Here are the latest figures. In the years from 2010 up to the beginning of the pandemic, about 40 of the richest business families in the country cornered 76% of the wealth created during that period. That is just about 0.00001% of Filipinos. Or a lot less than 1% of a droplet from a barrel of water.
Another intriguing figure is 76%, or about 80%, of the people think that they are poor.
In more understandable terms, almost all Filipinos are poor while members of a few extended families are so wealthy they don’t even know how to count their money.
Immediately “do-able” solutions to this includes pouring resources for MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium businesses). These can come in the form of trainings and start up capital.
One could say the government had already been doing this. The problem, however, is the blueprint of the program is too theoretical. Not surprising because those who drafted it never really had their boots on the ground in the world of small businesses.
An ordinary person after a series of trainings could start a business. How about the intervening period until the business acquires a life of its own, or when it at least hits break even point? There is always no provision for that. The end result is the one availing of the financial package often ends up being bankrupt and in debt and yet with no viable business to run.
Another government program is to hasten infrastructure projects to make it easier for people to start livelihood projects. Such would open new markets at vary much lower costs. Infrastructures, however, take forever to finish due to corruption and incompetence.
Then there is education. Whatever economic programs the government implements, these would be failures if the products of our public schools are practically illiterate. By and large, many high school graduates now are non-readers and can barely solve elementary arithmetic problems.
These problems and solutions are nothing new. The Government just had been doing things the wrong way since times immemorial.
The lesson, therefore, for the people is not to rely on the government. Exert effort for the proper education of your children so they would turn out to be useful and employable. And don’t wait for government to take care of your livelihood.
As to infrastructure, we just have no choice but to wait for government. In this respect, everything takes forever to accomplish. This is the reason we are a basket case in the global village. **