Philippines Poverty

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The driving philosophy of Aquino administration’s reform agenda; If we can rid the country of the culture of corruption, then we can alleviate poverty and collectively move forward to secure an equitably progressive Philippines, is the bedrock of the transformation of this country. The Philippines is found to be entering a promising phase in the process of lifting its citizens out of poverty. The 6-year effort of the president in stabilizing and reforming the country’s macroeconomic structure is said to be bearing fruits with an assurance of a sustainable economic growth. In 2012, our country surpasses all expectations with a GDP of 7.8%, raising the bar among the community of nations thus increasing our growth trend. But still majority of …show more content…

About 11.4 million Filipinos are poor by international standards. Most of them are situated in rural areas and war-afflicted zones. They include landless workers, fishers, small-scale farmers and indigenous people. The effect of poverty on provinces drives people to migrate to places where their labor will command a higher return. A so-called rural exodus or migration of agricultural labor is common nowadays due to the ideology that urban sectors provide an array of job opportunities, easy access to health care and social services that the provinces cannot offer. In the film ‘Metro Manila,’ Oscar represents the whole population of local farmers who are being oppressed and deceived. Problems like high cost of inputs, low price of palay, lack of capital, labor problem, lack of postharvest facilities, pest and diseases and irrigation system are depicted perfectly in the film. Also, it shows how an average Filipino farmer lives in extreme poverty and the fact that a trip to Manila is tempting in seeking a better …show more content…

What’s good for the economy doesn’t always mean good for the people. GDP growth is not a good indicator of improving quality of life because it does not measure the big picture. We should be focused on building a good society, one where individuals are affluent, educated, highly skilled, healthy, and well fed, and do not face discrimination and political repression, and are not at the mercy of natural or man-made disasters. Unfortunately, at this point of time we are still in a state of total impoverishment. In reality, poverty has ‘many faces’ with no simple solution. It doesn’t look like a starving child with flies on his face. And more importantly, it is not just about dirt, rags and helplessness. It is multi-faceted. It is also about hunger, lack of shelter, being sick and unable to see a doctor, and not knowing how to advance one’s future, among other concerns. The faces of poverty represent people from all walks of life, all backgrounds, and diverse cultures. And it is only a matter of time before everyone turned to acts of self-desperation to escape the gripping hands of

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