Personal Blog

Watch this moving video and get a taste for Poverty in the Philippines:

Today is Blog Action Day 2008, a day to educate others and make them aware of the need to fight poverty. Poverty exists in all areas of the world, from the rural and remote areas of Africa, Asia, and South America, to the city streets of the United States. It exists because of falling economies, corrupt governments, rich exploiting poor, and the lack of investment for the future.

The Philippines, is one country that particularly suffers from poverty, particularly from inadequate growth in the economy due to a corrupt government that fails to respond to the needs to its people. It is one of those situations where the rich exploit the poor. In households throughout the Philippines, poor household servants exist and are typically enslaved, working at young ages, growing up to learn nothing more than serving others. The typical servant earns a mere $3 per day in a country where typical minimum wage is $6 a day. In times where gas prices are rising, food and clothing getting more expensive, and no outlook to a better economy, how would one expect to survive on $3 a day?

About half of the Filipino population is rural, with agriculture being the primary source of income. Because of the generally low prices offered for agriculture, farmers are unable to keep up with the demands of other rising costs. In addition, because of the highly seasonal nature of agriculture, and because of regular typhoons which are damaging to crops, agriculture is vulnerable to price inflation which can also affect the rest of the country.

Another result of poverty is prostitution, where in 1998, 150,000 Filipino women were trafficked into Japan into prostitution. They are sold and abused, forcing them into porngraphy, prostitution, paedophilia and trafficking.

The effect of a growing population, increase in unemployment, inflation, and crashing economies also takes its toll on the Philippines as it does in countries all around the world.

It is hard sit and watch while the rest of the world falls apart, but we can do our own part in our own areas to make a difference for the world. We need to stand up for one another and voice our opinions to those in charge. We need to participate in programs helping the poor, and donate to charities when possible. Most of all we need to pray to God for those in need, a part of our lives that many of us have forgotten about.