Many Filipinos still jobless and poor, says report

By Marjorie Gorospe, loQal.ph

MANILA CITY, METRO MANILA- Many Filipinos in rural areas are still jobless, poor, hungry and vulnerable, according to a report from the Social Watch Philippines (SWP).

The SWP report also noted that ten years after the historic Millennium Summit where world leaders vowed to end extreme poverty by 2015, many Filipinos are still “left behind.”

These are mostly women in rural areas, Muslims in Mindanao, and members of indigenous tribes.

According to United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator to the Philippines Dr. Jacqueline Badcock, there are nine sectors in the country that have been left behind despite reported economic growth.

“With only five years remaining, we are shifting our focus to strategies that will allow us to breakthrough and accelerate the pace of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) achievement,” said Badcock in a forum, calling on Congress to “combat poverty head on”.

The official said women in rural areas remain at risk. These women continue to struggle because of the lack of capital, insufficient income, and absence of alternative or sustainable sources of livelihood.

She also cited the growing number of Filipinos between the ages of 15 and 24 who are forced quit school to work and help support their parents and young siblings.

Aside from women and out-of-school youths, small-scale fisherfolk and resource dependent workers also remain left behind.

Displaced Muslims are also becoming vulnerable as they struggle to have basic needs such as decent homes. These groups also lack capital to start a new livelihood, and do not have access to education and health services.

These groups are also vulnerable to the persistent threat of an armed conflict.

The rising number of Filipinos with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) should also be addressed. AIDS cases in the country have reached 5,729 as reported from 1984 to October 2010.

Source : http://www.newsflash.org/beframe.htm

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FOODS, SHELTER and CLOTHINGS are the basic needs of people in order to survive. These are things that are important for every one of us since without this stuff there would be no civilization that will occur in our society. It becomes the basis for every country whether it has a good or bad economy.

In this vast world thousands of problems are lining up in every people. Oil price hike is one of this problems and the reason why extreme poverty strikes in the Philippines. The continuous rising of prices results to  the increasing of all the basic needs of Filipinos especially the rice and even the toll fees and fares but the standard of living are still the same. If this so, most of the poor family cannot eat three meals a day for they don’t have enough money to support their family. Though the government is making moves to solve this problem but for the reason that we are overpopulated most of the families especially at the provinces are being forgotten by the administration and that is why our economic status is not good. In addition, unemployment is also one of the roots that deflate the economy of our country. If there are many inhabitants who don’t have job in our country because of their laziness and “bahala na” attitude, will they survive? What would be there source of income? If this will go on there is a greater chance that the economy of the Philippines would become similar to the economy of Zimbabwe.

People living under a bridge and even besides the rivers and streams captured my eyes every time I travel around the country. They are the citizens of the Philippines who don’t have good shelter for them to live a happy and peaceful life without any problems regarding on how they will survive if natural disasters happen in their life. This situation reflects the government on how it manages the economy of one society. What will be the first step to solve this problem? Who are the responsible for this situation? Can this be solved? There are many questions that need to be resolved in order to have a good economic status.

 Economic status demonstrates the standard of living in a society whether it’s poor or rich. Having a situation such as emphasized above means that Philippines is a poor country not because it doesn’t have enough resources to provide the people desires but because of the people whom managing the entire archipelago. Some of the leaders are corrupt that’s why the money and the things that would be for the people whom needing it goes to their own pockets.

Moreover, Education is very important for all of us so that we may become a successful citizens but as what I have observed nowadays many children  cannot read or write because at their early stage they are already involved in labor. As what Dr. Jose Rizal states that “the youth is the hope of our motherland”, will this become possible if our fellow Filipinos cannot communicate well with others for they are not well educated? Money is the best reason why this is happening in our country but if the leaders will open their minds of what are happening in the society this serious matter will be solved as soon as possible. Nowadays students are starving to have a good quality education in a cheaper price but as what is taking place these days tuition fees are increasing and the percentage of the students that could continue their studies are decreasing. What will happen to our country if these circumstances will continue for how many years? Will the hope become a misery? Let us find out if the government will do its job to have better lives for the hope of the motherland.

 On the other hand in order to achieved high standard of living  and to lessen these problems, we must work hard not just for ourselves but also for the youths in the next generation. Also,  people must be an observant  not only on the happenings in our country but also to our government who are the responsible of having this kind of livelihood.