Perennial false hopes

Every three years, we cast our votes during elections with the hope that our country will be economically better. We also dream that we shall have leaders who can reverse the social and cultural decline that comes along with the financial hardships of the vast majority of Filipinos.

Our main urban centers are critically challenged with issues of sustainability, where millions of informal settlers can hardly be relocated, flooding becoming more frequent, traffic congestion is tragically accepted as the norm and citizens are in constant fear on whether the future will be brighter, at least for their children.

Our country still lags behind our neighbors in spite of our current GDP growth of six percent because their GDP per capita income baseline is higher. Meaning, their starting point is higher even if we grow relatively faster. Our 2023 per capita is $3,600-plus, while Thailand is above $7,800, Malaysia is $11,691 and Indonesia is $4,942. And with the inequities in the micro-level distribution of wealth, our $3,600 per capita income, roughly more than P200,000 when converted, means nothing because in reality, at least 2.9 million Filipinos are below the poverty threshold. And almost 20 million of our countrymen are considered poor.

Poverty is in a vicious cycle. Even if we use the controversial P13,873 monthly income for a family of five members, millions of Filipinos still have no access to this amount for their monthly survival. Based on reports, poor Filipino families barely earn this. And, if it takes more than this amount to decently subsist, more citizens will fall below a higher poverty threshold.

If the numbers would make our readers dizzy and overwhelmed, just ignore these. No need for abstract concepts on poverty nor quantities that are intended to explain our deteriorating situation. Simply open your eyes while traveling a few minutes away from the business districts and posh exclusive villages or condominiums, the proof that many are in deep trouble and extreme dire straits needs no further validation. Poverty, sorry to say, is almost everywhere. And the solution is nowhere on the horizon.

In the countryside, as of today, at least 11 million agricultural workers are continuously trapped in heroically providing us our food and nourishment but are not fully compensated for the difficult labor that they undertake. In our country, being a farmer or fisherman almost translates to lack of access to a decent home, proper education and dependable health care. The situation is worsened by smuggling issues, inadequate agricultural infrastructure on irrigation and roads, abuses of traders and rising costs of inputs. It’s not surprising that the children of our farmers avoid becoming farmers themselves if given the choice.

Meanwhile, at least 2.3 million registered overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have to endure the hardships of employment in foreign usually strange lands to keep their families up-float. Many of them are lucky in landing good jobs and great employers. But many are unfortunate to fall prey to cruel modern slave owners and illicit recruiters who have no respect for basic humanity.

We have come to a point that philosophically, poverty becomes the problem itself. Our backwardness and deprivations were due to decades of structural inefficiencies on maintaining an inefficient consumer and import-based economy, corruption problems, business environment that thrives on patronage and coupling of politics with big business empires and the lack of continuous good public governance. Today, poverty breeds crime. It also can drain national resources that are pressured to adapt massive subsidy programs. And sadly, poor communities are huge bases for votes by undeserving politicians who thrive by providing short-term cash solutions to desperate voters who need a brief reprieve from hunger.

Our current electoral process and political system can barely deliver the needed solutions. On the other hand, we don’t have to be philosophical in discussing our electoral system and politics. Let’s simply look at the results. If the Philippines is a huge corporation, are we happy with the results? Are we competitive with our neighbors? Is the overall strategic direction and prospects of our country truly promising for everyone? Is there a huge wealth created by our entire production machine that can be substantially divided and enjoyed by all the citizens? Are we proud of the status and ranking of our country in the region and the world?

Where we are today is not the creation of the current administration of President Bongbong Marcos Jr. Our situation is a result of decades of dependence on a system that is obviously flawed and would continue to fail in delivering the level of economy where poverty becomes a mere discussion in our history.

I am a firm believer that we have to closely consider revisiting and changing the restrictive and weak provisions of our Constitution. Let’s swallow the bitter pill, a package of both economic and political solutions for good governance, that would transform our society from being the sick man of Asia to a vibrant economic dragon. If this is difficult to achieve in the present political environment, we must attempt to do this in the next administration.

As I mentioned before, doing anything twice and expecting a different result is foolish. We have gone through the same elections many times, and another one under the same system and framework is to be held soon. Yet, we expect to have a different result.