Two Committees of the House of Representatives have jointly approved the proposed Magna Carta for the Poor which seeks to uplift the standard of living and quality of life of the poor.

The Committee on People’s Participation chaired by Coop-NATCCO Party-List Representative Guillermo P. Cua and the Committee on Poverty Alleviation chaired by Rep. Carmen Cari jointly approved the measure in July 2008.

Members of the International Cooperative Alliance – Asia & Pacific Standing Committee paid a courtesy call on Speaker Prospero C. Nograles on March 28, 2008 at the House of Representatives in Quezon City. The Standing Committee, which is composed of representatives from ICA member organizations in the Asia-Pacific Region, held a 2-day Special Meeting in Manila on March 27-28, 2008.

Speaker Nograles committed full legislative support to the national cooperative movement to ensure people’s active participation in food production, livelihood and employment generation to eliminate poverty in the country.

The House of Representatives (HOR) and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) signed on June 11, 2008 a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the Php450,000 UNDP-funded project “Operationalization of the Covenant on Enhanced Legislative-Executive Partnership for Poverty Alleviation,” at the Batasan Complex in Quezon City.

Coop-NATCCO Party-List Representative Hon. Guillermo P. Cua, who is the Chairperson of the House Committee on People’s Participation, signed in behalf of the HOR. Representing the NEDA was NEDA Social Development Staff (NEDA-SDS) Assistant Director Cleofe S. Pastrana.