Poverty is linked to negative situations such as inferior housing, homelessness, inadequate

nutrition and food insecurity, inadequate child care, lack of access to health care, unsafe

neighborhoods, and underfunded schools, all of which have severe consequences for our country.

However, one factor stands out among the several causes of global poverty: education. Not

everyone who does not have a high school diploma is poor. However, the vast majority of

persons living in severe poverty lack access to even the most basic schooling. Those who are

poor are more likely to keep their children out of school, increasing their chances of living in

poverty. Education is known as the great equalizer because it can provide access to employment,

resources, and skills that a family requires to not just survive, but prosper. A universally

recognized solution to the poverty cycle is to provide access to high-quality education.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),

if all students in low-income nations had basic reading abilities, an estimated 171 million people

would be able to overcome extreme poverty. We could lower the global poverty rate by more

than half if all adults finished university education.

With more than 16 percent of the population living in poverty, the Philippines has a rather high

poverty rate. About 17.6 million Filipinos are unable to buy basic essentials due to the large

number of individuals who rely on agriculture for a living and wealth distribution inequalities.

Poverty fell from 21.6 percent to 16.6 percent between 2015 and 2020. President Rodrigo

Duterte of the Philippines wants to bring the poverty rate in the Philippines down to 14% by

2022. The Philippine government intends to end severe poverty by 2040 as part of its AmBisyon

2040 agenda. In addition, the government has adopted a number of programs and reforms aimed

at reducing poverty, particularly in the areas of education, healthcare, and the economy as a

whole. In impoverished places, a lack of access to education is a factor in systemic poverty.

Education provides people with basic skills and increases work prospects, which can help the

Philippines battle poverty. As a result, in 2017, the Philippines enacted the Universal Access to

Quality Tertiary Education Act to encourage more people to participate in higher education and

to address the issue of educational disparity. Tuition and other expenses such as school supplies

are subsidized by the government for students at State Universities and Colleges (SUCs). A

tuition subsidy is also available to private universities. The Act aims to decrease the number of

dropouts in higher education and promote the idea that higher education is available to all.

Many people take education for granted, but it is something that many poor families must forego.

Over 250 million children and young adults around the world are out of school. As a result, over

617 million young children and adolescents worldwide are unable to read or perform math at a

proficient level. Poverty is one of the main causes of this tragedy, and it typically stems from

previous generations who were also illiterate. Poverty rates could be considerably reduced if new

generations are adequately educated. That is why, it is important for everyone, especially

students, to understand how education can transform a person's life from penniless and barely

surviving to a secure and stable one.