Group II: Carlo (?), Philip D., Leo G., Faye G., Hansley J., Michelle N., Lars R.
Before answering the question of how to solve the presumed problem known to us as poverty, we felt the need to present a valid definition of it. We define poverty as “a state of deprivation of the things necessary in the determination of a person’s quality of life,” which includes physiological and ontological needs. As such, we are proposing a means of “alleviating poverty” not by the traditional idealistic (and unfortunately highly improbable) way of “supplying the needs of everyone,” but by “improving the conditions of the impoverished sectors of society.” This was done as we found the word "solving" rather inappropriate, for it entails the elimination of class distinctions (or structures) among the elite, the petty-bourgeois and the proletariat. At this point in time, it is very unlikely to achieve such a status; and the option of a Communist revolution is, in our opinion, counterproductive for the time-being due to its inapplicability (some would say obsolescence) in our country’s context. As an example, even the most developed nations (commonly referred as “First-World”) have a considerable amount of people living below the poverty line. In a structural-functionalist reading like the one proposed by Comte, these sectors are important in the division of labor, an important characteristic for a society to be able to function properly.
Thus, what solutions are we proposing in response to the question?
First, the present administration should achieve the state of balance between immediate relief and a stable economy. We are saying this because, as everyone knows, the leaders of this administration are adamantly claiming that our economy is doing well whereas the supposed “fruits” of this progress does not reach the grassroots (and what little trickles down to them is not even a valid sign). In talking about immediate relief, basic needs such as quality education, adequate food and proper health care should be the priority provisions. It is necessary to provide the populace with immediate relief in order to ensure that the conditions of our people will be better in the long run. If one will look at the law of economic determinism attributed to Marx’s historical materialism, we will see that it is emphasized that the supreme instinct in man is self-preservation and the whole behavioral pattern of human actions must have been governed by the fundamental law concerning survival. As such, self-preservation affects all of the possible solutions to alleviate poverty and by saying that we need immediate relief to ensure that people’s living conditions will improve in the long run, which is in conjunction to Marx’s assertion that self-preservation is a fundamental law that will affect the cultural, legal and political structures of that particular society.
Second is to cater to the need of establishing a credible and able set of political leaders. To achieve this, we are obliged to fix, adjust, improve or, in some cases, do a complete overhaul of the existing systems. Starting with the educational system (in the guiding principle that “education is a right of all and never the privilege of the few”) and completely obliterating the idea of education as a means of employment (rather, we must consider education as a tool for pioneering), we are likely to produce a polity with politically-sound minds that will make them wise voters. We must be careful, however, of preserving the individual right to suffrage. What we are saying is that we must instill among the people the proper criteria of evaluation and teach them to vote for someone not just because of external attractions (which translates to popularity and the all-too familiar Guns, Goons and Gold) but with his/her clear program of action. This involves Marx’s hierarchy of structure which states that the fundamental is the economic structure and next to it is the political system which controls over other systems (such as education and the government) and power-related issues present in a particular society.
Finally, by finishing an overhaul of our present systems, we can instigate an improvement in the “outlook or idea” of the general population. In a sense, we are “psyching up” the people to have a more optimistic view of their surroundings, which is definitely essential considering the highly fatalist and pessimistic view of the impoverished sectors in their capability of transforming their own lives, that it will not happen because the government officials who are supposed to be serving us will always remain "corrupt" and "deceitful." It is precisely because of these mindsets that we give room for the “traditional politicians” (deridingly called “trapos” and, quite rightfully, have this moniker given to a kind of dirt rag) to remain and allow them to continue living luxurious lifestyles at the expense of the public revenues. In changing this perspective and ensuring the delivery of immediate relief, we may ensure a progressive and stable economic growth, as well as functioning and satisfactory educational and political systems. These sorts of developments can improve the general outlook of the populace to promote productivity. We can improve their condition not by showering them with basic needs alone (like dole-outs for disaster victims) but more importantly by reforming their perspectives positively that they may not return to their previous impoverished state.
We were reminded of a certain conversation in Manix Abrera’s comic strip “KikoMachineKomix” from the Philippine Daily Inquirer where the characters were apprehensive that the day will come that we will claim that no one in our country is getting hungry because none of us know what it feels to be full anymore. In relation to this, why not, instead of worrying about the situation, take this concept of “killing the idea,”doing away with it? In “killing the idea” of poverty in this society, we are going to instill a more optimistic view of our surroundings which can translate to productivity, and possibly allow us to achieve the ever-elusive progress.
In summary of our points, we propose a hierarchy of solutions by which poverty could be alleviated. Starting from the fundamental which is the economic structure by achieving balance between immediate relief and stable economy, we can proceed to fixing our society's systems and institutions. The educational system should be given first priority as it will catalyze a "domino effect" among the other systems such as the political sphere. Lastly, we promote a more positive and dedicated ideology and outlook of people towards our lives and our community. By attaining all these, we would likely achieve not the existence of a classless society but one in which people meet their needs while maintaining the established balance in the division of labor which is vital for organic solidarity.
In ending , we would like to share a statement of Karl Marx from A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy: "It is not consciousness of men that determines their existence, but their social existence that determines their consciousness."~o~o~o~
ANNEX: Enumeration of Some Key Result Areas and Concrete Measures
Immediate Relief:
- Provide basic needs through lowering costs of living (provide subsidies)
- Generate jobs (lower the unemployment rate)
- Remove the Expanded Value-Added tax (E-VAT) and government royalties from energy sources
- Search for alternative energy sources and support their development (so as to lessen fossil fuel dependence; after all, they’re about to run out in 75 years and prices are skyrocketing)
Economic Stability:
- Improve production (which is to say, build MANUFACTURING FIRMS and not COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS)
- Support FILIPINO entrepreneurs and pioneers by lending them capital (do not allow them to go the way of the fluorescent lamp and the yo-yo)
- Improve highways and other infrastructures.
- PESO must stand competitively against the DOLLAR (let’s not delude ourselves with merely relying on OFW remittances; concentrate on improving production so we may be at par with other countries)
Fixing Present Systems:
- EDUCATION FOR ALL
- IMPROVE BASIC CURRICULUM (PROMOTE HIGH STANDARDS)
- VOTER EDUCATION SHOULD BE PROPER AND SENSIBLE
- AMEND LAWS FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL
- PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND GENUINE AGRARIAN REFORM
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