The first Millennium Development Goal (MDG) adopted by member states of the United Nations (UN) is to halve extreme poverty around the globe by 2015.

From the time the goal was adopted, the UN has enlisted the commitment of all its member states. In turn, the member states have directed their concerned government departments, private sector, and civil society groups to implement measures that would assist in meeting the target. In their annual reports to the UN, the countries have reported significant progress, with their interventions leading towards attaining the target.

To encourage greater participation in the campaign against extreme poverty, the Department of Education has issued a challenge to a critical group of students – student journalists – to use their pens to help the government fight extreme poverty. The challenge will culminate in next year’s National Schools Press Conference (NSPC), where the discussion is expected to center on how young journalists can assist in heightening awareness and eliciting appropriate action among their peers. The annual NSPC draws a thousand campus journalists from public and private elementary and high schools in the country’s 16 regions.

Next year, it will be held on February 22-26, in Tagum City, Davao del Norte. Individual and group writing contests in English and Filipino will be held on the conference theme: “Campus Journalism as a Catalyst for Change: Achieving the MDGs by 2015 (Pampaaralang Pahayagan Bilang Instrumento ng Pagbabago: Maisakatuparan ang MDGs ng 2015).”

This undertaking follows the staging of the “Stand Up, Take Action (SUTA)” project against poverty undertaken by the DepEd last year, where the Philippines topped the world record in participating in the United Nation’s annual observance of the International Day of Poverty Eradication. Some 35  million Filipinos took part in the SUTA campaign against poverty. Of this, over 18 million were students and teachers from public and private schools nationwide. This year, Department of Education will strive to surpass the number of participation last year.