“When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all your undertakings. When you beat your olive trees, do not strip what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore, I am commanding you to do this.” – Deuteronomy 24:19–22
The next topic to be discussed today is the socio-economic causes of poverty. Before we start, let’s define what is socio-economic to understand its simplified meaning. Socio-economic has combined the words social and economic. It refers to the process of economic activity based on societal processes. How is this term used as one of the causes of poverty and as a tool to measure poverty incidence? According to the perspective of sociology, socio-economic factors have a huge impact on people’s social norms, sentiments, income, education, and social behavior. Those factors have a direct effect on the economy. Thus, it explains how those variables affect the economic activity of a nation by nature.
What are the causes of socio-economic poverty for poor people? EasySociology, by Mr. Edwards, has identified five factors that cause socio-economic poverty. These are the following: economic inequality; discrimination and marginalization; social exclusion; a lack of safety nets; and global economic policies. In this session, I would like to discuss three of those five variables, namely, economic inequality, the lack of safety nets, and global economic policies
Economic Inequality
It is given to us that there is a wider gap between the rich and the poor. Even in Jesus’ time, the gap between the rich and poor was inevitable. Lack of access to quality education, limited established healthcare, and employment opportunities are the real causes of this variable. According to PISA, it is a fact that there are both rich and poor in our society. This wealth disparity has been present since the time of Jesus, and it persists today due to various factors such as lack of access to quality education, inadequate healthcare, and limited job opportunities. According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Philippines performed poorly in reading, mathematics, and science compared to 81 other countries. The country ranked near the bottom in these subjects, which is concerning given the significant budget allocation to the Department of Education since 2016.
Furthermore, the enactment of the Universal Health Care (UHC), known as Republic Act 11223, on February 20, 2019, was a significant step towards improving healthcare in the Philippines. However, the full execution of the system is currently stalled, with political influence still affecting medical services, especially at the congressional district level.
In terms of employment, opportunities are limited, particularly in government positions, leading many Filipinos to seek employment opportunities abroad. Despite the Philippine Statistics Authority’s high employment rate of 95.7%, equivalent to 48.26 million Filipinos, the quality of these jobs has been questioned by organizations like Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU). They argue that these jobs, including those provided through the DOLE TUPAD Project, are of low quality, with lower scores in reading, mathematics, and science.
Social Safety Net
The lack of a social safety net is another contributing factor in socio-economic. Our social service system is inadequate to serve the poor. Even though there are numerous dole-out systems programs, those programs serve the purpose of charter change. The Ayuda system program is a pandemic strategy to ease extreme poverty due to lockdowns, and it is no longer tenable. Many of the social service programs are mostly short-term in nature and have little support to rely on. According to the Bergen Project, one of the sustainable programs to reduce poverty is to limit births in poverty-populated communities. This is needed for political will, especially among the local government executives, to implement it. I remember the one-child policy being implemented in China, which is very efficient and effective.
Other social safety nets of the government, momentarily known as Food Stamp, is the newest initiative under the auspices of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. It aims to put an end to involuntary hunger and stunting in the country. This was piloted in Tondo, Manila, by providing a provision worth 3,000 pesos in monthly food credit. However, this is another form of dole-out system in which many poor Filipinos are becoming dependent on this ayuda system. Also, this system was capitalized on by the local politicians in their own interests.
(to be continued)
