Working Title: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Promises for Change and the Reality for Poor Filipinos
HTML Tags: COMPOSITE IMAGE: JEROME CRISTOBAL / INQ FILE PHOTOS
Last year, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assumed the presidency after winning with over 31 million votes. During his inauguration at the National Museum Complex in Manila, he assured the public that he would bring about positive change for all. Now, nearly a year into his presidency, it’s important to reflect on the state of the country and how it has affected the lives of millions of impoverished Filipinos who are still grappling with the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis.
Sonny Africa, an economist and executive director of the think tank Ibon Foundation, expressed his observation that ordinary Filipinos have not fared well under the new administration. Despite the reopening of the economy, many families continue to struggle as the rebound only brought the country back to where it was three years ago, before the pandemic.
One of the major concerns is the increase in poverty. According to the Social Weather Stations (SWS), the number of households who considered themselves poor rose from 49 percent in the third quarter of 2022 to 51 percent in the last quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023. This translates to 12.9 million households and 14 million households, respectively.
While poverty rates have increased, the percentage of households experiencing involuntary hunger has actually decreased during the first year of Marcos’ presidency. However, it’s crucial to note that the numbers do not paint the full picture. The economy appears to be bouncing back, as indicated by Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan. He highlighted the resilient nature of the Philippine economy and its impressive growth rate.
Nevertheless, Sonny Africa argues that this economic growth is deceptive, considering that it is coming from a low starting point due to the significant economic contraction caused by the pandemic. Furthermore, the government reports on labor market conditions fail to capture the reality of the situation. While there may have been an increase in jobs, many of these are informal and low-paying.
Overall, optimism among Filipinos regarding improvements in their quality of life has declined. Less than one-third of the population believes that their quality of life has improved in the past year. Inflation has been a major concern, and wage hikes have been insufficient to keep up with rising costs of living.
In conclusion, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s promise of change has not manifested in the lives of impoverished Filipinos. The economic rebound, while impressive on the surface, has not translated into significant improvements for those most in need. The challenges brought about by the COVID-19 crisis continue to impact the lives of millions, and it remains to be seen how the government will address these issues moving forward.
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