Engaging The Poor in the Economic Growth
One good thing in attending the general assembly of Association of Foundations last April 16-17, 2015 at Eugenio Lopez Center in Antipolo, is for me becoming passionate again in writing how can we uplift the poor condition of Filipinos masses.
More than 130 foundations in the Philippines gathered in this event and these organizations made their contributions in helping the poor and the marginalized people in society. But the question is why do millions of Filipinos still suffer in poverty? Hundreds of Foundations plus the government efforts, why we still see what we see around?
According to Ms. Rosemarie Editlon of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in her speech, the Philippines is no longer called the "sick man of Asia". The Philippines is already the emerging tiger but according to her, despite the increase in growth rate this past years, millions of Filipinos are still very poor and many are still unemployed/underemployed.
According to her there is a need to engage the poor in the economic growth rate. The ones that only thrives nowadays are the telecommunications, banking and finance and the real estates industry or the big corporations.
With this kind of situation, the strategy of the government is to assist these organizations in order to ensure that they can employ more poor or make the poor the suppliers of raw materials. The government wanted to make it easier for these groups to engage the poor in the economic growth or create that "mechanisms" to engage them.
With this strategy, I still think and it still sounds that the poor are at the end of the rope. The always waiting beneficiaries. How long would they wait for this kind of situation to happen? Can it be possible that the poor Filipinos move in the middle or step forward, step up and not wait? How long we will wait?
The rich continues to thrive. As long as poor Filipinos continue to wait and individually work alone, the poor will not be able to feel that so called economic growth.
Everyday I check out the social media and see there many small entrepreneurs /Filipinos doing business left and right . I still hope that the time will come that buyers and small entrepreneurs will unite in terms of efforts and resources.
The slogan from the past " patronize Filipino products" is still very much valid and effective to achieve that dream. Its seems the government cannot protect the local products with the flooding of imported products, maybe its high time the poor Filipinos can be the ones to protect them specially the products and services produced by the poor themselves.
If your home is getting flooded with water, you need to put up a strong barricade. Because if you will not put up a barricade, you will surely drown. That barricade is the unity among poor Filipino buyers and small entrepreneurs.
