administration of then President Corazon Aquino in 1986, is a commission under the Office of the President tasked to promote and protect the rights of urban poor organizations and communities, including informal settler families.

Specifically, it responds to issues on urban poverty such as demolitions, reclamation, and housing. (PNA)