Rationale

Developing countries particularly Philippines experiences a high rate of population that belong to

the poverty line. According to Asian Development Bank (2018), 16.6% of Philippines’ population are at

the breadline. Although the population rate of Filipinos in the subsistence level decrease from 21.6%, the

current scale is still large. As stated by the International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook

Database, Philippines is at the 76th place of the poorest country out of 191 countries around the world.

One of the ways to lift anyone out of poverty is education. It is a fundamental factor for economic

development. According to Nelson Mandela, education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to

change the world. It is a vital tool for social mobility, equity, public health, better opportunities for

employment specifically for higher wages and lower unemployment. The intra-generational poverty is

affected by education in three ways: improves human capital, provide right educational credentials, and

affects poverty status. Education established foundation to people to be productive, acquire a stable job,

and develops oneself as well as a life-long learning to have better analytical abilities to access relevant

information.

However, lack of education is also the main reason of poverty. Most families in an extreme

poverty is unable to send one or all of their children to school. Primary education in many countries must

be paid, but secondary education is free and mandatory in developed countries (Mihai et al.,2015).

An individual can’t apply for a job without the ability to read or do basic math. According to

Hikaru Miyamae (2019) most people in the Philippines chose not to study because of financial issues and

later on children have to work forever on low-paying jobs. A person’s profile with a medium level of

education tends to have income that remains reasonably constant though their lifetime, and in that respect,

obstructions take place and developments cannot be spectacular (Manea et al., 2015). Education must be

the top priority of a person because it can be a hindrance on their chance to get a job. An individual
cannot overcome poverty if he only stays on low-income jobs. A low salary can keep up with the rising

costs of living in which educational expenses are included.

Hickman (2015) cited that to move forward we need to grasp that the premise about poor children

can’t be educate is wrong. To enable everyone with access to education the efforts to improve quality

education must be implemented (John Pennington). According to World Bank, Thailand and Singapore

spent US$853 and US$1,800 consecutively per student each year but Philippines only spent US$138 on

each student. Although Philippines’ literacy rate which is 97.5% is second among Southeast Asian

countries, the Philippines’ poverty rate is still unseemly high. A study in 2013 shows that 19.2% of the

participants states that the reason for their absence in school is “insufficient family income”. The

Philippines economy is growing however it is not felt by those Filipinos with lowest income.

Moreover, some circumstances cut education such as early marriage and pregnancy. According to

Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), approximately 4,481.4 youth are at the poverty line. Relatively

39,000 of minors marry each year, sometimes as young as eight or nine years old. In such case, it leads to

underweight, undernourished children, and domestic violence. According to Childfund, it is less likely for

a young girl to be married or pregnant at age below 18 because a community-based education teaches

them about how these practices can harm them.

Education provides knowledge to people. Everyone dreams and it gives the hope and motivation

to reach their goals. The confidence to pursue learning and be educated turns for better future and helps

the succeeding generation. Education presents an apprehension to be a person with smart decisions about

the people around them, their livelihood, and the way they live. It develops one’s knowledge, skills,

personality as well as attitude

Adults learn and become the role model of their children who also wish to learn. The Poverty

assessment in the Philippines (World Bank 2001) evidently demonstrate that the educational attainment of

the head of the family was a major factor for the prosperity of a household. As stated by National
Statistical Coordination Board Secretary General Jose Ramon Albert, “Education correlates with living

standards”. Nearly 90% of individuals in 2009 belong to a household where the head of the family has

low educational attainment or no schooling at all. Lack of education of the head of family limits earning

potential of the household.

Education is the only thing that can destroy corruptions, aid unemployment and solve crisis. It is

not about the degree but the ability to live with your own feet and find a solution to our daily life

challenges.

REFERENCES:

https://psa.gov.ph/content/proportion-poor-filipinos-was-estimated-166-percent-2018

https://www.academia.edu/download/27912681/ajssh2012(1.2-08).pdf

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212567115015324

https://rbj.net/2015/03/13/lack-of-education-is-root-cause-of-poverty/

http://shs-kyotogakuen.com/wp/img/2020/03/1_sotsugyouronbun.pdf#page=185

https://psa.gov.ph/poverty-press-releases/nid/144752

https://www.klientsolutech.com/importance-of-education-in-life/#:~:text=A%20good%20education

%20makes%20an,impact%20our%20development%20in%20life.

https://www.adb.org/countries/philippines/poverty#:~:text=Poverty%20Data%3A%20Philippines,day

%20in%202019%20is%202.7%25.

https://borgenproject.org/tag/poverty-in-the-philippines/

https://www.gfmag.com/global-data/economic-data/the-poorest-countries-in-the-world
www.econ.upf.edu

https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/46650/1/584111266.pdf

https://www.childfund.org/poverty-and-education/

Education, inequality, poverty – a paradox in the Philippines | ASEAN Today (find the link)