to end extreme poverty by 2015: POSSIBLE or NOT?

Many Filipinos still jobless and poor, says report

By Marjorie Gorospe, loQal.ph
MANILA CITY, METRO MANILA- Many Filipinos in rural areas are still jobless, poor, hungry and vulnerable, according to a report from the Social Watch Philippines (SWP).
The SWP report also noted that ten years after the historic Millennium Summit where world leaders vowed to end extreme poverty by 2015, many Filipinos are still “left behind.”
These are mostly women in rural areas, Muslims in Mindanao, and members of indigenous tribes.
According to United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator to the Philippines Dr. Jacqueline Badcock, there are nine sectors in the country that have been left behind despite reported economic growth.
“With only five years remaining, we are shifting our focus to strategies that will allow us to breakthrough and accelerate the pace of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) achievement,” said Badcock in a forum, calling on Congress to “combat poverty head on”.
The official said women in rural areas remain at risk. These women continue to struggle because of the lack of capital, insufficient income, and absence of alternative or sustainable sources of livelihood.
She also cited the growing number of Filipinos between the ages of 15 and 24 who are forced quit school to work and help support their parents and young siblings.
Aside from women and out-of-school youths, small-scale fisherfolk and resource dependent workers also remain left behind.
Displaced Muslims are also becoming vulnerable as they struggle to have basic needs such as decent homes. These groups also lack capital to start a new livelihood, and do not have access to education and health services.
These groups are also vulnerable to the persistent threat of an armed conflict.
The rising number of Filipinos with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) should also be addressed. AIDS cases in the country have reached 5,729 as reported from 1984 to October 2010.
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Reaction(s): Prelim

Out of all the Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines is the worst when it comes to poverty. This issue should have been given focus by the government since it affects the lives of the people on its extremes. The most crushing point here is that majority who are poor are almost the same people who are jobless.

Being an unemployed individual in a world of economic crisis seems to be the hardest reason for us to continually survive. Women who live in rural areas said to be one of those who carry the great impact of poverty. They are regarded as the patient assistants of men who work for their livelihood. Most of them do depend only on the available sources of income in their provinces and since least jobs are offered in these areas they suffer because of it. This reason had bear also the result of lack of education by the growing number of Filipinos because they prefer to work on their young age rather than spend time schooling when they can't even afford to provide themselves with basic needs. 

Another group of people who suffer from this economic epidemic are the Muslims in Mindanao. They cannot find decent jobs in Mindanao because of the rampant and consistent conflicts happened in this place. They could hardly build a new livelihood whenever they are distracted by relentless danger and they have insufficient capital in order to support their living.

Members of the indigenous tribes are said to be affected also by poverty. Aside from the fact that they maintain and practice their culture living on remote areas, it is not easy for them to be hired for a job since most firms would choose those skilled graduates from the urban places. Discrimination may also be another factor for them to be left behind from employment.

In the case of Millennium Development Goal, they aimed to end the extreme poverty on the year 2015 which is five more years to go. This goal would be impossible to reach if we will not change our strategies in eliminating this issue because there are still thousands of people, specially in the Philippines, who are termed as still "left behind". The crisis gradually becoming worst than to be better. Thus, I suggest that the state should not only decide among the officials themselves but rather have a participatory planning together with the people. We won't succeed on this problem if they won't listen to the side of the people who are most affected. With cooperation and determination,this goal would be realizable and would not remain as a dream only.