Poverty remains despite progress in turning Philippines into economic power

Philippine Anti-Poverty program seeks to use sin tax against deep poverty

Philippine leader signs $49 bn anti-poverty budget

AFP – Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Wednesday signed into law a 2.005 trillion-peso ($49 billion) budget for 2013, vowing to use higher taxes on tobacco and alcohol to boost programmes to reduce poverty. Education, health, agriculture and a cash-transfer scheme for the poor are the key priorities.