Wenceslao, Allen Jasper M.

BSEE 1-1

Contemporary Issues in the Philippines

Introduction

Our world is progressing and innovation takes place in every aspect of our reality. There
are a lot of inventions and technology that are coming out and this is a big help in each every
one of us. Our reality is now covered with technologies meaning there are a lot of people now
are having an easy and fast pace of life because of these things. But the question is that why
still there are people who are experiencing poverty, malnutrition and hunger while our world is
progressing where it became “high-tech” while its people are still suffering from the problems
such as poverty and hunger that is still existing today. This social issue is never ending problem
that some people are still experiencing. Why does the world is progressing but the people living
in it are leaving behind in that progress? What can be the reason on why is it still existing in
today’s reality?

Root cause of the Problem

Due to the recent pandemic that we’ve experienced, there are a lot of downsides in
terms of our country’s economy. The Philippines have experienced significant economic
contraction wherein there are lockdowns during the pandemic and the strict quarantine result in
reduced economic activity particularly in sectors of tourism, retail and manufacturing. People
loses their job because of the pandemic and also, they have no other choice but to stay at home
in order to maintain their safety and avoid acquiring the virus COVID-19. Also, there are lot of
businesses and companies closed because of the lockdown measures that affects on the
system of a business that will require them to close because it can’t run during a lockdown. The
majority of business owners chooses to stop their operation because there will be no customers
or consumers that will avail and buy their service or products because all of the people are
staying at their home unless there is something important to do. Instead of getting bankrupt,
they tend to choose to close their stores, office, or either company and avoid getting liquidated.
Summing up, because of the business is closing, it means that most of the people are
unemployed and there’s no money that is flowing in and with that, people are suffering from
poverty especially for those people who are homeless and belongs under the hierarchy of
society.

Secondly, there are still some parts of the Philippines who don’t have access in right
education and remains primitive. Education plays an important role in order to live and keep up
with the contemporary condition of the world. It is also a great weapon in order to attain success
and get out of poverty in life. Education also helps each of us to get knowledge and improve our
career and personal growth. Lacking of knowledge will result to limiting the opportunities for skill
development in order to access on higher-paying jobs, perpetuating the cycle of poverty.
Education is the only thing that we can treasure forever in order to provide stability in our lives
and that is how important the education is in terms of achieving a better state in life.

Third, there is inequality in terms of income with the available jobs here in Philippines.
The minimum wage of the workers isn’t enough in order to provide the basic needs of a single
family. While the price of goods and products here in our country, the wage of the Filipinos are
remaining in its equilibrium resulting in shortage of income that will cause poverty for ever
Filipinos that are experiencing this kind of scenario. The Philippines has a significant income
gap, with a small percentage of the population controlling a large portion of wealth. Income
inequality increases the poverty by limiting opportunities for upward mobility and widening the
gap between the rich and poor.

Lastly, the root cause of poverty in the Philippines is the never-ending corruption of
some government officials in our country. Corruption and ineffective governance practices
undermine economic growth and exacerbate poverty. The intended beneficiaries do not get the
assistance they need to escape poverty when funds meant for programs to reduce poverty are
misused or siphoned off. Instead of governing our country that will lead to the economic growth
of our country, what happen is that they’re the one who are instigator of bad governance where
they keep the money in their own wealth while the people are working hard to pay the taxes
equally for our country.

New Regionalism

In order for a country to increase its economy, it should have a good governance from a
non-corrupt government. A good government can lead its country together with its people to a
new and better future. Also, establishing and maintaining effective governance structures and
institutions that can efficiently deliver public services, and provide a conducive environment for
economic growth and development. Offering some programs to the poor such as feeding
programs or offering job opportunities can really help the poor to eradicate hunger and provide
their basic needs coming from their work. Implementing economic policies that promote
inclusive growth, job creation, and equitable distribution resources. It encourages a climate that
is supportive of entrepreneurship, draws in investment, and supports businesses that create
jobs and enhance livelihoods, especially for underprivileged communities. Lastly, A good
government actively involves its constituents in decision-making, giving them a voice, and
ensuring that its policies and initiatives take into account their requirements. Through tools like
citizen feedback systems, public consultations, and civil society involvement, it promotes
participatory governance.

Ideal Countries to Have an Alliance With

We can say that poverty exists everywhere even in the countries that belongs to core
countries. Poverty exists because there is a gap between the rich and the poor and the goal is
to reduce or eliminate that gap in order for everyone to attain their basic needs in life because
there are some cases that the poor don’t have a food to eat anymore and home to stay in their
lives. The possible countries that the Philippines that can have alliance with are United States,
United Kingdom, and Canada. These countries are the possible in order to help in eradicating
poverty in our country. They have provided financial aid, technical assistance and support some
various development projects and programs in the Philippines. It includes those aimed at
poverty reduction, education, infrastructure development and environment sustainability. The
Philippines reaps the advantages of U.S. support by fostering inclusive, market-driven growth,
strong democratic systems, effective economic, health, and educational governance,
responsible resource management, and increased community and environmental resilience.
Somehow, Canada and the Philippines share a long-standing partnership in international
assistance cooperation. Since 1986, Canada has provided over $1 billion in official development
assistance (ODA) to the Philippines averaging $24 million over the last five years (all channels
combined). (Government of Canada, 2023). Lastly, alliance with United Kingdom increases
urbanization, a growing middle class and a large and young population position the Philippines
as a country with strong potential for higher economic growth, global competitiveness and
poverty reduction. The benefits of this growth, however, have yet to fully trickle-down to its
workforce. Unemployment, persistent inequality of access to education and skills training, and
skills shortages still hamper the country’s progress. The Skills for Prosperity Programmed in the
Philippines (SfP-Philippines), implemented by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and
funded by the United Kingdom government, works with key government agencies, employers’
organizations, trade unions and other stakeholders to further enhance skills development and
the TVET system. Through this support, youth, women and other marginalized groups will
become more employable and earn higher incomes. (Dragutan, 2023). Thus, the created
alliance with the countries stated above have a great benefit and connection to the Philippines
and increases the possibilities of eradicating poverty here in our country and also to provide on
each of every Filipinos a great and better job and an access to a high-quality education with the
help of these countries. With that, poverty will lessen or possibly eliminate in terms of the
people’s hierarchy in our country.

References

Canada Philippines Relations. (2023). Retrieved from Government of Canada:

https://www.international.gc.ca/country-pays/philippines/relations.aspx?lang=eng
Skills for Prosperity Programme in the Philippines. (2023 ). Retrieved from International Labour
Organization: https://www.ilo.org/manila/projects/WCMS_752404/lang--en/index.htm
U.S. Relations With the Philippines. (2023). Retrieved from US Deoartment of State:
https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-the-philippines/