Poverty, We Can Do Something About It

Sad truth: Poverty is already a given in the Philippines…

.. but we definitely can do something about it.

Photo from Habitat.org

Based on the National Statistical Coordination Board report, there is a growing number of poor Filipinos over the years — that in 2006, out of 100 Filipinos, 33 were poor as compared with 30 in 2003. In Tawi-Tawi alone, 8 out of 10 families are said to be poor, making the province the poorest in the land.

That data is the most recent they have, and that was already two years back. With the crisis (and the alleged corruption) that has been happening in the country, it would not be surprising if the figure balloons to 36, even 40 out of 100, and in Tawi-Tawi, perhaps, 9 out of 10… of course, we hope not.

These figures may be a representation of how poor we are as a nation, but, the good thing is, we can do something about it.

Now, there have been many organizations and foundations trying to help the poor, and if you wish to give to them, please do so. The world is for us to take, as they say, but it is also for us to give to the world. It’s the essence of our being, in my humble opinion — that for every blessing we receive, let us be a blessing to others as well.

So what can we do to help?

- Help Build Homes. Gawad Kalinga is a master of this. GK helps build homes for the poor, and this has been going on for years already. With a vision of a “slum-free, squatter-free nation” by providing “land for the landless, homes for the homeless, and food for the hungry”… eventually, there would be “dignity and peace for every Filipino”.

- Education is key towards upliftment. If you have the means, help a poor child by sending him to school, through World Vision. All it takes is about 600 pesos per month. That’s just PhP 7,200.00 a year, probably the cost of the cheapest camera phone. Wouldnt it be nice to help one child out of poverty by sending him to school?

- Feeding Programs. There are many non-government organizations and foundations offering feeding programs to the poor, especially to streetchildren. Volunteer to do counseling, or atleast donate so you could give them something to eat. I know Radio Veritas is doing this at night, feeding people who have no food to eat.

- Do Outreach. Now, for sure, everybody has done this. There’s always somebody who’s in need of somebody. It’s always easy to pool resources together to help others who are in need. There are a number of poor abandoned children always waiting for your assistance, plus the many victims of calamities. They’re houses now washed out, no food to eat, no clothes to wear.

There are a number of foundations helping our poor here in the Philippines. For a list of accredited foundations here in the Philippines, click here.

Photo credit: Habitat.org