You may have personally experienced not knowing what to do exactly when approached by an unkempt, bony mother-and-infant team out in the streets or even perhaps inside a church.
Do you give them some amount to tide them over for a day? You meet them again though the next day, same place. Then again, the next day and the next.
Do you give them cash even just once, not only to assuage their hunger but to assuage your conscience as well?
Or do you explain to them why you cannot, why you do not like to give them anything?
Do you bother at all to give them your time and attention, even just a brief glimpse to let them know that you recognize their presence?
Do you withdraw any support for them because you think they will be worse off as dependents forever? Has it crossed your mind as well not to give anything to young mendicants as you are sure the children are sent either by their “indifferent” parents or by a more organized syndicate?
Are you one of those who do not only not give but who scold or reprimand the adults or the “healthy-looking” among those who beg? Are you the type to remind them to find some more dignified jobs for themselves or to be more responsible parents and not to bring their infants and expose the innocents to the risks out in the streets?
Or are you the type who prepares some candies or biscuits to share with them. You are sure that the candies or biscuits are not much to ease the pain of their continuing hunger. You simply wish to tell the poor that you recognize their presence and acknowledge their need. Sure, your gesture is, even to you, a palliative, not a cure to their real need.
Or are you able to support a number or many of these needy and support them through jobs for the adults, through continuing feeding programs for them, especially their children, and even through education and training so that they are not only given the fish but are taught to learn to fish by themselves?
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Let’s proceed to a related topic. What do you think of the almost daily dole-outs recently announced by GMA herself?
June 4, GMA announced a P2-B power subsidy program for 4 million “lifeline users”— those who consume less than 100 kilowatt hours of electricity monthly. That translates to a one-time subsidy of P500 per family to pay their power bills.
June 5, just as Barack Obama is declared the Democrat nominee and potentially, the first black American President if he wins, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita announced a P1,500 per farmer subsidy and a possible P3B fuel subsidy to the public land transport sector next.
The following day, June 6, GMA launches a P1B student assistance program. What do you think is the next type of dole-out and who do you think are the next recipients? For sure, there are millions of our needy people who wish to be the next “lucky” dole-out recipients.
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The dole-outs come from VAT collections. This government is earning so much from the VAT imposed on the Filipino people. The announced dole-outs — about P3B-P6B — may appear huge, especially to millions of our hungry and poor people. However, the P6B is a merely a tiny insignificant drop in the full VAT bucket.
Where do you think the bulk of the VAT goes? This GMA government has been collecting VAT for many years now, how come it is only giving fuel, food, education, farming subsidy just now? Why no dole-outs before, why the dole-outs just now too? Why the dole-outs at all?
How much is to be given to the dole-out beneficiaries? One-time assistance ranging from P500 per family to about P1,500 per farmer. How much items and how long will the dole-outs allow the recipients to buy, to use for their daily household needs?
Beyond dole-outs, why doesn’t this government instead stop the VAT so that all will be free from paying higher taxes for their consumables, especially their essential needs? Beyond dole-outs, why aren’t jobs given instead of dole-outs to those recognized by this government as being most needy? Beyond dole-outs, there are a thousand and more alternatives government can resort to that will leave more permanent, sustainable alternatives to our people.
To our readers, let us know what you think of government dole-outs? Do write us also your alternatives to dole-outs and your suggestions about how we all can unify together to genuinely address the problems of food and hunger, fuel, employment, and other welfare needs? Thank you and stay well.
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Email: cherry_thefreeman@yahoo.com