Figures of Poverty in the Philippines

The writer wants to put into context the topic____________ by dwelling in the situation of poverty in the Philippines by looking at the figures of poverty in the Philippines. Looking at the figures about the situation of poverty in the Philippines normally creates a minimal impact on the seer. But to see a human person looking for food in a trash bin and seeing the person eat from it was heart breaking and devastating on the part of the writer. The pain is more deeply felt to see oneself, as in the case of the writer, not being able to do anything in the midst of such a horrible reality of poverty. It is in this light that the meaning of poverty is taken. So poverty here means “being without things, having little money, not many material possessions and in need of essential goods.”1

Looking at some figures might still stir some feeling of sympathy if not compassion for the human beings who are in the real situation of poverty. In the survey conducted by IBON in July 2007 across the country, 76.8% of respondents said they thought of themselves as poor, from 67.6% in January and 69.3% in the same period last year.2 It can be corroborated by another IBON survey in the same month and year that most of the respondents said that “during the past three months, they had difficulty meeting the following expenses: electricity and/or water (72.45%); medicines and/or medical treatment (71.24%); children's schooling (67.74%); food (67%); and transportation (65.32%).3 It can further be supported by the “reported unemployment rate [that] has stood at over 11% since 2001 in the only period of such sustained high unemployment in the country’s history. In 2006 this translated to 11.6 million Filipinos either jobless or if employed, still seeking more work.”4 The distribution of wealth is also disturbing in the picture presented by IBON Media stating that “[i]n 2006, the US$12.4 billion net worth of the Philippines’ 10 richest is equivalent to the combined annual income of the poorest 9.8 million households.”5 Another equally disturbing fact for the writer is the report in 2003 by the Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) saying that “approximately 68 million Filipinos, are already living with only P96 or less a day.”6 This reality is not only disturbing but also devastating because of its dehumanizing effect on the vast majority of the people.

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty2 IBON Media. “IBON Survey: 77% Of Filipinos Consider Themselves Poor,” Wednesday, 01 August 2007. (http://info.ibon.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=192&Itemid=51)3 IBON Media. “IBON Survey: More Filipinos Have Trouble Paying For Meds, Water, Power Bills,” Friday, 27 July 2007. (http://info.ibon.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=168&Itemid=51)4 IBON Media. “RP Regressing Deeper To Third World Status,” Saturday, 21 July 2007. (http://info.ibon.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=163&Itemid=51)5 IBON Media. “The Philippine Poverty Situation: Beyond Poverty Measures, Inequality Grows,” Thursday, 10 May 2007. (http://info.ibon.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=140&Itemid=50)6 IBON Media. “68 Million Filipinos Struggle With P96 or Less A Day,” Tuesday, 17 April 2007. (http://info.ibon.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=129&Itemid=51)

The writer asks, why is their economic poverty in an abundant world, in particular in a rich country like the Philippines? Taking into account the way Matthew Fox presents God in the perspective of creation spirituality saying that

“the creator God is a gracious, an abundant, and a generous host/hostess. She has spread out for our delight a banquet that was twenty billion years in the making. A banquet of rivers and lakes, of rain and sunshine, of rich earth and of amazing flowers, of handsome trees and of dancing fishes, of contemplative animals and whistling winds, a dry and wet seasons of cold and hot climates. But it is a banquet that works, this banquet we call creation, the human planet.” 7

Looking at the reality of poverty in the light of a gracious, an abundant, and a generous God, the writer thinks that it will either make one be hopeful or be dismayed. A person may turn to be hopeful based on one’s faith to such a Creator and another person may be dismayed because of the contradicting reality.

Dialogue between Creation Spirituality and a Marxist

The writer is presenting a dialogue between creation spirituality and a Marxist in facing the issue of poverty in the Philippines. After hearing both sides the second step would be to ground one’s being (or society) in a certain spirituality, which in this case is the creation spirituality. Then to let the two (creation spirituality and a Marxist) come into terms in addressing the issue of poverty in the final stage.

Creation spirituality will speak about trusting creation would be the first step before one would learn the lesson that beauty and imperfection go together.8 A Marxist will say it’s time to change the entire social system. Creation spirituality will look at poverty as an imperfection which “is a sign that the ongoing creation is no easy thing. We all bear scars from this rugged process. We can – and must – celebrate the scars.”9A Marxist will look at the situation of poverty in the Philippines as the ‘natural’ result of the monstrous capacity of capitalism in exploiting the great majority of the people by the few rich and powerful. Creation spirituality will consider poverty as a sin because of the harm it is inflicting on the people in terms of balance and harmoniousness and by making what is beautiful [like human existence] into what is ugly [like hunger].10 .”11 A Marxist will insist that it’s time to arouse, to organize and to mobilize the suffering people to change the situation by all possible means because this few rich and powerful people do not feel anything like guilt in their being greedy because in the system of capitalism (or semi-feudal and semi-colonial economic set-up) everything is seen as ‘normal’ and just ‘fine.’

7 Matthew Fox, Original Blessing, p. 112. 8 Idib., p. 1109 Ibid., p. 11110 Ibid., p. 11911 Ibid., p. 111

Creation spirituality will encourage silence which means letting go of all images,12 “by breathing deeply in and out.”13 A Marxist will cry for liberation and will strongly suggest the supreme act of sacrifice to put down the existing ruling system because the pain is no longer bearable. Creation spirituality will suggest to let pain be pain with an aim of letting go of pain precisely.14 Then creation spirituality will calmly explain to a Marxist that

“one reason why is nothingness is prerequisite for liberation is that in a real sense those who commit themselves to liberation must come from that “zero point” wherein they have “nothing to lose.”15

The two then agree on working together in addressing the issue of poverty. So that the struggle of a Marxist will have its ground in the profound insight or wisdom of creation spirituality and creation spirituality will have its form or expression in a decisive manner with deep sense of compassion in realizing the aim of a Marxist in creating a just, peaceful and harmonious society. Hence a concrete sense of liberation will not have to wait for its end result but the struggle itself becomes the meaning already while still on the way to its ‘final’ realization.

The dialogue between creation spirituality and a Marxist, the writer believes, is an example of a win/win paradigm. In a win/win paradigm, Mclaughlin and Davidson explain it using the form of aikido that “[i]nstead of resisting an opposing force, we join with it and guide it to a higher level.”16 Thus a Marxist whose aim is the liberation of the exploited masses needs guidance from anyone who embraces creation spirituality. Win/win would also be helpful in the struggle itself so that instead of merely antagonizing the rich and the powerful and accusing them as the culprit in the massive exploitation of majority of the Filipino people, it is also meaningful to connect with them with an intention of making them realize that they also have responsibility to others. In the case of the writer, he can do that in the way he engages his students in the struggle of the poor against poverty. Hence poverty needs to be treated in balance fashion in terms of one’s (and society’s) spiritual pursuit and economic endeavor.

Poverty as Powerlessness and Ill-being

Dr. Mina Ramirez shared about the finding of the World Bank on the issue about poverty. The study says that poverty can be reduced to two encompassing themes which are powerlessness and ill-being. The writer wants to explore the possible cause of this poverty as powerlessness and ill-being.

The first discussion is about powerlessness. According to the Ageless Wisdom, “there is only one sin—separateness.”17 The writer believes that separateness causes this feeling of powerlessness, insecurities and hopelessness. Our responsibility then is to establish connection and to deepen our relationship as the source of our strength and

12 Ibid., p. 13613 Ibid., p. 13714 Ibid., p. 14715 Ibid., p. 15116 Corinne Mclaughlin and Gordon Davidson, Spiritual Politics, Ballantine Books, New York: 1994, p. 82. 17 Ibid., p. 147.

power. It would be a lot easier to Filipinos because our culture favors this sense of relatedness and kinship. That is why Filipinos can still smile and find sense in the midst of disaster like a devastating natural calamity because of a deep sense of togetherness that allows each one to recognize one’s power through others and thus be hopeful in life. Mclaughlin and Davidson affirm this by suggesting that “what is needed as a cure to this separateness is a deep sense of community – that we’re all in this together.”18

The second part is about ill-being. Clive Hamilton says that “[w]e have been schooled in a thousand subtle ways to feel that to possess is to capture power…”19 so that many people spend more time to work hard with an aim of acquiring more and more wealth by whatever means without considering to a certain extent any negative effects either to oneself, to others or to the environment. After long hours of work in a week, one finds time to relax and visit shopping malls. Hamilton engagingly describes a shopping mall as a place wherein one is able to say “I can buy and posses,”20 and thus one feels this power. This understanding of power based on what one has like material wealth will surely cause ill-being. Ill-being could mean an imbalance way of living one’s life. As an example of an imbalance way of life, it is like spending one’s time and effort more on earning money that would sacrifice senselessly one’s time and effort to exercise to keep oneself physically fit and worse would be to sacrifice caring for one’s soul, caring for others and caring for the environment.

In conclusion in this notion of poverty as powerlessness and ill-being, the writer agrees with the affirmation of Hamilton when he quoted Norman Brown and says that “all power is essentially sacred power.”21 Thus any quest for power that is void of what is sacred will simply deepen a sense of powerlessness and will eventually result on ill-being. Hamilton explains that “what we truly want is to transcend the division between ourselves and the universe, to attain the godhead and achieve immortality.”22 Therefore, capturing power and experiencing well-being would mean working on one’s internal integration and be connected with the rest of creation that will make one feel that he/she is important. And be contented.

18 Ibid., p. 148.19 Clive Hamilton, The Mystic Economist, Willow Park Press, 1994, p. 97.20 Ibid., p. 98.21 Ibid., p. 101.22 Ibid., p. 101.