THE great Mahatma Gandhi once said, "Poverty is the worst form of violence."
Poverty remains a sad and rampant reality that deprives people of basic needs, human dignity, education and development.
According to the latest Philippine Quarterly Update, the World Bank recently reported that at least 1.4 million Filipinos will be thrust into poverty by 2010. It also said that despite the upward revision of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2009 and 2010 and the efforts being made by the national government to eradicate poverty, these combine attempts will prove insufficient in the fight against impoverishment.
The effects of poverty continue to plague the Philippines on a day-to-day, especially with the rapid growth in population which jeopardizes the quality of basic social services and education, and limits access to healthcare.
To assist in poverty alleviation, the World Bank has extended a $405-million loan to the Philippines. The loan will support welfare programs designed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to reduce poverty for 376,000 households in the country’s poorest provinces and municipalities.
The amount will strengthen DSWD’s capacity, as a social protection agency. It will also finance part of the government’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program and will establish a national household targeting system to identify the poor in social protection programs.
Many perceive that the Philippines remains an impoverished country because of the government’s inability to establish credible and selfless political leadership. Lack of resources for infrastructure and basic services are blamed on poor tax revenue collection and corruption.
There is a lot for room for doubt whether the $405 million loan would be utilized for its real purpose or if it would most likely end up in the deep pockets of corrupt government officials.
It is true anti-poverty programs take a long time to bear fruit and we may not see the improvements right away. But besides ample funding, poverty alleviation is reliant on the honesty and integrity of our government leaders and their commitment to truly represent the interests of the poor.
Now, whether such leadership is possible remains the $405 million question. (AJPress)
( Published November 21, 2009 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. A12 )
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