Poverty refers to the state of being

extremely poor and lacking the means

to see to one’s basic needs. This issue
remains a major challenge in the
Philippines, as a large portion of the
population still experience poverty.
The following are the major causes of poverty:
1. Low to moderate economic growth for the past
years.
2. Weakness in employment generation and the
quality of jobs generated.
3. Failure to fully develop the agricultural sector.
4. High inflation or the general increase of prices of
goods and services.
5. High levels of population.
In the Philippines, reports
indicate that the poor
remain poor because of two
factors: Persistence of social
inequalities and political
uncertainly.
 c i a l
S o i ty
u a l
n e q
I
Social inequality is the concentration of
political power and economic resources in
the hands of elite. For instance, in rural
areas as a large majority of farmers and
peasants do not own the land they till.
Since they do not own the lands, they are
not motivated to improve their agricultural
methods or diversify the crops in the
farmlands.
Rural poverty contributes directly to
poverty in urban areas. The migration of
the poor from rural areas into cities
contributes to an increasing population
of the urban poor. Other consequences
of migration to urban areas include
unemployment, underemployment and
the lack of housing and basic services.
Poverty, inequality, marginalization and poor
governance contribute to conflict and violence.
Many regions in Mindanao are among the poorest.
Despite their abundant natural resources. The
poverty in this region has resulted in the
emergence of violent armed groups such as Islamist
revolutionaries and extremists, communist rebels,
paramilitary groups, and clan-based private armies.
Other issues of
the poor and
marginalized
Violation of Indigenous People’s
rights
The indigenous communities constitute
between 15 to 20 percent of the Filipino
population. One of the challenges they face is
aggressive development and commercial
activities such as mining and logging that affect
their lands and ancestral homes. Indigenous
people are often victims of various forms of
abuse, violence and exploitation.
 They are recruited into armed groups
and get involved in armed conflicts
with authorities. Indigenous women
and girls are also more vulnerable to
physical and sexual abuse.
Housing concerns
More than one third of urban poor families live in
informal settlements. The Philippines has been
engaged in a policy of urban “beautification” and
“development” which involve the eviction of
thousands of informal settlers living in urban areas.
The forced eviction of these informal settlers often
results in violence, with many civilians and police
injured or killed in clashes.
Violence against women
Poverty is also considered a cause of domestic
violence, which mostly occurs in poor or low-
income families. The violence is further
worsened by the fact that women in poor
families are economically dependent on their
husbands, and often have no choice
but to remain with their abusers.
Violence against children
Poverty can force poor, disadvantaged and
marginalized children to come into conflict with
the law. The high rate of child labor in the
Philippines is also alarming. Some are found
engaged in hazardous work
and exposed to exploitation
such as child trafficking.
Extrajudicial killings
Extrajudicial killings pertain to
executions of suspected crimes
and human rights activists carried
out by the government authorities
without legal authorization
or any judicial proceeding or
process.