Poverty. Monster of the economy. This is one of the economic issues of our country. The Philippines belongs to the third world country which means we are not well-developed to meet the needs of our people. Latest statistics released by the NSCB last June 6, 2006 indicates that approximately 24 out of 100 Pinoy families did not earn enough in 2003 to satisfy their basic food and non-food requirements. This was a slight improvement from the 2000 situation wherein 28 out of 100 families experienced income shortfall from the poverty threshold. The decrease by 3.1 percent in poverty incidence translated to a corresponding decrease by around 124,000 in the number of Pinoy families straining to make ends meet. Annual per capita poverty threshold for the Philippines in 2003 stood at P12,309.
In terms of population, 30 out of 100 Filipinos in 2003 had income short of the minimum cost of satisfying the basic requirements, an improvement from 2000 in which 33 out of 100 Filipinos had income below the poverty threshold. This translated to a 1.6 million decrease in the magnitude of Filipinos living below the poverty line. These issues call for a better government that will establish and ensure a satisfactory and quality education since poverty, unemployment and economic crisis rooted from education. Moreover, having good education whether in public or private school would produce skillful and professional manpower. If this happens, poverty, unemployment and economic crisis could be eradicated. Education is not merely a right as what is stated in our constitution.
Education becomes a need just like food, water or air that without it, life with a great pleasure will be impossible. Education is a food that energizes the body of our community through the human resources framed by its building blocks-the manpower. Also, it is water that cleans and helps supply the vital nutrients to different parts of the body. Similarly, education purifies the toxicity of the society by having educated people. It is air that provides life. Without education, we could not breathe. The business world and the job opportunities are the breathing mechanisms of our country’s body. Providing quality education is yielding life. Education is a need. It is life.
By: MR. ALBERT J. MALLARI | TEACHER II | DISTRICT ALS COORDINATOR, SAMAL DISTRICT, SAMAL, BATAAN
