A Hope of Misery

With the country’s population boom, the occurrence of unemployment, poverty, drug smuggling,
dealing and use, and crime are inevitable. These social maladies are just a few of the reasons why the
country is in its sorry state. Hence, the country is in dire need of resuscitation. June 20, 2017, when the
citizens of the Republic of the Philippines were given hope for the country’s state to be restored.

Even before the appointment of the Duterte Administration to run the country, inflation rate in the
Philippines was already present. Though the difference of the inflation rate in the olden times is that the
value of peso was higher compared to what it is now. In this times where poverty is alarmingly
increasing, we are all concerned for the action from the government cannot be felt.

In September 2018, the country was terrified when news reported that the Philippines annual inflation
rate rose to a 6.7% in September 2018 from a 6.4%. The government is expected to have an active
involvement about this undertaking rate but the figures revealed otherwise.

With this inflation rate, upward prices pressure come from basic commodities specifically rice, gasoline,
vegetables, galunggong; all which are so basic in the Filipino life. We are a part of a developing country
and most citizens solely depend on those commodities and as a result, Filipinos can buy nothing due to
high prizes. No action from the government is witnessed.

In fact, most news coverage features most of politicians’ disputes and not the problem of our country
that needs a dire attention. From this alone, neglect of a serious matter is an irresponsible act of the
government.

In this times of crisis; when no one is expected to move, campus journalism could be of great help. We
could be the voices of our fellow citizens who cannot voice out. Our articles could represent the
sentiments of our fellow citizens. And that our articles could be circulated in our respective schools,
nationwide, and if hopeful, worldwide. Campus journalism is in the frontline.

We hoped for a betterment but we were given misery. Despite that, let us help ourselves because even
the government that we expect to help us cannot even help themselves anymore.