Poverty: A problem politicians never meant to solve

It is refreshing to note that the Aquino administration is seriously looking into the perks directors and executives of Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) have amassed the past several years. With the sheer number of GOCCs and the gluttonous amounts directors and executives raked in, the aggregate amount could be in billions.

Per se, though their appointments in GOCCs are mostly repayments of political debts, these directors and executives may justify their pays as commensurate to their capabili-ties. Granting, for argument sake that it is true, the amounts are still preposterous when we consider that majority of our countrymen are still languishing in abject poverty.

This initiative and the laudable proposal of abolishing the National Food Authority (NFA) elicited both mild and wild reactions. With vested interests prevailing in most arguments, we see no end in sight. Whether it will have a sad or happy ending, let's leave it to fate, as usual. As we all know, when the supposedly men of peace quarrel, they do so in the name of peace and for the betterment of the lives of all Filipinos. 

Along the way, expect a lot of differing opinions. These are differing opinions that could mean diverse preferences; diverse preferences that demand tough choices; and tough choices that could even lead to personal animosities and wild altercations. In all these exercises, however, we hope that our democratic upbringing prevails and we will whole-heartedly accept the pill that tastes bitter in the short run but heals us in the long run. Whether pro or con, they are both at it, allegedly, to conquer poverty. 

Undeniably, poverty is the most overused, if not, the most abused word in the country today. In more instances, when crushed and mangled, all accusing fingers are pointed to one direction - poverty. Making matters worst is our propensity to focus on poverty at face value not its roots. Naturally, whatever initiatives we try to implement could not even put a tiny dent in its surface. 

In our solitude, we can even wonder if all these acts are deliberate and are just orchestrated. The possibility that our government leaders are not seriously considering any solution to free them (the poor) from bondage would, in fact, even be a big truth. After all, having poverty makes it handy for politicians to have a platform in every election - poverty alleviation.

Once and for all, let us seriously look into the poverty incidence that is crippling the country today. Then, we shall see if we do or don't have programs that are supposedly designed to address them. Knowing that these crises are either man-made or due to man's negligence, probably, some proposals are now being deliberated to reinforce what had been done so far.

So far, the more prominent solutions are "dole-outs" in nature. Notably, for one, the government opted for a combination of rice importation and subsidy through the National Food Authority (NFA). These initiatives as solutions are mere perceptions. It is just like a painkiller prescribed for a cancer patient. It might take out the pain momentarily but not cure it. Precariously, these temporarily solutions are disguising as permanent.   

In 2008 alone, as the NFA held on to the price of P18.25 per kilo, simple math told us that in every kilo it sold, it had to lose at least PhP20.00 considering that importation cost was almost P40.00 a kilo. Therefore, the more it sells, the deeper it drains its resources. Said differently, it also means that in every kilo of NFA rice consumed by our brother Filipinos, the government paid more than one-half of its cost.

Such scenario was also true for many decades now. As a result, as of December 31, 2008 (2009 figures are not yet available), NFA has so far accumulated losses amounting to a seemingly uncontrollable PhP80,085,099,672. With only PhP5,000,000,039 in equity, NFA is capital deficient by PhP75,085,099,343. This simply means that its liabilities are more than its assets by PhP75,085,099,343. 

On the other hand, lest we must forget, one of the more popular programs of all governments-that is from Ramon Magsaysay to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo- has been the land for the landless program. While these governments had termed it differently in their stay, the ultimate objective is the same.   Supposedly, in trying to empower them by own-ing the lands they till, they will not only free themselves out of poverty, they shall be able to help this country attain food-sufficiency. 

On the contrary, however, instead of helping this country be self-sufficient, we are continuing to subsidize this program. All these years, the beneficiaries have continued to behave like slaves when in fact, money-wise, this government had already spent a lot to free them. Worst, they've started to act like mendicants by raking in over P4.0 billion in annual subsidy.

With all these annual budgets for many years now, what has so far been achieved? Nothing much. Except for a few, some lands are abandoned. Other groups of beneficiaries who organized themselves into cooperatives are not cultivating them. Ironically, some of these beneficiaries are leasing out their lands and content themselves by simply earn-ing rental. These lessees are non-beneficiaries and are mostly entrepreneurs and are profitably cultivating the same land where the beneficiaries failed.   

Apparently, these two poverty alleviation programs failed. First, to put bluntly, subsidy is not the right prescription for the country's poverty incidences. Subsidy is a good breeding ground for mendicants and should be avoided. Secondly, by the ease by which beneficiaries got their lands, the feeling that these were given free prevailed and dominated. Thus, the commitment to pay is so close to non-existence. This scenario isn't difficult to comprehend. It simply means that they should abandon the mentality of slaves and bury the attitude of mendicants. They are now free to till the land they own and be successful entrepreneurs.

However, the government is not lacking in programs for the poor. While some are viewed as dole outs or political bribery, others are sincere and realizable. The adoption of Oita prefecture Gov. Hiramatsu's OVOP (OTOP for us) is one of the best options. The Barangay Micro Business Enterprise (BMBE) Act is the other. These are two com-plementing programs that are both workable.

Entirely implementable at the local government level, we can only wonder the reluctance of politicians in supporting these programs. Undoubtedly, they don't seriously con-sider programs that shall truly emancipate the poor from the bondage of poverty. They are leaning largely on programs that shall truly make the majority of our countrymen their unequivocal parasites. Willing parasites who are blindly ready to die for them as they continue to satisfy their unquenchable thirst for power and perpetual hold of their respective turfs.

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