Social justice and basic needs, as well as education and values formation, took center stage in today’s Cabinet Meeting that focused on the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP).

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who presided over the Cabinet Meeting, personally explained some of the key items related to social justice and basic needs.

The President also discussed her program on education, very specifically, institutionalizing the day-care program, closing the classroom gap, as well as the implementation of the voucher system in high school to partially address the classroom limitation.

The proposed framework for values formation was presented by Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman, while a brief commentary on partial inventory of values formation programs and initiatives was given by National Anti-Poverty Commission Secretary General Imelda Nicolas.

The MTPDP, which is a work in progress, is expected to be in place on the 100th day of the President on the first week of October.

Social justice and basic needs are in Chapter Three of the MTPDP. They are essentially divided into five parts: the first is livelihood, under which the creation of the 10 million jobs and microfinance are placed, and the second is asset reform, under which the land for loan collateral bill is being pursued, including the implementation of the De Sotto reform and ancestral land reform program.

The third component is essential services, which include clean water for the entire country, power, education, low cost medicines and the reduction of the cost of medicines commonly bought by the poor to half their 2001 prices.

The fourth is protection of the vulnerable sector under which children, the youth, women, persons with disabilities and older persons are included.

The fifth component is empowerment, through which the administration’s KALAHI (Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan) measures are to be implemented in Mindanao, especially in conflict-affected areas.