The irony: Filipino billionaires among the world’s richest in a country of shortages

We are a country blessed with forests, mountains, vegetation, minerals, rivers, and seas. Our greatest wealth is our people who are gifted with wit, talent, and intellect. We take pride in this blessedness.

Despite centuries of oppressive colonization coupled with massive exploitation and abuse, we still have the natural gifts that continue to be plundered and exploited through various legal covers (e.g., Mining Act of 1995, Retail Trade Liberalization Act of 2000, the Rice Tariffication Act that paved the way for influx of imported rice) and the tri-scheme of privatization, deregulation, and liberation of the economy.

But we are a country that was recently presented as a society of shortages. In January this year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced its fear, stating that, “there will be in short supply of rice by more than three million metric tons this year due to the high fertilizer and fuel costs and the continuing threat of climate change.” From rice to fish, to onion and garlic, and other agricultural products, and lo and behold—the most unbelievable yet true: SALT. It is no joke that an archipelagic country will be importing goods that are supposedly its wealth.

There must be a genuine and truthful review of the agreements and laws passed and whether these have indeed increased our economic performance by looking at the lives and economic situation of our farmers, fisherfolks, and workers. There is no other indicator but the quality of lives of our people. The development and quality of life of those who labor much to build the economy are indicative of the good governance manifested by the laws and policies it promotes. We cannot be proud as a country having Filipinos who belong to the list of billionaires in the world yet the Philippines ranked 69th out of 121 countries in last year’s Global Hunger Index.

We are a country of many shortages. Alarming as well, along with the shortages, are the issues of poor nutrition and the stunted growth record of Filipino children. In 2020, Unicef reported that the Philippines ranks fifth among countries in East Asia and the Pacific with the highest stunting prevalence. According to an article by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, about a third of Filipino children are stunted or chronically malnourished. We have stunted and malnourished and undernourished kids amidst the availability of food, but inaccessible for the poor. Most of them must be children of poor farmers and workers who are not receiving living wages, benefits, and safe, compassionate workplaces.

Deuteronomy 15:4a says, “However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance.” We are a country vastly blessed with abundance. Our resources can feed our bodies, nourish our community, quench our thirst, roof our heads, develop our intelligence and abilities in science, math, philosophy, culture, and all that entails nation-building. There will be no poor amongst us if there is social justice and governance that will sincerely look after the welfare of the people. A kind of governance that will not enter into laws and agreements that will feed and further enrich big foreign and national capitalists, destroy our forest, mountains, lands, and seas, and place our farmers, indigenous people, fisherfolks, and workers in vulnerabilities and ignominy. The people who are already suffering must not be blamed for these shortages, it is all about the issue of governance.

We have so many shortages of many much-needed basics in life. We have shortages of compassionate, committed public servants, and officials. We need system change — governance that is pro-people, pro-poor, and pro-Filipinos.

NORMA P. DOLLAGA
Kapatirang Simbahan Para sa Bayan