Kasal, binyag, libing hinders delivery of services to poor

MANILA, Philippines –The Filipino customs of kasal, binyag, libing (wedding, baptismal and funeral) is a stumbling block in the delivery of social services to the poor in the countryside as local officials spend most of their time and social funds on such functions to consolidate their political base, local leaders said yesterday.

Marikina Rep. Del de Guzman and Capas, Tarlac Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan told the weekly NBN 4 Kapihan ng Bayan forum at the Sulo Hotel in Quezon City that kasal, binyag and libing (KBL) have become part of the life of local politicians and this in turn has affected the delivery of social services in their localities.

They said the KBL culture has also bred political patronage because politicians invest more time in becoming godfathers in weddings and baptisms.

De Guzman said sometimes, weddings and baptismals are postponed to accommodate the schedule of local officials but in the case of funerals, the local officials have no choice but to respond to the needs of the bereaved families.

KBL also gets the bulk of the families’ financial resources, with some people forced to go to loan sharks so they will have something to spend on these activities, the officials said.

Catacutan urged the people to undergo livelihood trainings for additional income instead of concentrating on KBL’s, adding that in his home province, he is introducing his own brand of politics intended to make the people self-sufficient and not dependent on dole-outs from the local government.

KBL is said to have worsened poverty in the countryside and has forced people to migrate to Metro Manila in search of a better life, but they often end up in slums and shantytowns.

Social Welfare Undersecretary Celia Yangco, who was also a guest during the forum, said the government is now addressing the social problem caused by KBL and other negative customs of Filipinos.

She said there is a need to educate the people on the value of hard work.

Yangco said although national statistics show that poverty is high in the provinces, the actual situation shows that the poverty level is higher in Metro Manila where one can find the poorest among the poor who are earning less than P1,000 a month. – Perseus Echeminada