ECONOMIC ISSUE: POVERTY

More poverty in the Philippines?
by: Harvey S. Keh
The Manila Times
http://www.manilatimes.net/opinion/more-poverty-for-the-philippines/
LAST week, the World Bank released a study which shows that approximately an additional 44 million people from developing countries such as the Philippines may be driven into poverty due to the continuing rise in basic commodities such as wheat, sugar and oil. Just this week, oil prices have already reached a two-year high as mass demonstrations continue to take place in the oil-rich Middle East region particularly in Bahrain and Libya.
According to the report, if the prices continue to rise, many more people will be more vulnerable to malnutrition and then other forms of diseases since they will be forced to consume low cost but less nutritious food. In fact, we can already see this in our country where there is now a high incidence of kidney diseases especially among the poor due to the fact that many of them now rely on instant noodles for their main staple.
These instant noodles are very high in sodium content. That is why more and more Filipinos are now lining up for dialysis treatment. Sadly, a family earning less than P200 a day would not be able to afford a regular dialysis treatment which would often cost at least P1,500 per visit. This is why many poor Filipinos often die without even having the opportunity to be treated properly at a health facility.

The Philippines have been suffering from poverty problem and it continues to exist until today. There have been a lot of alleviation programs introduced by the government but the dilemma keeps on emerging.The economic problem of Philippine government persists to surface in the society and it is sometime very tiresome to imagine. It gives too much headache not just to the Philippine government but also to the whole Filipino people.

There is a lot of poverty in the Philippines. Some people, called "squatters," live near trash mounds and scavenge through the rubble to find materials that they can re-sell. Many are living in extreme poverty and unsanitary conditions. One of the effects this impoverished lifestyle has on them is an extremely short life expectancy. But there are some rays of hope. For one, slow but steady economic improvements are providing jobs in places like call centers. Secondly, charitable organizations like the Philippine Aid Society are growing and working hard to fight poverty. For those who want to do their part to help, consider a financial donation to one of these charities. 

Sadly, it seems that our government officials haven't learned anything from the past. Only last year, about 500 people were killed when a 50-meter pile of garbage collapsed on their makeshift houses in a dumpsite in Quezon City. This was the absolute face of poverty, whose image failed to instill understanding among our numb leaders. Now, who could blame the 20,000 protesters who stormed to Malacanang Palace last May 1.The people in the media, who were not even aware on what the attack was about, had the guts to brand these protesters a mob of poor and undisciplined warriors. It also seems that the current crop of leaders have nothing to offer, and one opposition senator even admitted that in 30 years, the Philippines will not even reach the level of Thailand, which I understand, is still a poor country. This is anything but encouraging. Imagine spending the next 30 years of your life in poverty (if the tension in Central Asia does not lead into another world war, of course). We wait for a day that one leader will rise to change our mindset and status in life. Someone who will promise to turn the Philippines into a country of mostly rich people in his lifetime and can convince us that he really can.

There are many reasons why poverty exists and linger in the Philippines. Overpopulation is the fruit of the lack of self-control.Low revenue collection is a result of an ineffective taxing system.

Pork barrel is the output of a poor political system.Corruption is a fruit of greed.

Poor investment climate is the consequence of inefficient regulatory, legal and political framework of doing business in the Philippines. Natural disasters are acts of God. For the consumption of those who don’t believe God, these disasters are acts of natural randomness. Moreover, some of these disasters arise from the human destruction of our environment. Nevertheless, natural disasters are not the significant causes of poverty in the Philippines.

War, terrorism and peace problems are the effect of misunderstanding.Unemployment is the fruit of poverty itself. It is also the effect of laziness and lack of resourcefulness.Poor health is another consequence of the lack of self-control, discipline and poverty itself.Abuse of our environment is another fruit of greed.Poor quality education is another consequence of poverty itself. It is also the fruit of the lack of patience, resourcefulness and hard work.Low financial literacy rate is the consequence of the lack of government programs to enhance financial education in the Philippines.Lack of Filipino entrepreneurs is caused by the inability of the government to provide financial grants to small, new and aspiring entrepreneurs. This is also the result of the lack of patience and willingness of people to face business risks despite of the unlimited opportunities offered by entrepreneurship.Lack of government support for small entrepreneurs is just another result of poor national governance.Laziness and procrastination are results of the lack of value and interest.Dependence is the consequence of the absence of self-trust and confidence.Lack of self-control is the fruit of evil, or may I say the absence of love.

Lack of love for God is caused by not knowing God.Corruption is also in the top list that makes poverty one of great social predicaments of the Philippines. The practice of corruption contributes immensely in dragging the Filipinos into poverty. Because of the greedy ambition of some leaders in the government many have suffer from too much financial insufficiency.

There are still a lot of reasons that makes poverty persist in the Philippines. The above example is just a few of the many explanation why the economic shortage always ahead of the Filipinos. But no matter how the Philippine' people is devastated by this social predicaments. There is still hope that Filipinos can hurdle the present social dilemma that strongly blocks the economic prosperity of the Philippines.