Ateneo tackles poverty challenge

MANILA, Philippines - To address the problem of poverty in the country, the Ateneo Professional Schools will hold a congress on Oct. 9 which aims to deliver answers and awareness among Filipinos.

Themed “Building the nation by attacking the poverty challenge through building capacity of individuals and institutions,” the summit gathers experts from the School of Government, Graduate School of Business, Law School, and School of Medicine and Health to address poverty alleviation from the point of view of their disciplines.

“These units are in the forefront of what has direct impact on the nation and society,” said Albert Buenviaje, dean of the Graduate School of Business.

The event, to be held at the Ateneo Professional Schools campus at Rockwell Center in Makati, is expected to draw over 300 participants and is one of the activities in celebration of Ateneo’s 150th founding anniversary.

“We also hope that through the summit, participants will act and see what’s happening. We want to show that even students can initiate and do something,” Buenviaje said.

The congress will discuss poverty mitigation from three approaches: Governance and Leadership (making institutions work); Mobilizing Communities (getting everyone engaged); and Entering into Each Other’s World (discovering and trusting one another).

Among the speakers are Tony Meloto and lawyer Jose Tale of Gawad Kalinga, Therese Fernandez of Rags2Riches Inc., and Sonia Lorenzo, mayor of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija.

“One objective of the summit is to deliver a message: that we should do our part,” said Dennis Gonzales, associate dean of the School of Government.

“We also want the participants to be aware that there are measurable and concrete ways to address poverty through the four fields,” he added.