The US government's Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC) has reduced the number of local projects it will fund to five from the original 15, according to a finance official.

Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran said the MCC is looking to finance the five projects worth $841.5 million. Beltran met with a team of experts from the MCC in Washington from December 1 to 4.
 
"[The list of projects] will still undergo review and discussions and will still go through the MCC board for approval,” he added.
 
The shortlisted projects include the government's Operation RATE or the Run After Tax Evaders, the Run After the Smugglers or RATs program and the Revenue Integrity Protection Service or RIPs program under the Finance Department. Also included is a $285.5 million project on improving tax administration.

The MCC has agreed to look into the government’s $227 million anti-poverty program, called Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino, which aims to break the poverty cycle by addressing low educational achievement, high maternal and infant mortality rates, malnutrition rate, and rate of child labor among the poor.
 
The US government is also considering funding the social assistance program Kapit Bisig Laban Sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services Project or Kalahi-CIDDS. The project, which is worth $100 million, seeks to alleviate poverty through people participation in community development planning and implementation.
 
Other projects are the $186.4 million Secondary National Road Development Project and the $42.6 million Sustainable Upland Development Program.
 
Beltran said the proposed programs were finalized by former socioeconomic planning secretary Dante Canlas who led the negotiations with the MCC experts.
 
Last March, the board of directors of the MCC announced that the Philippines was eligible to apply for more funding due to its consistent performance on eligibility criteria and effective implementation of the program focused on curbing corruption.
 
Currently, there are 17 countries receiving funds from the MCC, which works with developing countries on promoting sound political, economic, and social policies; poverty reduction and economic growth.