The Covid-19 pandemic caused great harm beyond illness and death. The rich became richer while the poor became poorer with an additional 4.27 million Filipinos falling into extreme poverty like Maria Mahirap, one of the poorest persons in the Philippines. There are hundreds of thousands of people like her who literally have nothing in this world, no possessions, no money, no family. We that have should count our blessings.
Maria, like hundreds of thousands of children today, was a victim of child sexual abuse. She lived on the streets and was exploited by human traffickers. She was a sexually abused and trafficked child and then grew into a woman exploited by foreign and local sex tourists. With nothing more than a dirty, smelly, ragged dress she lost hope and then her mind. She was brought to the mental hospital in Mariveles, Bataan.
There are about 19 million women, children, and men in the Philippines in extreme poverty. That means eating pag-pag [leftover, or scavenged food] from restaurant garbage bags, a welcome gift from the well-fed rich. If they are lucky, they night be able to afford a cup of cheap rice with salt and nothing else.
This is the situation of millions of the very poor in the Philippines, a proud nation of 110 million people with 26.1 million of them below the poverty line, owning few possessions, while one per cent of the population are super rich owning about 45 per cent of the wealth. That is nothing to be proud of and the world knows it even if the rich don’t care.
Millions of unfortunate Filipinos are caught up in a grossly immoral, disgustingly unjust system that manipulates and exploits the hunger of the poor for political power, leaving scraps to the sick and dying lying in the slums under the shadow of towering condos
The super-rich are just one percent of the population. They exploit, manage and manipulate the hungry so that they willingly sell their votes for 3,000 pesos every election for a two-day taste of paradise for two days. The one per cent live in luxury and attend thanksgiving Masses to celebrate their trickery, unwittingly blessed by the Church.
Millions of unfortunate Filipinos are caught up in a grossly immoral, disgustingly unjust system that manipulates and exploits the hunger of the poor for political power, leaving scraps to the sick and dying lying in the slums under the shadow of towering condos.
In the first quarter of 2021, the Philippine Statistics Authority counted 26.1 million Filipinos living in “relative” poverty, those without property, living in shacks and shanties, and eating just a little more than pag-pag. That is an increase of 23.7 per cent over the previous years since 2018, an increase of 3.9 million of hungry Filipinos, mostly malnourished women and stunted, under-educated children. They survive, burdened by unpayable debts. An additional 4.74 million Filipinos fell into extreme poverty during the pandemic.
In 2019, there were 15 US dollar Filipino billionaires, and there will be 17 by 2024 according to a Statista Research Department report as of November 2021. There are no less than 569 ultra-super rich Filipinos, each worth no less than US$30 million.
With their great wealth, they get themselves and their relatives and friends elected to congress and others appointed to high government office across the land. With economic and political power, they get huge loans, which the people must pay back by taxation. The super-rich are the de facto rulers of the Philippines
Between them and their combined trillions of dollars, mostly made on the Philippine economy, they could change the lives of the 22.26 million starving Filipinos. However, besides throwing scraps to the poor, it seems they are hell-bent on making more riches for themselves.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
With their great wealth, they get themselves and their relatives and friends elected to congress and others appointed to high government office across the land. With economic and political power, they get huge loans, which the people must pay back by taxation. The super-rich are the de facto rulers of the Philippines.
Congresspeople pass laws that benefit their sponsors and patrons from the dynastic families. Their corporations get tax holidays while lucrative government contracts are rigged to fall into their hands and those of their relatives and cronies. They control the wages and benefits of impoverished workers. Their businesses benefit from inflation through government subsidies. This is systematic corruption where government officials benefit their patrons and themselves.
The corporations of the dynastic families form interlocking directorates with the banking and insurance industries and other corporations in finance, mining, food production, construction, and housing, besides others. These elites have a powerful monopoly on most products. They have the political power and connections to block outside investors, reducing or eliminating competition. Their domination of the political process and the economy causes capital flight and greater poverty for more Filipinos.
As of October 2021, one per cent of families or households worldwide own 43 per cent of all the wealth in the world. On the other hand, the poor make up 50 per cent of the eight billion people in the world and own only one per cent of all the wealth in the entire world. That level of inequality is staggering, shocking and disgusting
None of the Filipino super-rich have declared that they will share any of their massive wealth with the poor as US billionaires, Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates, have done. Buffett promised to give away all before he dies
If they did and followed the example of Zacchaeus in the gospel story, they could save millions from hunger and poverty. Hr climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus of Nazareth pass by. Zacchaeus was a corrupt tax collector and traitor to his people as he worked for the Romans. He was an outcast and sinner to the Jews. But Jesus called him down from the tree and had dinner with him. He repented, confessed his corruption and gave away half of his wealth to the poor, and repaid restitution four times what he stole [Luke 19: 1-10].
What a new world it would be for Filipinos if the billionaires did likewise and made the economy work for the benefit of the poor. They could eliminate poverty and change the lives of millions.
However, it seems they are not looking to meet Jesus of Nazareth, and avoid his challenge to repent at all costs. They live in luxury but will not give the scraps that fall from their table to Lazarus dying at their gate [Luke 16: 19 -31]. Only the dogs showed care and compassion to Lazarus.
As of October 2021, one per cent of families or households worldwide own 43 per cent of all the wealth in the world. On the other hand, the poor make up 50 per cent of the eight billion people in the world and own only one per cent of all the wealth in the entire world. That level of inequality is staggering, shocking and disgusting.
There is no solution to this systematic unjust and unequal society other than repentance and spiritual renewal of the ruling elite, which is what Jesus of Nazareth called for, and as do reformers and true dedicated Filipinos. But look at what they do to them today and did to Jesus of Nazareth—imprisonment and execution.
Father Shay Cullen
www.preda.org
