EDITORIAL - Poverty eradication

Poverty is a human rights violation, according to the strongmen who espoused a so-called Asian formula for economic success. This was their argument for putting economic progress ahead of individual rights in crafting national policy. The tack was criticized by human rights advocates, but se-veral of Asia’s benevolent autocrats did manage to lead their countries toward prosperity.

There were some glaring exceptions, among them the Philippines’ homegrown autocrat, Ferdinand Marcos, whose strong-arm rule brought the nation to the brink of ruin instead of making it one of the so-called Asian tigers. Marcos’ reign made Filipinos resolve never to take the dictatorial route again. After nearly two decades of freewheeling democracy, however, the nation remains mired in abject poverty. Some Filipinos have even started grumbling that the nation suffers from too much freedom.

Today, as the nation starts the observance of the National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty, people are hard-pressed to find the formula for economic progress. We’ve tried dictatorship, we’ve tried freedom. The answer must lie in between – in the disciplined exercise of rights, and the recognition that freedom goes hand in hand with responsibility. The answer must lie in a willingness to put national above personal interest, and in a commitment to the greater good.

Those formally marking the special week will gather today around a commemorative stone in the park named after national hero Jose Rizal, who preached that education was the key to liberation from poverty. Over a century after his death, however, the quality of public education has so deteriorated that it no longer holds the promise of economic liberation.

Investments are supposed to create jobs, but the investment climate has also deteriorated. The government lacks funds to develop the countryside. In the most underdeveloped areas, lawlessness prevails and insurgencies fester, making violence a way of life.

People call for the rule of law, with rich and poor alike guaranteed protection under the same rules. Too often, however, laws are interpreted to favor the rich and powerful. People call for a level playing field, but the culture of corruption runs deep.

Every administration since the fall of Marcos has made poverty eradication a priority. Nearly 19 years after, little progress has been made. This week the nation must ponder what went wrong and what must be done, then set out to reduce poverty with genuine resolve.