thepoc.net Imelda wants $10B for Millennium Dev't Goal fund Saturday, 09 October 2010 12:54 PM Fidelis Angela Tan Former first lady and current Ilocos Norte Representative Imelda Marcos has filed House Bill No. 3253 seeking the creation of a $10-billion Philippine Millennium Development Fund to ensure that the Philippines will be able to meet the eight United Nations-sanctioned Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) before the 2015 deadline. Marcos, who heads the House committee on the millennium development goals, said that current government efforts to attain the MDGs can use a boost. "It has come to our attention that the present efforts have not met some major targets so we have to double our initiatives to speed up our country's drive towards our goals," Marcos said. "It seems that based on official government reports, our poverty situation worsened today than we started ten years ago. Yet, we only have five years left to meet these goals," she added. Proposed powers According to the bill, "Indications are [government efforts] would succeed better, more sustainably and permanently even after the 2015 deadline, if necessary steps are taken to address shortfalls and shortcomings of existing efforts, particularly the adoption of called-for legislation, and setting up of necessary programs and institutions." The bill stipulates that the Fund will take P500 million from annual contributions from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor); another P100 million from ...