MANILA, Philippines—SEARCA, a Philippine-hosted regional center for agriculture based in Los Baños, together with the University of the Philippines School of Economics (UPSE), is organizing a one-day conference on poverty to be held on March 31, 2009, at the Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila, Ortigas Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines.

The poverty conference is an offshoot of the book-writing project of UPSE and SEARCA titled “Causes of Poverty: Facts, Theories, Remedies“ which is slated to hit the shelves later this year.

The conference is expected to be attended by leading economists in the country. It will feature paper presentations that will provide an updated in-depth view of the poverty issue, its relationship to economic growth and globalization, and the policy and institutional reforms required for poverty reduction. It also deals with specific sectoral and policy concerns that have significant implications for poverty and income inequality such as labor, education, health, and local governance. It aims to help decision-makers choose the right policy options to issues and concerns related to poverty.

SEARCA, headed by poverty expert Dr. Arsenio M. Balisacan, is one of the 15 “regional centers of excellence” of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), an intergovernment treaty body founded in 1965 to foster cooperation among Southeast Asian nations in the fields of education, science and culture.

Parties interested in participating in the conference may contact the Conference Secretariat at telephone (049) 536-3459, 536-2290 local 419, fax (049) 536-7097 or e-mail poverty_conference2009@agri.searca.org on or before March 23, 2009.