Community Developments
The outreach blog : from the field, the state of poverty in the philippines: what are the causes.
The Philippines and its roughly 117,000,000 people have struggled with income inequality for generations. Even as infrastructure and opportunity has improved in highly populated areas in recent decades, poverty in the Philippines, particularly for people living in remote areas, remains a serious issue.
In this blog post, you’ll learn about the complex issue of chronic poverty in the Philippines, its causes, and its impact on families. Additionally, you’ll see how Outreach International is working to alleviate poverty in this Southeast Asian nation.
Decoding Poverty: A Deep Dive into the Statistics
According to the World Bank , between 1985 and 2018, the poverty rate in the Philippines declined by two-thirds, thanks to economic growth initiatives and investment in infrastructure, including education. However, the improvements were largely focused in the most populated areas, where the most opportunities already existed. According to the Asian Development Bank , the top one percent of earners have benefitted the most, capturing 17 percent of the national income, while only 14 percent of national income is obtained by the lowest-earning 50 percent of the population.
The Philippines’ income inequality stems from several structural factors. Higher education and job skills development remain out of reach for many. Unequal access to college, and social norms that leave women at a disadvantage, also contribute to persistent inequality. And the geography of this archipelago nation makes the issue even more difficult to solve, as opportunities and natural resources are unevenly distributed.
Understanding the Impact of Family Poverty
Family poverty is not just about financial struggle. It affects every aspect of a household’s well-being. Children who live in poverty are less likely to enroll in school and reach age-appropriate grade levels because their time is needed to help the family strive to meet their basic daily subsistence needs. This stifles their access to higher education and the future opportunities it would bring, limiting earning potential, the potential economic growth of families, and the possibility of community development.
Managing Resources: Addressing Poverty in High Population Areas
Population density has a significant impact on poverty in the Philippines. High-population areas often struggle to manage limited natural and government resources, which negatively impacts quality of life. And a lack of job opportunities in densely populated areas contributes to poverty rates. These challenges trickle into remote areas, making it even more difficult for rural communities and marginalized people to break their own unending cycle of poverty .
Living Conditions and Resource Challenges
Living conditions in densely populated areas of the Philippines are affected by resource scarcity and inadequate government support systems. Access to basic necessities like electricity, safe drinking water, and quality education remains uneven. This scarcity not only limits the potential for development across the nation but also perpetuates inequality. As a result, impoverished communities face daily struggles, making it all the more challenging to break free from the cycle of poverty.
The Pandemic’s Impact: A Crisis Amplifying Poverty
The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on poverty in the Philippines. In 2020, the pandemic halted economic growth, leading to even higher unemployment rates. As this trend continued into 2021, poverty rates rose to 18.1 percent (World Bank). This amounts to just under 20 million people. And though the economy continues to recover, this recovery is uneven, with the poorest households benefiting the least. As improvements are bringing many areas back to normal, communities in many remote areas still struggle to bring their economies back to even just the already challenging pre-pandemic levels.
One constant struggle for families living in poverty is food insecurity. And according to sources such as the National Library of Medicine , this became even more significant during the pandemic. Almost two-thirds (61.2%) of households experienced moderate to severe food insecurity during the many months of quarantine. And with rising food prices and limited natural resources, vulnerable households often had to limit their food intake. This caused a lack of proper nutrition, particularly for children. Outreach International has implemented an effective method of combating food insecurity for even the most impoverished families. Our partners in OPI have helped community-led organizations develop rice loans . These are low-interest loans of rice or the funds to buy it. And because the communities manage these loans themselves, borrowers can avoid predatory outside lending institutions and can deal with people they know and trust.
Initiatives That Changed the Reality
In response to the challenges posed by the pandemic, both the Philippine government and organizations like Outreach International have implemented various initiatives to alleviate poverty and its effects. Some organizations have provided health services and relief assistance to affected communities. Such initiatives are essential in mitigating the immediate impact of the crisis and helping vulnerable populations in the short term.
But Outreach International also focuses on more long-term and sustainable initiatives that can forever break the cycle of poverty . Our methodology of community-led development allows people who live in chronic poverty to learn that they have the power within themselves to improve their lives permanently. Our partners in the Philippines, Outreach Philippines Incorporated (OPI), work with leaders in communities to identify their own unique poverty-related issues, and then mobilize to solve them. They learn how to develop networks with government agencies and NGOs that are able to provide resources. And they learn how to set ever-increasing goals of improvement, leading to continuous development that is sustainable for generations.
Join the Cause: How You Can Help
You can choose to play a role in alleviating poverty in the Philippines. And there are so many ways to help , from donating to Outreach International to fundraising to volunteering . By working together, we can collectively make a difference in the lives of those affected by poverty in the Philippines.
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KEY FINDINGS Overcoming Poverty and Inequality in the Philippines: Past, Present, and Prospects for the Future
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- The Philippines has made significant progress in reducing poverty, but income inequality has only recently begun to fall. Thanks to high growth rates and structural transformation, between 1985 and 2018 poverty fell by two-thirds. However, income inequality did not begin to decline until 2012. It is still high: the top 1 percent of earners together capture 17 percent of national income, with only 14 percent being shared by the bottom 50 percent.
- Several structural factors contribute to the persistence of inequality. The expansion of secondary education and mobility to better-paying jobs, citizen ownership of more assets and access to basic services, and government social assistance have helped reduce inequality since the mid-2000s. However, unequal opportunities, lack of access to tertiary education and a scarcity of skills, coupled with inequality in returns to college education, gendered social norms and childcare, and spatial gaps, sustain inequality.
- Inequality of opportunity limits the potential for upward mobility. While there has been considerable progress in expanding access to basic services such as electricity, safe drinking water, and school enrollment, large disparities limit the development of human capital. Inequality of opportunity and low intergenerational mobility waste human potential, resulting in a lack of innovation and a misallocation of human capital in the economy.
- While schooling is widely accessible, its quality and attainment vary by income group. Children from poorer households are less likely to be enrolled and, if they are, to reach age-appropriate grade levels. That means they are less likely to reach tertiary education, which severely constrains their earning potential and their prospects for upward mobility. With the relatively low share of workers with tertiary education, the premium for college education has remained high. Additionally, tertiary education tends to deliver much higher returns for rich than poor households, possibly due to differences in school quality or f ields of study and employment.
- COVID-19 partly reversed decades-long gains in reducing poverty and inequality. The pandemic halted economic growth momentum in 2020, and unemployment shot up in industries that require inperson work. In 2021, poverty rose to 18.1 percent despite large government assistance. The economy has begun to rebound but signs are emerging that the recovery will be uneven. Prolonged loss of income has taken a heavy toll on the poorest households. With food prices going up and a reliance on adverse coping strategies, among them eating less, there is a risk of serious consequences for the health and nutrition of children in vulnerable households.
- The shock from the COVID-19 pandemic led to a shift in the workforce to less productive sectors and occupations. Employment in wage work has notably decreased and employment in agriculture has risen. These trends have been concentrated among youth and the least educated, which suggests an uneven recovery and widening income inequality.
- The pandemic is likely to result in long-term scarring of human capital development. Over half of households estimate that their children learned from remote learning less than half what they would have learned from face-to-face schooling. The proportion increases to 68 percent in poor households. Extended distance learning is expected to have reduced the learning-adjusted years of schooling by over a full year. Learning loss, combined with the de-skilling associated with prolonged unemployment, could lead to sizable future earnings losses.
- Job polarization could further increase as the nature of work changes. Job polarization among wage workers emerged between 2016 and 2021: employment in middle-skilled occupations went down and employment in both low-skilled and high-skilled occupations went up. This pattern may rise with the transformation of jobs post-COVID-19 and could increase prevailing disparities in incomes.
- Policy can reduce inequality by supporting employment and workers, improving education access and quality, promoting inclusive rural development, strengthening social protection mechanisms, and addressing inequality of opportunity.
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What Has Really Happened to Poverty in the Philippines?: New Measures Evidence and Policy Implications
July 31, 2013.
Poverty is increasingly recognized as a multidimensional phenomenon, yet its assessment continues to be conducted almost exclusively in terms of income (or expenditure). This practice is prevalent partly because low household incomes are casually associated with other deprivation indicators, such as low levels of literacy and life expectancy.
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In fact, about a quarter of the Filipino population is said to live below the poverty line as of today.
Philippines is the 13 th most populous country in the world. With English language as its official language even though hundreds of local dialects are spoken across the nation of more than 7500 islands.
The English language is also regularly taught in schools. Nevertheless, the illiteracy rate in the Philippines according to a 2010 statistics was 97.5% ahead of other ASEAN nations.
This illiteracy level and the lack of education in the country is a major cause of poverty. And, truth is, since poverty is very rife in the country, education is also difficult to attain.
It is like a vicious cycle; the lack of education causes poverty, while poverty in return causes more illiteracy and a lack of education. This cycle also shows education can help in the eradication of poverty. While those in poverty can only benefit from education.
Lack of education causes poverty and this is r endering a lot of Filipinos useless.
It is no secret that poverty is the biggest enemy of education on every level. Students from a poor home are bound to fall victim to health issues. The poverty lifestyle limits the youths’ ability to study and learn.
Getting the right education can not only lift people from poverty, but it can also improve their health issues, financial crisis, and change their lives in the process.
Poverty means Basic Needs are not met
An average Filipino child only has one pair of shorts for school. The boys go to school without wearing underwear. In addition, the girls have to make do without basic things such as sanitary pads and refuse to go to school one week a month.
Going to school trying to hide one’s shame or feeling humiliated, does not go well when trying to get an education.
Did we mention the fact that at least 13.7 million Filipino children are undernourished? It would be difficult to properly go to school and receive education when one is not properly feeding well, wouldn’t it?
Teens are at risks of the sex trade.
There is also the risk of being sold, or doing drugs to numb the pain. Filipino kids go through a lot and the government doesn’t seem to be able to solve this problem. Also, poverty in the Philippines has driven a lot of Philippine women, the teenagers especially, into prostitution.
Poverty doesn’t just affect the children – the teachers’ livelihoods inevitably suffer. Sadly, many teachers are choosing to move abroad, after being tempted by higher salaries. Inevitably, it is the children that suffer.
Lack of education also cause the following:
- Poor health
- Gender inequality
- Lack of skilled labor
- Less productivity
- Poor lifestyle and a lack of opportunity
- A low standard of living
- Unemployment
- Lack of family planning
Causes of lack of education and poverty in the Philippines
The causes of a lack of education in the Philippines are many. The political system in the country is a major factor.
Currently the Philippines is immensely corrupt. Elections are controlled by a small number of families who are in the business of serving themselves rather than the country’s over 100 million people.
In fact, the current president, highly controversial Rodrigo Duterte, who promised to put an end to the suffering of the people, does not offer much hope.
Another cause is the low economic growth. Studies show the increase in population is higher than GDP growth in the country.
While the rise of unmanaged population growth is another serious factor. Since the poor tend to have larger families in the country, access to health services and sex education becomes limited or nonexistent. This eventually leads to more children and the continuation of that cycle.
Natural disasters also play a role in poverty in the Philippines. The development process of the country is said to have been delayed by these natural disasters that have caused US$23billion in damages since 1990.
Typhoons, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes are a few of the natural disasters plaguing the country. Death, malnutrition, denial of education and health services are some of the after-effects of these natural disasters. There is also a lack of research on poverty and the effective policies needed to prevent further damage.
This lack of research has caused deficient targeting in poverty programs and unsuccessful current processes and movement forward.
As we have said above, this poverty translates and correlates with the lack of education in the Philippines.
The solution will stop the lack of education causes poverty.
The first thing is to ensure that every child gets proper education until they are at least 18 and then gain a college degree. In the Philippines today, there is no free education. This means that a lot of children from poor families miss out. Because their parents cannot afford to send them all to school, pay for books and supplies, and live without them on the farm.
This also means that, they miss out on lucrative jobs and end up with low-paid or menial jobs which are mostly hard labor.
Next Step Philippines stops the cycle
Although there are a lot of ways to eliminate poverty and the lack of education in the Philippines, Next Step Philippines is one solution everyone can participate in. The Next Step is all about recruiting and rescuing these teenagers. The teens who are being eaten up by malnourishment, hunger, illiteracy, and then giving them the education to stop the endless cycle of poverty.
With the help of sponsors and donors, massive changes can be made. You too can contribute by making a monthly donation. Every contribution made into the Next Step Philippines help a Filipino teenager get the quality education and support; elevating her from the grip of poverty and illiteracy.
Together, we can provide an education for many young adults in the Philippines and with an education these young adults can in return get lucrative paying jobs. We believe that the cycle of poverty in the Philippines can end one person at a time, if we work towards that purpose.
You can save many uneducated Filipinos today by participating and contributing to the next step PH Academy.
How poverty affects education in the Philippines
https://www.quora.com/How-does-the-lack-of-education-cause-poverty
Education, inequality, poverty – a paradox in the Philippines
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Essay about Poverty in the Philippines for Students
Poverty in the Philippines Essay
The Philippines is a string of over 7100 islands in Southeast Asia. The country lies between the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Only one-third of the islands are inhabited. Based on statistics given by World Bank the poverty rates reduced to 21.6% in 2015 from 26.6% in 2006.
Essay about Poverty in the Philippines for Students in English
Even if the poverty rate decreases every 1 out of 5 people in the Philippines are still below the poverty line. The people who cannot fulfill their basic needs like food, water, clothing, shelter, and education are said to be below the poverty line.
Causes of Poverty in the Philippines
Poverty is a very big problem in the Philippines. There are multiple causes of poverty in the Philippines and poverty affects life in the Philippines in a very adverse way.
One of the main reasons for poverty in the Philippines is corrupt politicians. The greedy people in power only think of themselves. They use their power and utilize government funds for self-interest. They make millions and billions of dollars and poor people who voted for them starve to death. Corruption is also a major reason for poverty in the Philippines.
Citizens of the Philippines are also responsible for poverty in their country. The Philippines is an overpopulated country there is a lack of family planning and no sex education at all. Which results in a tremendous population explosion. It is difficult for any government to satisfy the need of such a large population with limited resources.
Consequently, Poverty increases in the country. The numbers of jobs are constant and the population of the country is increasing day by day which results in more unemployed educated youth this also adds to the poverty of the country.
Reasons for Poverty in the Philippines
On the one hand, the government in the Philippines is not able to create enough government jobs and the standard of education is decreasing rapidly. When a person does not meet the standard required for a government job. He does private jobs here and there and earns less amount of money.
Eventually, the Philippines is a country prone to natural disasters and climate change. Due to sudden climate change or natural disasters the agrarian society of the Philippines has to suffer a lot. Farmers have to face great loss due to climate change if Famer does earn enough money he cannot provide his family basic facilities which add even more trouble to his life and the cycle of poverty continue.
Poverty is the problem of not just one person but the whole country. It slows down the economic progress of the country. It also increases the crime rate when people don’t have their aspirations fulfill they try to steal things. This results in increasing the rate of crime. Poor areas have poor sanitation facilities due to which disease spread easily.
Solutions to Poverty in the Philippines
Poverty is the problem of the whole country, not just one person hence government must take some essential steps to eradicate poverty. Not just government but the citizens of the country should come forward and vote for the right candidate. The leaders of the people should be servants of people, not their boss.
Corruption must be curb by electing an educated and responsible political leader. Who will work with transparency and think of national interest before self? Citizens of the country must be well educated about family planning and disaster management. If we have to annihilate poverty from Philippine society then good governance and proper education are the two major steps that we have to take.
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Fighting Poverty in the Philippines: Challenges and Solutions
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Fighting poverty in the philippines, reducing poverty, ambisyon natin 2040.
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