Bedaño, Alessandra PSY 3-A-1

De Paz, Klint SOCP311

Mallillin, Janyvie
Ocfemia, Cesar Ian
Ramos, Sofia
Poverty and Social Justice

1. What do you think are the causes of poverty here in the Philippines?

We suggest that the reason is the government. Corruption in government is one

reason Filipinos are poor, because taxes don’t get to the needy. Those in need won’t
get help. The administration has no clear plan for economic growth. Many
hardworking people don’t earn raises. Many people are underemployed because
some jobs require qualifications that are impossible to attain. The government
doesn’t fund education enough, making it tougher for children in lower classes to
have access to a good education. Without raises, there aren’t enough qualified
instructors. The Philippines need a responsible, economically savvy government. We
need smart voters who aren’t easily duped by shallow words or swayed.

2. If you are in the same situation as the people in Payatas, would you also resort
to eating pagpag ?

We’ve given this a lot of thought because we’re privileged in terms of food and
education. Seeing the challenges and “resilience” of the people in the documentary,
we believed adults should eat pagpag and sell the leftovers to buy good food for
children. Adults can handle hardships, unlike children who haven’t experienced good
things in life. We should at least feed them well. We wouldn’t want the youth of this
country to struggle to receive sufficient nutrition, which would affect their body and
mind in facing this harsh world.

3. Why do you think there are "poor" in the Philippines?

There are many reasons why there are poor people in the Philippines. The first is
unplanned and unwanted pregnancy, particularly among teenagers who are unable
to support themselves and their child because they are not yet capable of working
and have no opportunities to work because they are minors and lack skills. The
second is the lack of government support. In that documentary, where one of the
parents had an accident and is unable to do hard work due to his condition, I believe
the government should help them to support their needs and medicines because
there is a budget for them to help those people. Lastly, corruption in government is
the reason why people in the Philippines are poor, because instead of taxes going to
the poor, they go into someone else's pocket. Because of that, those who are
unfortunate will not receive the help that they need.