Good and bad news
The latest gender equality report of the World Economic Forum showed the Philippines in 9th place among the top 10 nations. While so much remain to be done to improve the lot of our women and men in our country and throughout the world, the good news is that many countries, including ours, are committed to improving gender relations in terms of opportunities for health, education, employment, and politics.
The bad news or continuing bad news concern the poverty and hunger situation of our people. The latest Social Weather Stations survey conducted from September 26-29 this year showed about 9.3 million Filipinos or 43 percent who reported that they are food-poor while a higher number, 12.1 million Filipinos considered themselves poor.
Even government statistics report continuing poverty despite the loud claims of economic growth in this country. Certainly, we are aware of certain qualitative changes in certain parts of our country, the continuing commitment of certain administration officials for transparency, honesty, and accountability. However, their commitment and the so-called robust economic growth indicators have not been enough to lift millions of poor from their hunger and poverty situation.
Government documents, like the July 2014 PIDS (Philippine Institute Development Studies) report on Child Poverty in the Philippines confirm that despite "2013 growth at 7.2 percent which was higher than the previous year's growth, poverty reduction remain low." The same report noted that for 2012, there were 23.7 million or 4.2 families living below the poverty line.
Why does the Aquino government rely only on one set of data – NEDA statistics – and why cannot this administration consider other reliable poverty studies like the PIDs report to have reliable data about the real state of poverty in the Philippines during the Aquino term?
Why cannot this administration accept even the confirmation of Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Balicasan, who is a distinguished poverty specialist, that inclusive growth has not taken place? Recent reports quoted Secretary Balicasan as follows: "the poverty rate was now forecast to be 18-20 percent by 2016, when President Benigno Aquino's term ends. This new target takes into consideration the slow response of poverty to economic growth beginning in 2006 and the setback in 2013 due to the wide-scale destruction resulting from natural and man-made disasters."
Or if they refuse to consider other statistics other than those that look favorable and positive for their image, Malacañang only has to open its eyes wide enough to see hunger and poverty all over the streets of urban cities and all over the rest of the rural areas throughout this country.
PNoy should also know that even government sources, like the 2014 PIDS report noted that "the Philippines is lagging behind many of its neighbors in Southeast Asia. Back in the early 1990s, the country had one of the lowest poverty rates at about 30 percent. Vietnam then had about three quarters (or 73 percent) of its population living below $1.25 per day. Meanwhile, majority of the population in Indonesia and Cambodia is considered extremely poor by the same measure. Two decades have passed and the progress that the Philippines have made, a reduction of 38 percent, is dwarfed by those of its neighbors, which were able to cut down their poverty rates by at least 55 percent; Thailand was able to almost eradicate it, reducing 97 percent of its poverty rate."
Poverty hits children most. According to the PIDS and UNICEF reports, there are more than 13 million children who are poor, and may even be higher at 15 million if the malnourished are added, according to Senator Grace Poe, citing Food and Agriculture (FAO) statistics.
Cannot the government officials see the emaciated, hungry children in their radar and cannot anti-hunger and anti-poverty programs be prioritized over the present policies that continue the inequality process (as shown by Gini coefficient results) that make the rich, richer and the so-called chronic poor, poorer?
Two years into the end of his term, PNoy and his administration are in what PNoy himself termed as "the last 2 minutes" of this administration. Cannot PNoy make use of this limited time to finally, beyond the PPP or CCT program, lift the millions of poor beyond hunger and poverty?
Inclusive Growth now for the millions of poor. If not now, when? Each day is crucial for the hungry and the poor. Each minute counts. Mr. president, make the last minutes of your term count! Save the poor and the hungry, now na!
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