Lance Cruz

POVERTY!!!

Good Day to each and everyone.

Today its my pleasure to talk about poverty but first let me tell you  what exactly poverty is. According to Britannica.com poverty is a state of who lacks a certain relative amount of possession or money. In other words poverty is poor, being homeless, hunger, being sick and not being able to see a doctor, not having a job, losing a child to illness brought about by unclean water. Poverty, ladies and gentlemen is a call for action-for the poor and wealthy a like. It is a  call for the world to change so that many more may have to  eat, have a home, can go to school and have an equal right.

All countries in the world face the problem of poverty, however this issues is more problematic to the developing countries in Africa,  Latin America and Asia. The Philippines, our country is one of those developing countries who struggle to fight against poverty until today.

Poverty. Poverty is a big issue especially in our country the Philippines. It affects people just like you and me, people who have dreams. Dreams that they wanted to fulfill but don’t know where to begin with.

The National Statistical Coordination Board or NSCB reported that poverty incidence in the Philippines hits 26.5 percent in 2009. A total of 23.1 million Filipinos, about a third of ninety million populace are still subsisting on below of 2 US dollars per day or if you convert it into Philippine peso less than 100 pesos per day. This is considered the highest poverty in South East Asia.

I want everyone here to close their  eyes for a moment and try to imagine what I am about to tell you. Imagine yourself living yourself next to a garbage dump, waking up every morning knowing your life but try to survive, imagine not being able to eat breakfast and lunch but only eating a small amount of food. Imagine your mom working in a factory with every dangerous machinery and only bringing home couple of money after a full day work. Imagine spending your day looking through a garbage dump trying to find any recycled material that you can sell. Can you see it? Can you imagine it?

Children just like you and me live like this everyday. This work is very dangerous because of the environment they are at risk of many diseases such as pneumonia or TB. This is the life of many children and  adults in Philippines who are experiencing poverty.

So, how can we solve poverty? In the present term of President Rodrigo Duterte, He is amassing huge amounts of international loans from other countries such as China and asks assistance from the Association of  South East Asia Nations Integration.

So let’s talk about the International loans, one of this is the China loan of 50 Billion in total. This will help the Philippines on its first step of Modernizing in the industrial aspect, improving the rate of production of native products and multiplying the number of works in order to cater the unemployed but of course a loan is liability. Although we are improving in terms of industry, we still need to pay the debt and this will be paid within a certain amount of time.

Which means our saving will still be depleted. Recalling that we are under a the Association of South East Asia Nations, the Main objective of this group of countries is to improve together economically, in military as well as in the social life. Association of South East Asia will provide the environment for the Philippines to grow economically, which means it will help us with our international debts in the present term of President Rodrigo Duterte as well as with  the other previous terms. Association of South East Asia Nations integration sees that trading together within a set of countries will help us grow in Gross Domestic  Product Cost, which will lead to higher state  income. There are other programs and plans that the present government is proposing, which aims to eradicate the poverty in the Philippines.

These programs  and plans will not work unless there is unity within the national, regional, provincial and local governments. Unity and agreement to the proposed programs and plans will set the grounds for the beginning of eradicating poverty and if the different stems of the government will be assuming the “no to corruption motion”, the total economic growth of the country will gradually multiply. It is quite interesting to see that the poverty  rate of the Philippines will turn 0.00%.

For Years people have tried to measure poverty. Like its a thing, an object. But let's just step back a bit What causes poverty? Corruption? Over population? Low economic status?

 For me seperation is one of the reasons why experiencing poverty. Let's imagine this , put two people together the other one is eating and while the other one is not . The person who is eating will offer his /her food to the other person who is not eating of course the person who is not eating will accept the food. Now build a wall between them, with Walls between two People, Mountains between Towns, Oceans between Nations, the all of the sudden. One become Two, us become them . The haves and the Haves not, Rich and Poor, So what's causes poverty? As what I said a while ago its seperation. Of course giving is essential. We give a bridge the gap, but giving can become just a restatement of where the walls are. Its between I have, what you need. I am what you wanted to be. But if seperation can causes poverty what we need is togetherness. More than giving what we do not need for ourselves. Togetherness is needing what we cannot be by ourselves. ALONE. We too are broken, afraid to Trust, afraid to lose what we have just glad that were the lucky ones. Soon we discover that seperation is everywhere. Walls in our community. Mountain in our relationship. Oceans between you and your best intentions, between you and God. Togetherness is more than aid. Togetherness build Friendship. Together we all become more human and what causes togetherness? Love because love? Love knows no walls!

“Man is condemned to be free” yes we had a freedom, to choose and to decide anything we want. If you were born poor, you had a freedom to change it you had a freedom to improve your life, than being a poor until you die. If there is someone who wants to dictate your movement and decision. Well you had a right to refuse., because you know that there is something better than what he/she dictate. For instance, you only live under the road bridge, and you do not have enough money to go to school, unti the moment come you parents fold you that need to stop studying because they can’t sustain your finances anymore. Then as a responsible son/daughter, you know that you can stand by own, so you know that you had a freedom to refuse. And you answer your parents mo and dad no I don’t want to stop my study, because I had an ability to sustain myself I am knowledge enough to sustain myself. You do not have to worry, I promise to myself not to stop studies because I want to rise up our life level. I don’t want to die poor. Look in that simple way, simple way you can say that are free.

The limitation in his state is that you did not choose to born I poor family. You cant change the truth beyond that. But as I said earlier limitations is bound to be turn as a opportunity. Opportunity to give more effort in searching the meaning of life.

Ladies and gentlemen I am here in front of you leaving a message. To get the most out of life is to just examine yourself. Don’t just sit down and eat a pan cake, that’s a nonsense hobby. Everyone lets break the barrier between us and our dreams because I know that we are strong enough to break through it. Limitations is bound to become an opportunity, freedom is a strength to achieve intersubjectivity. Let us promote ourselves for a better of our own art works no could ever claim our identity, do not let negative thoughts dominate you, be optimistic, be a fighter of own battlefield. Fight for the better, once again splendid Lance in front of you. GOOD DAY! And GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!