Figures of Poverty in the Philippines The writer wants to put into context the topic____________ by dwelling in the situation

of poverty in the Philippines by looking at the figures of poverty in the Philippines. Looking at the figures about the situation of poverty in the Philippines normally creates a minimal impact on the seer. But to see a human person looking for food in a trash bin and seeing the person eat from it was heart breaking and devastating on the part of the writer. The pain is more deeply felt to see oneself, as in the case of the writer, not being able to do anything in the midst of such a horrible reality of poverty. t is in this light that the meaning of poverty is taken. !o poverty here means "being without things, having little money, not many material possessions and in need of essential goods.#$ Looking at some figures might still stir some feeling of sympathy if not compassion for the human beings who are in the real situation of poverty. n the survey conducted by B%& in 'uly ())* across the country, *+.,- of respondents said they thought of themselves as poor, from +*.+- in 'anuary and +../- in the same period last year.( t can be corroborated by another B%& survey in the same month and year that most of the respondents said that "during the past three months, they had difficulty meeting the following expenses0 electricity and1or water 2*(.34-56 medicines and1or medical treatment 2*$.(3-56 children7s schooling 2+*.*3-56 food 2+*-56 and transportation 2+4./(-5./ t can further be supported by the "reported unemployment rate 8that9 has stood at over $$- since ())$ in the only period of such sustained high unemployment in the country:s history. n ())+ this translated to $$.+ million ;ilipinos either <obless or if employed, still seeking more work.#3 The distribution of wealth is also disturbing in the picture presented by B%& =edia stating that "8i9n ())+, the >!?$(.3 billion net worth of the Philippines: $) richest is e@uivalent to the combined annual income of the poorest .., million households.#4 Another e@ually disturbing fact for the writer is the report in ())/ by the ;amily ncome and Bxpenditure !urvey 2; B!5 saying that "approximately +, million ;ilipinos, are already living with only P.+ or less a day.# + This reality is not only disturbing but also devastating because of its dehumaniCing effect on the vast ma<ority of the people.
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http011en.wikipedia.org1wiki1Poverty B%& =edia. " B%& !urvey0 **- %f ;ilipinos Donsider Themselves Poor,# Eednesday, )$ August ())*. 2http011info.ibon.org1index.phpFoptionGcom_contentHtaskGviewHidG$.(H temidG4$5 / B%& =edia. " B%& !urvey0 =ore ;ilipinos Iave Trouble Paying ;or =eds, Eater, Power Bills,# ;riday, (* 'uly ())*. 2http011info.ibon.org1index.phpF optionGcom_contentHtaskGviewHidG$+,H temidG4$5 3 B%& =edia. "JP Jegressing Keeper To Third Eorld !tatus,# !aturday, ($ 'uly ())*. 2http011info.ibon.org1index.phpFoptionGcom_contentHtaskGviewHidG$+/H temidG4$5 4 B%& =edia. "The Philippine Poverty !ituation0 Beyond Poverty =easures, ne@uality Lrows,# Thursday, $) =ay ())*. 2http011info.ibon.org1index.phpF optionGcom_contentHtaskGviewHidG$3)H temidG4)5 + B%& =edia. "+, =illion ;ilipinos !truggle Eith P.+ or Less A Kay,# Tuesday, $* April ())*. 2http011info.ibon.org1index.phpFoptionGcom_contentHtaskGviewHidG$(.H temidG4$5

The writer asks, why is their economic poverty in an abundant world, in particular in a rich country like the PhilippinesF Taking into account the way =atthew ;ox presents Lod in the perspective of creation spirituality saying that "the creator Lod is a gracious, an abundant, and a generous host1hostess. !he has spread out for our delight a ban@uet that was twenty billion years in the making. A ban@uet of rivers and lakes, of rain and sunshine, of rich earth and of amaCing flowers, of handsome trees and of dancing fishes, of contemplative animals and whistling winds, a dry and wet seasons of cold and hot climates. But it is a ban@uet that works, this ban@uet we call creation, the human planet.# * Looking at the reality of poverty in the light of a gracious, an abundant, and a generous Lod, the writer thinks that it will either make one be hopeful or be dismayed. A person may turn to be hopeful based on one:s faith to such a Dreator and another person may be dismayed because of the contradicting reality. Dialogue between Creation Spirituality and a Marxist The writer is presenting a dialogue between creation spirituality and a =arxist in facing the issue of poverty in the Philippines. After hearing both sides the second step would be to ground one:s being 2or society5 in a certain spirituality, which in this case is the creation spirituality. Then to let the two 2creation spirituality and a =arxist5 come into terms in addressing the issue of poverty in the final stage. Dreation spirituality will speak about trusting creation would be the first step before one would learn the lesson that beauty and imperfection go together., A =arxist will say it:s time to change the entire social system. Dreation spirituality will look at poverty as an imperfection which "is a sign that the ongoing creation is no easy thing. Ee all bear scars from this rugged process. Ee can M and must M celebrate the scars.#.A =arxist will look at the situation of poverty in the Philippines as the Nnatural: result of the monstrous capacity of capitalism in exploiting the great ma<ority of the people by the few rich and powerful. Dreation spirituality will consider poverty as a sin because of the harm it is inflicting on the people in terms of balance and harmoniousness and by making what is beautiful 8like human existence9 into what is ugly 8like hunger9.$) .#$$ A =arxist will insist that it:s time to arouse, to organiCe and to mobiliCe the suffering people to change the situation by all possible means because this few rich and powerful people do not feel anything like guilt in their being greedy because in the system of capitalism 2or semiO feudal and semiOcolonial economic setOup5 everything is seen as Nnormal: and <ust Nfine.:

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=atthew ;ox, %riginal Blessing, p. $$(. dib., p. $$) . bid., p. $$$ $) bid., p. $$. $$ bid., p. $$$

Dreation spirituality will encourage silence which means letting go of all images,$( "by breathing deeply in and out.#$/ A =arxist will cry for liberation and will strongly suggest the supreme act of sacrifice to put down the existing ruling system because the pain is no longer bearable. Dreation spirituality will suggest to let pain be pain with an aim of letting go of pain precisely.$3 Then creation spirituality will calmly explain to a =arxist that "one reason why is nothingness is prere@uisite for liberation is that in a real sense those who commit themselves to liberation must come from that "Cero point# wherein they have "nothing to lose.#$4 The two then agree on working together in addressing the issue of poverty. !o that the struggle of a =arxist will have its ground in the profound insight or wisdom of creation spirituality and creation spirituality will have its form or expression in a decisive manner with deep sense of compassion in realiCing the aim of a =arxist in creating a <ust, peaceful and harmonious society. Ience a concrete sense of liberation will not have to wait for its end result but the struggle itself becomes the meaning already while still on the way to its Nfinal: realiCation. The dialogue between creation spirituality and a =arxist, the writer believes, is an example of a win1win paradigm. n a win1win paradigm, =claughlin and Kavidson explain it using the form of aikido that "8i9nstead of resisting an opposing force, we <oin with it and guide it to a higher level.#$+ Thus a =arxist whose aim is the liberation of the exploited masses needs guidance from anyone who embraces creation spirituality. Ein1win would also be helpful in the struggle itself so that instead of merely antagoniCing the rich and the powerful and accusing them as the culprit in the massive exploitation of ma<ority of the ;ilipino people, it is also meaningful to connect with them with an intention of making them realiCe that they also have responsibility to others. n the case of the writer, he can do that in the way he engages his students in the struggle of the poor against poverty. Ience poverty needs to be treated in balance fashion in terms of one:s 2and society:s5 spiritual pursuit and economic endeavor. Poverty as Powerlessness and Ill-being Kr. =ina JamireC shared about the finding of the Eorld Bank on the issue about poverty. The study says that poverty can be reduced to two encompassing themes which are powerlessness and illObeing. The writer wants to explore the possible cause of this poverty as powerlessness and illObeing. The first discussion is about powerlessness. According to the Ageless Eisdom, "there is only one sinPseparateness.#$* The writer believes that separateness causes this feeling of powerlessness, insecurities and hopelessness. %ur responsibility then is to establish connection and to deepen our relationship as the source of our strength and
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bid., p. $/+ bid., p. $/* $3 bid., p. $3* $4 bid., p. $4$ $+ Dorinne =claughlin and Lordon Kavidson, !piritual Politics, Ballantine Books, &ew Qork0 $..3, p. ,(. $* bid., p. $3*.

power. t would be a lot easier to ;ilipinos because our culture favors this sense of relatedness and kinship. That is why ;ilipinos can still smile and find sense in the midst of disaster like a devastating natural calamity because of a deep sense of togetherness that allows each one to recogniCe one:s power through others and thus be hopeful in life. =claughlin and Kavidson affirm this by suggesting that "what is needed as a cure to this separateness is a deep sense of community M that we:re all in this together.#$, The second part is about illObeing. Dlive Iamilton says that "8w9e have been schooled in a thousand subtle ways to feel that to possess is to capture powerR#$. so that many people spend more time to work hard with an aim of ac@uiring more and more wealth by whatever means without considering to a certain extent any negative effects either to oneself, to others or to the environment. After long hours of work in a week, one finds time to relax and visit shopping malls. Iamilton engagingly describes a shopping mall as a place wherein one is able to say " can buy and posses,#() and thus one feels this power. This understanding of power based on what one has like material wealth will surely cause illObeing. llObeing could mean an imbalance way of living one:s life. As an example of an imbalance way of life, it is like spending one:s time and effort more on earning money that would sacrifice senselessly one:s time and effort to exercise to keep oneself physically fit and worse would be to sacrifice caring for one:s soul, caring for others and caring for the environment. n conclusion in this notion of poverty as powerlessness and illObeing, the writer agrees with the affirmation of Iamilton when he @uoted &orman Brown and says that "all power is essentially sacred power.#($ Thus any @uest for power that is void of what is sacred will simply deepen a sense of powerlessness and will eventually result on illO being. Iamilton explains that "what we truly want is to transcend the division between ourselves and the universe, to attain the godhead and achieve immortality.# (( Therefore, capturing power and experiencing wellObeing would mean working on one:s internal integration and be connected with the rest of creation that will make one feel that he1she is important. And be contented.

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bid., p. $3,. Dlive Iamilton, The =ystic Bconomist, Eillow Park Press, $..3, p. .*. () bid., p. .,. ($ bid., p. $)$. (( bid., p. $)$.