SOCIAL ISSUE:

POVERTY
ORDONA, JASMINE MAE I BSN2H

In the Philippines, what sector or marginalized

groups need empowerment? How does
religion/church respond to challenges? Cite
examples. Explain briefly your answer in not more
than 100 words.
Poverty, which affects marginalized
groups like farmers, illegal settlers,
and urban poor, is one major issue in
the Philippines. The Pantawid
Pamilyang Pilipino Program, which
gives cash handouts to low-income
households, and the K-12 Program,
which offers students free education,
are two examples of the government's
response.

Religious institutions assist in promoting the empowerment

of underprivileged communities. As an example, the
Catholic Church administers programs that provide health
care, housing, and training for new livelihoods. Protestant
churches also offer assistance, with some of them
managing feeding programs and neighborhood disaster
response groups.

By providing their immediate needs, such as food and

shelter, and by offering them long-term support to improve
their living conditions, such programs assist marginalized
populations in becoming more self-sufficient. To address
the underlying causes of poverty in the Philippines and
make sure marginalized groups have equal accessibility to
economic opportunities and social services, still there is
still more work to be done.