Options for Pinoy poor: Go abroad, pray or steal

When all hope of ever rising out of extreme poverty is lost, what is a person likely to do?

At least 26 percent of those surveyed said a poor person would look for a job in another country while another 25 percent said he would pray and hope that God would provide assistance.

Forty-nine percent, however, were not as optimistic. At least 21 percent said a poor person would likely steal or engage in illegal livelihood to make ends meet, while 12 percent said he would likely join support groups attempting to overthrow the government.

About nine percent said a person driven to the edge would try his or her luck at lotto, sweepstakes, bingo and other numbers game, while five percent said the person would most likely join protests against the government.

These findings were based on the results of the October 2004 and March 2005 Ulat ng Bayan national surveys conducted by the Pulse Asia Inc. research group.

In a report released to the media, Dr. Ana Maria Tabunda, executive director of Pulse Asia, explained that 1,200 adults were interviewed nationwide from Oct. 22 to Nov. 6, 2004 and from March 3 to 16, 2005.

In the five-month gap between the first and second surveys, Pulse Asia noted there was a significant change in the perception of respondents regarding the ways poor people were likely to try to change their circumstances or at least improve their living conditions.

Fewer Filipinos now believe the hopeless poor are likely to take positive steps to improve their situations. In the October 2004 survey, 29 percent of survey respondents said the poor would most likely seek overseas employment to solve their financial woes. In the March 2005 survey, only 26 percent said this would be the option most likely taken by poor people.

Those who answered that the poor would likely pray and hope for God’s assistance also decreased by as much as 10 percent in the March 2005 survey. Only 25 percent said prayer would be their recourse in the latest survey as against the 35 percent who said so in October.

Meanwhile, those who responded that poor Filipinos are likely to steal went up from 16 to 21 percent and those who said they would most likely support groups seeking to overthrow the government went up from five to 12 percent.

Pulse Asia noted that in the last three months, inflation has averaged 8.5 percent. It has also been 11 months since the inflation rate exceeded the five percent level of June 2004.

The top family expenditures that were affected by the increase in the prices of commodities due to inflation were food (58 percent), electricity (13 percent), education (nine percent), medicine and other health needs (seven percent).

The latest survey showed that Visayas and Mindanao were more affected by the sudden jump in food prices while nationwide the poorest, Class E, felt its impact the most.

To cope with increases in the prices of commodities, 21 percent of survey respondents in the March 2005 survey said they borrowed money, 21 percent looked for additional sources of income, 18 percent reduced food consumption, another 17 percent reduced consumption of other products and services and 10 percent said savings were reduced.

A minimal five percent, however, said the jump in prices of basic commodities did not have much effect on their lives.

While poverty is a way of life in this country and Filipinos are known for their patience and resilience in coping with abject conditions, when do Filipinos really consider their situation hopeless?

Respondents said their condition is hopeless when not even one member of the family has a regular job (34 percent); when their family is not able to eat regularly or adequately (24 percent); when their children cannot study or finish their studies (23 percent); when government does not respond to the needs and problems of the poor (16 percent); and when there is no relative or friend who can help the family (2 percent).

In situations like these, Pulse Asia said, the poor tend to rely more on themselves — families, friends and relatives included — than on the government.

But even then, in people’s view, if the government is to help solve the problem of widespread poverty, it must ensure the availability of jobs (38 percent); adequate supply of food at affordable prices (25 percent); maintain prices of prime necessities at affordable levels (15 percent); help the poor in school expenses (11 percent); facilitate credit for small entrepreneurs (six percent); and make people and companies earning a lot pay appropriate taxes (five percent).