The dead have better resting places than the living

The whole nation's celebration of the All Saints Day and All Souls Day puts into focus the widespread housing problem that our country has been facing for many decades now. We discovered again that many of the mausoleums and memorial gardens of the dead have more decency and comfort than the dirty, dangerous and inhuman shanties and makeshift dwelling places of the poor.

The root of this social problem is endemic and long-standing poverty, which in turn is driven by many social and economic factors. In this country, 90% of the wealth is monopolized by 10% of the total population. The wealthy and the super-rich control all the factors of production like land, money, machineries, transport systems, banks, even schools and some religious institutions. The rich control politics and decision making and the poor are reduced to mere laborers with compensation below the level of living wage. The powerful in society and in government pretend to work for the poor but they just want to protect their political dynasties and business empires.

The poor are bribed, bought, and subjected to pressures, threats, and manipulations during sham elections controlled by the elite. The influential and the strong, the powerful and the moneyed control Congress, the executive agencies, and even use their money, influence, and power to corrupt the judicial and quasi-judicial system. The local governments are also in the hands of political dynasties who are the minions, underlings, and subalterns of national politicians who compel the middle class to pay heavy taxes and many other impositions, while those who control power have many ways to evade and avoid taxation. The poor are always pressured to obey the law but the powerful have the means to violate them with impunity.

The poor are also not without fault. They produce too many babies and contribute to population explosion, knowing fully well that they cannot provide enough and proper food, clothing, and shelter to their children. Many parents are jobless, homeless, and hopeless. Many are living in makeshift dwelling places built along sidewalks and esteros. When natural disasters and calamities hit the land, these people rely on the government for evacuation, relief and rehabilitation. But the LGUs do not have enough resources to subsidize the basic needs of all the people. These people cannot delegate to the government all the consequences of their own excesses and ineptitude.

We have seen that there are many homeless families that are residing inside the cemeteries. Children are sleeping on tombs of the dead. Foods are prepared and eaten using burial grounds as kitchens and dining rooms. These families even dispose of their wastes in burial grounds. The poor have no means to afford decent and clean dwelling places. Their wages are not even enough for food and they have many mouths to feed. They cannot afford basic medical care and they always rely on the government to subsidize the cost of their hospitalization and medicines. Living in cemeteries constantly exposes them to all diseases and ailments.

We are always tempted to blame the government for the housing crisis confronting the country. But the people have a large share of the responsibility. They should take responsibility for their own lives and plan their families and livelihood. The housing problem cannot be solved by the government alone. The people must consider shelter as a basic need and every responsible person should be able to provide food, shelter, clothing, medicine, and medical care for themselves. The government should focus on national defense, peace and order, foreign affairs. The people should learn to take care of themselves.