Results 1 to 28 of 28
Thread: Poverty In The Philippines
-
9th September 2014 #1
Poverty In The Philippines
One major problem which the Philippines has been facing until now is poverty. It remains a critical social problem that really needs to be addressed. The government has planned a lot of ways in order to eradicate poverty in the Philippines but still it can’t be felt by the Filipino people. Under the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals), the Philippines committed itself to having extreme poverty from 33.1 % in 1991 to 16.6% by 2015.
Here is the list of some of the main causes of poverty in the Philippines:
> High level of population growth
Overpopulation is a very undesirable condition where the number of human population exceeds the capacity of a certain place. This may lead to an increase in demand of every individual which the society will not be able to supply, especially the economy of the Philippines.
> Low to moderate economic growth
Economic growth is affected by a lot of factors which may lead to success or failure of a certain country. The Philippines has a consistent low to moderate economic growth which makes poverty very evident, but the country is striving for high economic growth to eradicate this problem.
> Unemployment
This is due to competition in the labor market. More graduates, yet less employment opportunities, or its either what they have graduated for is not suited for the available jobs, this is very common in the Philippines.
> High inflation during crisis periods
> Economic crisis, conflicts, natural disasters and environmental poverty
Poverty is the most severe and most widespread problem, especially in rural areas in the Philippines. In general, more than one third of the people in the Philippines live in poverty. Between the different places in the cities and provinces in the Philippines, there are substantial differences in the level of poverty.
Poverty in the Philippines still remains a challenge. For the past four decades, the proportion of households living below the official poverty line has declined slowly and unevenly, and poverty reduction has been much slower than in neighboring countries such as Thailand, the People's Republic of China, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
To definitely eradicate poverty in the Philippines, there should be an acceleration of poverty reduction and achieve more inclusive growth in the government. There should be an enhancement in the government’s poverty reduction strategy. The government should pursue key economic reforms for sustained and inclusive growth.
http://filipinaroses.com/poverty-in-the-philippines/ | Philippine Poverty, Poverty In The Philippines
-
9th September 2014 #2
Education about contraception is urgently required and that will solve a number of problems!
-
22nd September 2014 #3
When my wife and I return to Philippines next year my plan is to get 4 local lads to clean up our new housing estate, having got assurance from the developers for a quiet corner all the rubbish can be taken to and sorted.
We all chip in a small amount to get them started. This will then help 4 families to live a better life - any money they make they can keep.
-
23rd September 2014 #4
-
23rd September 2014 #5
-
23rd September 2014 #6
... not a bit of it.
... indeed, the [present] corrupt administration seems to be another MAIN contributory factor ... culminating in the uneven distribution of the wealth accruing from the Philippines' bountiful natural resources ... ... from what I can gather, anyway!
-
23rd September 2014 #7
I have to add ONE major cause of poverty in the Philippines:
CORRUPTION!!''Don't be serious..Be Sincere''
-
24th September 2014 #8
- Join Date
- May 2013
- Location
- Newark, Nottinghamshire
- Posts
- 85
- Rep Power
- 49
I have been working in the Philippines for well over 6 years, during that time I have held many interviews for employees at our facility in Clark. Because of this I think I have a different perspective on "poverty".
Time and time again I hear how "life is so hard in the Philippines", "I can't get a job because I didn't finish high school", to be honest a lot of this is an excuse for nothing more than laziness. Don't get me wrong, some people live in deplorable conditions that I wouldn't wish on a dog, however it's the willingness of people to try and work themselves out of poverty that is lacking in many cases.
If it is so hard to find work in the Philippines why is it every time I hold interviews, half the applicants don't even bother to show up, or even inform you they won't be attending? Surely if it were that hard to find a job I would have applicants lining up down the street, this is not the case.
I'm not even talking about jobs that require a high standard of education, I'm talking about jobs packing boxes. The easiest of jobs. Yet still people fail to even bother turning up.
Another major factor is the "Utang culture". Most (not all) Filipinos by their nature are not outgoing, they do not like doing things by themselves and they are not responsible. This is due to the upbringing many experience. If you speak to any Filipino they will stress to you how important family is to them, it's the number one priority in their life. This by itself is an admirable quality, however the Filipino version of "family" for many is anything but admirable.
From the moment some (again not all) Filipino children are born, they are born into a life of servitude. This is because the reason for having children in the Philippines for most families is not because you want to be a parent and enjoy the experience of parenting and raising a family, the reason is because they want someone to look after them when they are old. In short, your life is to provide for them as soon as you reach the age you can work.
They will send children to school (in some cases not), pay for college and make they get the best start in life the Philippines has to offer. This is not for the child's benefit though, it is for theirs. The moment they are done with studying and they land a job, they are expected to hand over 90-100% of the pay they earn to the parents. This is because the child "owes" them. A debt that can never be fully settled, for as long as the parent is alive the debt will exist and need to be paid. This is Utang.
Until individuals can stand on their own two feet without the need to constantly support others who are too lazy, old, or just plain stubborn not to work the country will never progress.
It's a harsh truth I'm afraid.
-Dan.
-
24th September 2014 #9
Very well said Dan I absolutely agree with you, rep on its way!
-
24th September 2014 #10
Good post!
Utang na loob is a very tricky topic about Filipino psychology that most foreigners can never seem to come too grips with.. (Including me)
There are many topics within this very forum that clearly show the effect it can have on FIL-Brit marriages.
I called an Aussie friend in Manila that runs a call center there to recommend my nephew who lost his job in Makati 6 months ago.. I thought long and hard before doing so as I know where these things can lead..
He told me to send him in and he would skip the requirement process and give him the job with a starting pay of 25K per month..
My nephew didn't show up..
Say no more!! I can feel the rage and embarrassment welling up from when I had to call up my mate and apologize!!
Last time I will ever try to help any of them again.
-
24th September 2014 #11
- Join Date
- May 2013
- Location
- Newark, Nottinghamshire
- Posts
- 85
- Rep Power
- 49
Absolutely!
And let's be honest 25k a month is not bad wages compared to a lot of Filipino earnings, yet despite this he still couldn't show up. Unbelievable. The sad truth is if they have family members who are supporting them they will never go out and earn money for themselves, that's too much like hard work.
Note: When I say "they" I am not referring to all Filipinos, just a certain type (you know the type I mean).
It's very easy for people to point the fingers at the Philippine government and say "you should be doing a better job" but you have to look at who they vote into power in the first place. When people vote for actors, sports stars, and convicted criminals to be congressmen and presidential candidates what do they honestly expect from the government? When people sell their vote for a few hundred pesos (I've seen this done first hand when a local mayor tried to buy my wife's families vote) what do they expect?
At the end of the day to a large degree people get the government they deserve. They voted for them, that's what you get.
There are of course a few politicians here who I think do want to make a difference, but when they are the drastic minority they are never going to make an effective difference.
-Dan.
-
24th September 2014 #12
-
24th September 2014 #13
I didn't finish my Bachelor's and yes, I would admit that jobs for us are very limited but if you are not picky with jobs, you will end up earning every month. Thing is, especially in Metro Manila, some people have too much pride to engage with such kind of jobs like (fastfood crews) and some have really attitude problem about their work. One bad effect of having call centres is, since it is a known industry in PH, there are people who take advantage of it, and they end up being a call centre hopper. They don't do good in their jobs, and always think there are loads of call centre company so if he will get fired, it's okay.
Another thing is our "one day millionaire attitude". I admit, I was one of them. I was a call center rep and whenever it's pay day, we always eat in expensive restaurants, buy new clothes, shop here shop there, we dont really know how to budget as we always think that we can survive. Buying also in retails (tingi-tingi) doesn't help. My family do groceries every two weeks but my mama doesn't buy big sizes of detergents, shampoo etc. Instead she'll buy a bulk of shampoo in packs (by 6 packs) and thought that it's more expensive than a big bottle of shampoo.
I have to admit it that it's not just about the government but poverty starts within ourselves, No savings, one day millionaires, no contentment, pride and having a "bahala na"/ "come what may" attitude.
-
24th September 2014 #14
-
24th September 2014 #15
- Join Date
- May 2013
- Location
- Newark, Nottinghamshire
- Posts
- 85
- Rep Power
- 49
-
24th September 2014 #16
- Join Date
- Jul 2005
- Location
- Pangasinan
- Posts
- 25,596
- Rep Power
- 150
What a good honest no b/s thread.
-
24th September 2014 #17
- Join Date
- Aug 2010
- Location
- Marikina City
- Posts
- 26,785
- Rep Power
- 150
-
24th September 2014 #18
My wife and I bought the son an internet shop to support his family, later in the year he sent a message we have no customers and he closed the shop, sold all the equipment and spent the money.
On my last visit Feb/March I went to the shops location and asked around, he could not bother to open and it was party, party time.
My words to him went thus, find a job or we go to the family court and your children will be taken away and you go to jail for not supporting your wife and 4 kids, funny how he found a job the next day.
This lad is 45 years old and has never worked always asked his mother for money, this money giving has been stopped by me.
Poverty can be avoided in some cases if you do your part.
-
25th September 2014 #19
-
25th September 2014 #20
This is one reason why my mum would always check out first if someone who asks for help (i.e. job recommendation, etc.) is worthy enough to be helped. She once helped a neighbour get into a job and she found out the guy was lazy and causing troubles at work. And when the guy asked my mum to get into another job when he was fired, my mum couldn't care less.
We also have some relatives that my mum helps when they are in short of money. Now that they're all working overseas, they still ask my mum to help their families. My mum said no and ignored them. They have means of supporting their family now and still ask my mum for monetary help! We told my mum to ignore them.-=rayna.keith=-
...When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible...
-
25th September 2014 #21
- Join Date
- May 2013
- Location
- Newark, Nottinghamshire
- Posts
- 85
- Rep Power
- 49
-
25th September 2014 #22
-
25th September 2014 #23
-
25th September 2014 #24
I don't think this mentality concerning money is endemic to the Philippines. There's plenty of ill-disciplined people in this country who spend their money as soon as they receive it. Then when they have none left they rely on others or opt for the notorious payday loans to keep them going.
-
25th September 2014 #25
- Join Date
- Jul 2005
- Location
- Pangasinan
- Posts
- 25,596
- Rep Power
- 150
Here they can scrounge off the taxpayer. In the Phils they can't.
-
26th September 2014 #26
- Join Date
- Apr 2012
- Location
- London
- Posts
- 1,524
- Rep Power
- 109
I am all for helping the family out back in the province but on a closer inspection it appears the offspring are just seen as a source of income for the lazy lot back home
-
26th September 2014 #27
- Join Date
- Apr 2012
- Location
- London
- Posts
- 1,524
- Rep Power
- 109
-
26th September 2014 #28
- Join Date
- Apr 2012
- Location
- London
- Posts
- 1,524
- Rep Power
- 109
Thread Information
Users Browsing this Thread
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Similar Threads
-
Poverty...........
By aromulus in forum Loose Talk, Chat and Off TopicReplies: 12Last Post: 14th May 2009, 22:44