I still have to see that government TV ad having a number of working families extol Gloria Arroyo’s economic achievement. “Ramdam na ramdam namin,” they proclaimed.
They should tell that to nine million Filipino families (52 percent . That means more than half of Filipinos) who rate themselves as “mahirap” or poor, acording to a survey by the Social Weather Station conducted last Sept. 2 to 5.
Thirty one percent of those who consider themselves poor experienced hunger in the past three months.
Meanwhile, Gloria Arroyo cites economic gains.
To read survey in full, click here, the SWS website.
How Callous Can She Be!
“Even I have missed one meal in the last three months,” quipped President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in an obvious dig at the question used by the SWS to solicit responses from survey respondents about going hungry or missing a meal in the last three months.
The promise: President Arroyo assures:no Pinoy ever to go hungry again!(2001)
The reality: The national percentage of families experiencing involuntary hunger in the past three months rose to a new high of 21.5% in the new Social Weather Survey of September 2-5, 2007, surpassing the previous record of 19.0% in November 2006 and February 2007.(SWS report on hunger :October 1,2007)
Nag-uunahang magpa press release sa pagkagalak ang mga tuta ni goria sa pagsasabing kokonti na ang nagugutom ngayon kumpara sa panahon ng mga nagdaang mga pangulo o administrasyon. Ang hindi nila binigyang pansin, marami na kasi ang mga namatay na walang makain at hindi na yon isinama sa survey. At kapag nakakita ng survey na pabor kay goria, naglulundagan agad itong mga damuhong ito sa pagsang-ayon. At kapag hindi pabor, nagtataasan ang mga kilay sa pagsasabing huwag maniwala sa survey dahil paninira lamang.
What economic gain Arroyo is talking about? Majority of our people are low wage earners.Many working poor earn minimum wage.As cost of living increases,the purchasing power of minimum wage goes down This is unfair.A minimum should be a minimum in terms of purchasing power,not in inflation-bound dollars.If the government can tie the minimum wage to the Cost of Living index.That is fair.Let us not forget what an unequal distribution of wealth we have in our country.
First let us understand the consequences of inflation, before we can agree that our country has economic gains.
High rates of inflation mean that people and business have to take steps to protect their financial assets from inflation The resources and time used to do so could produce goods and services of value.Those goods and services given up are a true cost of inflation.
High rates of inflation discourage businesses planning and investment as inflation makes the forecasting of prices and costs. As prices rise, people need more money to carry out their transactions.When more money is demanded, interest rates increase. Higher interest rates can cause investment spending to fall, as the cost of investing is higher. The unpredictability associated with fluctuating interest rates makes customers less likely to sign long-term contracts as well.
Inflation hurts lenders and helps borrowers only applies if inflation is not expected. For example, interest rates normally increase in response to anticipated inflation. As a result, the lenders receive higher interest payments, part of which is compensation for the decrease in the value of the money lent. Borrowers have to pay higher interest rates and lose any advantage they may have from repaying loans with money that is not worth as much as it was prior to the inflation.
Inflation does reduce the purchasing power of money.
The country’s so-called economic gains is driven by money from OFWs.
The fact that there are some 8 million Filipinos who have left the country to work abroad, leaving their families behind and in many cases, in cruel environment, is proof that the economy failed.
kasalanan ulit ng gobyerno yan, we should blame it to the president, blame it to our senators, blame it to our congressmen, sila lahat may kasalanan kung bakit tayo naghihirap. Basta ako hindi ako magtatrabaho, mag ra-rally lang ako at mag iingay kung mali ang ginagawa nila, yun lang ang trabaho ko.
“People” not only feel poor, they feel bloody helpless.
The basic facts are that the most successful Corporations are not managed by a mafia of secrecy instead operational meetings are transparent with reports and minutes published for the benefit of the “people” on the shop floor level. These Corporations owe their success to the open transparency to the “people” they employ, by explaining the problems facing the Corporation and willing to listen to and act openly if possible to the input received from their “people”. Whilst explaining any benefits to their “people” with regular publications of results due to the changes made to be measured publicly for the Truth. If Lies and Bribery were the order of the day criminal charges would be quickly leveled against them.
The Arroyo administration operate quite opposite to a successful Corporation by dealing in secrecy refusing to publish results of investigations and even facts lawfully required by the Audit Commission, year after year. No thought what-so-ever for their “people’ who are doomed to pay a big penalty. If this Arroyo Administration was a board of a large Corporation they would be dismissed from office immediately – no Ifs – no Buts just immediately.
Somehow we need rid of them Enough is Enough.
Sabagay, therapeutic itong ginagawa nating balitaktakan dito tungkol sa mga masasamang gawain nina GMA, etc. We know what they did wrong. We know what laws they have violated. We know all of these, pero walang malakas ang loob sa atin na gumawa ng paraan para huminto at maparusahan sila. Malakas sana ang loob ni Joey DV, pero, hayun bahag buntot din pumuntang Tate.
Tsaka bakit nga naman mag-aabala pa si Tabako na guluhin si GMA? Papetekpetek na nga lang siya sa mga nakurakot niya, guguluhin pa ba niya ang buhay niya? Nakahiga na siya sa kutson ng kama, eh, lilipat pa ba siya sa banig sa sahig?
Ang mga iyan ay paminsan-minsan mag-iingay laban kay GMA para sila ay lapitan ng mga alagad ni GMA at alukin ng mga biyayang magpapatahimik sa kanila. Lumanag tugtugin na yan, pero sumasayaw pa rin tayo.
11/5/07
Nothing will happen to the Philippines if the country is lead by GMA – holds the purse, FVR – holds the military, de Venecia – the tongressmen. Who is going to dismiss them? See, they have rules to follow in the impeachment procedings but they did have rules when they cheated the election, when they killed the 1000 people (extra judicial killings) when they stole money from the people?
The Filipinos elected Trillanes to be their congressman to represent them but Esperon jailed Trillannes. Democracy is sure dead in the Philippines. I’m so sorry that the people are so oppressed but they say there is light at the end of the tunnel. We can only hope and pray.
What can we expect from our leaders? They do no good things, just that they’ll damage the economy less than unstable ones.Of course,Gloria make her own investments–for instance,providing roads,the Macapagal Highway or bridges to nowhere to encourage commerce.leaving Gloria with more opportunities to steal.The damaged of bad governance inflicted on the people.Gloria needs to keep hundreds of armed police and military officers happy,as well as macivil servants,churches and other supporters.She would simply impose the least damaging taxes possible in whatever quantity was necessary and distribute the proceeds to his supporters.The Rectum E-VAT,These approach turns out to be impracticable,because it requires far more information about and control over the economy than a poor government can possibly muster.The substitute is government-tolerated corruption on a massive scale.
Also, Padrino System are given formal contracts and luxurious jobs in government;women and able-bodied people have to fend for themselves to be an OFW’s.Red tape discourages new businesses.Slow courts mean that entrepreneurs are forced to turn down attractive opportunities with new customers, because they know they cannot protect themselves if they are cheated.Our country have the worst examples of such regulations,and that is one of the major reasons our are poor,drawn out the process in hopes of pocketing some extra cash themselves.Unfortunately, it is not always so easy to get corrupt governments to change their ways.Although it is becoming clearer and clearer that dysfunctional institutions are a key explanation of poverty in our country and the people suffered the most.,
HUNGER ON THE RISE IN THE PHILIPPINES, what the SWS Surveys do not show…
http://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/hunger/economy/2004/1012philippines.htm
“kasalanan ulit ng gobyerno yan, we should blame it to the president, blame it to our senators, blame it to our congressmen, sila lahat may kasalanan kung bakit tayo naghihirap. Basta ako hindi ako magtatrabaho, mag ra-rally lang ako at mag iingay kung mali ang ginagawa nila, yun lang ang trabaho ko.” – duren
What are you talking about? The rallyists are the “working class” right now everybody’s doing their jobs contributing to the governments’ coffers. When the “call to arms” is sounded thats when everybody moves. If you’re not gainfully employed now, find a job asap! What good are you if you can’t even help others? “We cannot give, that which we do not have.” Be successful, earn something extra to give to the unfortunate brothers and sisters – thats what you should be doing.
If I could write fluent tagalog I would have sounded more urgent, as it is I don’t think everyone could understand fluent “bisaya.”
Duren, at some point our government need to be blame why our people are desperately poor and hungry because our leaders eat up all our money in taxes.During Marcos era he implemented successful green revolution programs and increased spending on agriculture,hunger and poverty diminished.Alternately,that program was been replaced by OFW’s,food supplies diminished and hunger increased dramatically.Only few left to till the land, only few left to catch fish in the ocean and only few left to raise cattle and carabao.Our leaders in government cut that spending on crop production,and just import rice from Thailand and Vietnam from the OFW’s remittances.The main reason for this starvation is the sharp hike in prices of foods.People continue to starve to death for lack of food grains.On the other side,our politicians used these food crisis as a lever to dismantle the food procurement system and threaten the livelihood of our farmers.Our politicians are using the surplus stocks as a weapon to attack livelihood, instead of as a weapon in favor of people to address the problem of hunger.There are many more underfed people in our country, but at least this could have filled the stomachs of the most needy and marginalized people, the government could have bought more foods at guaranteed prices from the peasants, ensuring their livelihood. This would have benefited our society as a whole.The expectation was different, illegal hoarders and cartel are in control of our people food supplies.
con’t;
Unless the government revive its economic policy, improve agriculture and fisheries to flourish, farmers, fishermen, workers and peasants to prosper, not much effort and resources are required. Our country being such a fertile land and vast with huge amount of natural and manual resources, this need not be a daydream. But as long as we permit ourselves to be ruled by those who arrogantly declare that it is not their business to provide for the people, or reorganize the economy to ensure the same, this will remain a daydream. It is time for Filipinos, particularly farmers, workers and peasants asserted themselves.We must unfurl the plan for reorganizing the economy and polity on new foundations and begin organizing to ensure it in reality, We won’t be buying rice and double dead meat in neighboring countries. Filipinos must stop daydreaming of becoming an OFW’s. Our country need our talents and labor.
cocoy,
I agree with you wholeheartedly, you even made me feel guilty being an OFW myself, but I didn’t have much choice I have to feed my family also. I’ll do whatever I can to help.
Ellen,
Anywhere else in the world, a chief executive who faces the people telling them there’s no jobs back home, hence she is compelled to export cheap human labour would have been brought down.
I’m also an OFW and have been so for the last 18 years. Being involved in healthcare projects in the Middle East, Africa and the UK,I don’t see my expertise of use in the Philippines since the government puts healthcare projects at the bottom of the list of priority projects.
When was the last time our government, from the time of Cory to the tiyanak, built a modern hospital? Can’t recall any.
The last big hospital project was the Asian Hospital, a private institution.
I heard about a Japanese concern planning to build a hospital in the Manila Bay reclamation area but have not seen any news about it. Yuko, where are you?
Before I could say, “OFWs should stay home and help,” I reminded myself that one OFW is one less unemployed Pinoy in a country that has more college-educated jobless people than anywhere in the world. And one OFW is equals four other family member who won’t go hungry. I salute all OFWs. Napakahirap ang maghanap-buhay na malayo sa pamilya. By the way, they have made great improvement sa Philippine General Hospital in both facilities and services, but it is still a far cry from what you can get at Asian Hospital in Muntinlupa where. I heard, you can’t seek medical attention without a down-payment, deposit, and a mortgage. Ano ba yan, para kang bumibili ng bahay, Deng!
The figures are just for one quarter. It has to be sustained, and the trickle down effect may take time.
If you will insist on a “trickle down” effect, then China and India are not economic miracles, because despite a growing economy, a majority of their people are still poor. In terms of per capita GDP, mas malaki pa ang sa ‘Pinas.
Yet China and India are now the toast of the global economy.
9 million ‘hungry’ Pinoys were not interviewed by SWS.
“9 million ‘hungry’ Pinoys were not interviewed by SWS.ASSd3rd”
ASSd3rd:You don’t like the ASIII i know.
Because if you were the ASIII I know,you will understand that you don’t interview the WHOLE population of 9 million “hungry” Pinoys to arrive at a conclusion for a research project.
Basic iyan sa marketing research.
Oh well,you are NOT the ASIII I know.(pareho lang initials,or “borrowed”,he he he)
Yes I’ve been hearing good things about PGH from my med rep friends in Unilab, the doctors there are also very good daw.
ATO KENNY: tama ka.The two newest hospitals are private:Asian Hospital in alabang and Medical City near Meralco.Both are private.
Excellent facilities and…expensive. The two are now attracting “medical tourists” from abroad.
juggernaut:i assume you have another pen name now in the other blog?i miss your contributions there.
The government released Php 1 billion worth six-month humger response but released during election period?
http://www.whiteband.org/media/pressreleases/after-6-months-war-on-hunger-hunger-rose-to-record-high-status
Hi equalizer,
I’ll cool off here for a while, thanks for suggesting this blog. As you may have noticed I have a fiery temper sometimes its embarrasing.
Your blog is getting more awesome, I’ve been trying to drop a comment for days now but I can’t remember my password.
I posted a link re article on the government releasing Php 1 billion hunger response released suspiciously during election period but its awaiting moderation.
Juggernaut.
don’t let the old geezer affect you.We need you in BOTH blogs!
I’ll probably drop in unexpected. I just got fed up by the way the old geezer treats cvj, calling him twerp and computer operator, etc. he’s a hard working OFW and sacrificed a lot.
Hi Juggernaut,
Glad you could make it here at Ellenville.
The “old geezer” had been trying to intimidate cvj for quite sometime now. Been in endless bickerings myself with that old buzzard.
I dont think there are really poor people at all. Its the way of life, its relative. In my campaign this recent election, I went to everybody’s place in my district, every inch. People can afford to be idle everyday. They can drink gin and beer from morning to the next day. There’s even a fiesta and everyone else feed on the preparation of others. Masaya lahat. Big business on the big posters,and pasting leaflets over the others. Money changed hands, the lotto outlet and the OTBs were filled up. Lots of parades. Even at a wake, there were too much to win at the tong-its. We are rich here. And so peaceful. I have not seen any policeman. Very constitutional. I lost.They should use my place for the surveys. Its that way since birth.
Juggernaut;
Since our country’s economy rely only from OFW’s remittances,the more our people suffer and go hunger. Politicians has undertaken virtually no substantial reforms. Politicians have forecasted that the richer and better educated the people become,the harder they will be to control.However much they may covet the fruits of economic success,they’re unwilling to accept any loss of control because they are obsessed with power,they refuse to replace aging party cadres in juicy government position with younger,more competent but possibly less loyal and doesn’t compromise on licking their arse.This means that even if the will existed at the top for reform,there would be neither the talent nor the structure to implement it.They used to a bulok system.
Those executive cabinets who are running our country are retired military generals,schooled in military warfare and political indoctrination rather than public administration or economic mismanagement.They tend to make decisions for reasons of face or to enhance personal prestige and wealth rather than for the public good.Most business and government activities have to gain approval from government,bribery is rampant.Given the miserably low official wages of societies civil servants,bribery is seen as a privilege of office.
con’t;
Until wages are raised,any attempts at reforming the bureaucracy are doomed to fail,they generate higher revenues to pay their bureaucrats a subsistence wage The result is they muddle through with indecision, while the economy slides into deeper crisis.When a crisis does occur,economy is at a standstill, the markets are glutted, products accumulate as multitudinous as they are unsalable, money disappears, factories are closed, the mass of the workers are in want of the means of subsistence because they have no jobs; bankruptcy follows.When a country become bankrupt because of government mismanagement,slow economic growth is a relative concept,not an absolute one.The workers become unemployed,there has been a recession,the crisis becomes generalized when there are too many sellers with few buyer. These politician isn’t likely to commit to significant reforms in the foreseeable future.The country’s security apparatus efficiency will continue to keep a lid on dissent. Most of our people are cowed by oppression,are content to hope for better days rather than risk prison by opposing the government.That is maybe the reason our people has chosen be an OFW until we can see stable economy in our country. Juggernaut,Amigo! I understand your position.
The Equalizer,
I dont know who are you referring to, but the other ASIII I know is very rich.
Yes, I know it is basic in marketing research that only a sample is needed. But not for SWS surveys on self-rated hunger. Obviously such surveys are commissioned. Hindi lang journalists ang envelopmental, pati na rin survey and research firms.
Ellen,
Wala lang kasing stats to this effect, pero a good many of OFWs went abroad not because they were jobless here, but because the pay is bigger abroad. Example, the nurses, and other ‘high-end’ jobs like IT, engineering, accounting, HR etc. They were not starving before they left.
Our seafarers have nowhere to go but abroad kasi the domestic job market for them is very small.
I think only DHs were jobless when they became an OFW, though this is not to deny teachers who became DHs in the past.
I am not in healthcare, household, nor IT but in sales and marketing. The multinationals here still has that Ateneo/La Salle preference for executive positions, when I was in Nestle I couldn’t go higher than Area Manager so I tried in Europe, they don’t put to much emphasis on what school you came from but more on your capability. Its not just a metter of higher pay, career growth opportunities are also limited.
“PAGPAG”:Recycled Garbage Food for the Poor
I just watched the episode on” Poverty in the Philippines” on ANC’s “Crossroads ” .I got so depressed when I learned about a coping mechanism of our very poor called “pagpag”.In the vernacular,”pagpag” is a verb that describes the act of dusting off dirt.One does this with food, such as a piece of bread, when it accidentally slips your hand and you rescue it from the floor. You can still eat it, just dust it off or “pagpag” it.
In Payatas, people makes a living by recycling garbage.”Pagpag” is apparently a very common practice there.
They gather the thrown away plastic, papers, and whatever they can find, including food, that could still be recycled. They sell the papers and plastics to the factories and the recovered food items, usually half-eaten meat, to some stall-owners who cook them again and sell them to the customers. This dish is “pagpag”. The verb has become a noun.
One angry viewer called the “Crossroads” program to express outrage that the “Pinoy Big Briber” can give away P500,000 packed in brown bags to Governors and Congressmen while the very poor are eating recycled garbage food called “pagpag”.
Gloria ,your callousness cries out to high heaven, your stinginess to the poor cries out to high heaven!You remember them only during elections.
“Gloria ,your callousness cries out to high heaven, your stinginess to the poor cries out to high heaven!You remember them only during elections.”
Yes Equalizer, sobrang manhid na ang pamahalaan ni Gloria at kanyang mga lipores. Na-aatim nilang ibulsa ang mga daang libo at milyones na mga suhol samanatalang dumarami ang nagugutom at nawawaln ng pag-asang makakaahon pa sa kahirapan. Patunay ang pagpapakamatay ng isang 11 taong bata dahil sa kahirapan ng pamilya. When a person loses hope, especially for a child, the government and sectors of society like, the local leaders, the church leaders, teachers, moral guardians, business sectors, even the community is failing in its duties. Everybody especially the government has to set their priorites straight and head on. But most of all STOP CORRUPTION!
Valdemar wrote that there are really no poor people. I thought the opposite is true, there will always be poor people, even in the so called rich countries, in the same manner that there will always be rich people even in the poor countries like the pinas. There are however differences between being poor in a poor country and being poor in a rich country.Likewise there will always be corruption even in europe and north america but not in the same category as the corrupt leadership we have now in pinas.Whereas corrupt leaders in the more advanced countries donot stay long before they are ousted, in pinas it seems that they stay forever and if they are ousted they are replaced by even more corrupt ones.
Norpil, well explained!