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Social Welfare Issues in the PH

by Christian Nicole Alderite

There are many problems in this country regarding the social welfare of the citizens. The problems that are largely felt are problems concerning health care, income and education. In the Philippines, there are health care programs but these programs are often lacking when it comes to coverage. Healthcare provisions from the government may help a little, but to most Filipinos, especially the poor, this is not enough. This is probably because of the government’s lack of budget and poor prioritization of the people’s health. According to World Health Organization, the Philippine government only spends an average of 287 dollars for each person’s health (or 4% of our country’s GDP) while Denmark spends 4552 dollars (or 10% of their country’s GDP). (World Health Organization, 2016) Most of the areas in the country doesn’t even have a nearby clinic or hospital and even if there are, most of these would just refuse to accept patients just because they don’t have the money. Pressure from religious groups also forced the government to make very bad decisions when it comes to health care, particularly on the Family Health and Responsible Parenting Program where they decided to cut one billion pesos from the 2016 budget. (Castillo, 2016, p. D4) Our medical care system also has a problem when it comes to coverage as only few diseases and complications are covered in the programs. Due to the lack of adequate healthcare provisions, many people, mostly the poor and the aged, die without even being able to see a doctor or purchase the proper medication. Most children are not defended against new strains of viruses and oftentimes get infected because of the lack of accessible healthcare centers and affordable effective medications and vaccines. (World Health Organization, 2016)

Another problem is the large income gap between the poor and the wealthy. This is because of the small minimum wage our workers are receiving which only amounts to 450 pesos for a day of work, rather small when compared to the neighboring nations’ minimum wage, and very small when compared to the minimum wage of workers from first world countries as an employee in the United States makes 10 dollars or around 450 pesos for an hour of work. According to Thomas Piketty in his book “Capital in the twenty-first century”, rising inequality in wealth is due to the fact that wealth grows faster than the economy which is the result of it being unregulated. (Piketty, 2013) Furthermore, we have a broken employment system which allows for contractual jobs and de-regularization of workers. Hard working employees, mostly working blue-collar jobs, rarely see promotions or pay increases as their contracts often get renewed from scratch every now and then. They also are denied the benefits regularly employed labourers enjoy. (Shahani, 2015, p. A1)The lack of regulation and government intervention into businesses causes the wealth to grow much  faster for the wealthy than the rest of the people and the economy, thus, the gap broadens even further. In fact, according to to Abigail Ho of the Inquirer, a study concluded that the Philippines ranks first in Southeast Asia when it comes to income inequality. (Ho, 2011, p. A2) Consequently, most of our middle class are getting plunged into poverty even further as they cannot afford the prices of their necessities. More and more of the hardworking middle class fail to take care of their well-being and are becoming unable to send their children to school.

Lastly, this might be the problem which concerns us the most, not enough free and high quality education. They say that education is the best investment a nation can make. In our nation’s case, it is rather apparent that education is not one of our government’s top priorities. Boo Chanco of the Philippine Star states that here may be public schools which provide free education to students who cannot afford to go to private institutions, but the quality of education most of these public institutions offer are rather sub-par when compared to their private counterparts. (Chanco, 2014, p. B3) He also added that this poor quality of public education is caused by the lack of competent public school instructors, decent classrooms, and learning materials. On the collegiate level, only few public institutions have a decent quality education and most of these are not even entirely free as these institutions require scholarships and high marks if students want to continue receiving free education. The lack of good quality public education thickens the social divide as having attained good education is almost synonymous to being a person from a well-off family, indeed "Education has become part of the institutional mechanism that divides the poor and the rich."(Meinardus, 2015) This neglect of education also results in the lack of a globally competitive workforce, and since most corporations prefer hiring job candidates who have high educational attainments, a large portion of the working-age population who should have been currently employed do not have jobs at all. (Zhuang, 2012) Lack of proper education for all levels results in large scale unemployment which ultimately leads to a sluggish economy and high rates of poverty. 

We can turn things around, even if just by a little. The problem of insufficient health care can be solved if our nation’s government realizes that us, the citizens, are the greatest asset they currently have. The first step would be to increase the budget for health care. One of the things the government could do in order to achieve this is to raise taxes on the very wealthy (which would also help narrow the income gap) so that the government would have more money in their budget to spend for health care services. When they have the budget, they can build more clinics and health care centers in strategic locations across the country, in places where most people don’t have access to affordable medical care. These new strategically placed centers would also act as medicine stock rooms and deployment centers whenever a calamity hits a nearby area. Creating these health care centers would open more job opportunities as more government employees are needed to operate them. It is also an imperative that the government does not give in to pressure from interest groups, as it is more important to listen to the people, to attune to their needs, and do what is best for them. (Castillo, 2016, p. D4) They can begin by cancelling the one billion cut made to the budget that was supposed to be for reproductive health. Health coverage should also be expanded by getting more kinds of vaccines, medicine and treatment methods in order to combat more diseases and health complications. It must also be made a requirement that private hospitals are never allowed protocols that would turn away patients just because they don’t have the money to pay for it. In these cases, the government must be the one to temporarily pay and then discuss it later once the patient regains vitality.

Another problem that needs to be solved is the increasing gap between the middle-class and the wealthy. To combat this problem, the first thing that should be done is to increase the minimum wage and ensure that corporations would implement and abide by our country’s labor code. Instead of being paid starvation wages, the people deserves to acquire living wages as they should get what they really need to pay for the bills and have some extra to ensure the quality of their living. (Trotsenburg, 2015, p. B2) Research should be made to know what workers spend in a particular area, and what they spend just getting to their workplace for the corporations to know how to pay them justly. The employees should be treated as people and not machines by their employers as if they don’t have a life at home and bills to pay. Stronger government teeth and business regulation measures are needed to make sure that corporations pay their fair share of social responsibility and as their wealth increases, the wages of their workers should too. Also, contractualization might arguably be good because it provides work - albeit temporarily - to those who find it hard to find a regular job because of failing to meet requirements such as having a college degree, these employees should at least be provided a larger chance at being regularized especially if they perform very well in their jobs. Workers might feel powerless and even discouraged at work knowing that one day they might never renew their contracts and lose their jobs. (Shahani, 2015, p. A1) As the upper class and businessmen’s wealth keeps on growing, it is a must that the economy and the rest of us are growing along with them as well. Income inequality can be curbed if corporations treat their employees fairly and if these companies pay their fair share of taxes, not finding loopholes to avoid being taxed, so that the government can have more money to spend on education and other nation-building efforts creating a globally competitive labor force.

The last problem to be addressed is the lack of free and good quality education. In order for the Philippines to fully move forward through the twenty-first century, we must focus on creating and raising world class citizens equipped with the right knowledge to be globally competitive. To do this, the government must improve the quality of education, but implementing the K-12 program is not enough, as Boo Chanco of the Philippine Star put it “But I am afraid that unless we are able to improve the quality of public school teachers, have a well thought out curriculum and enough classrooms, it would just be more of the same. The additional two years won’t make a difference in the readiness of our high school graduates to tackle the world.” (Chanco, 2014, p. B3) It is not enough that we have two extra years in high school, but to also have sufficient classrooms, apt materials and better instructors in public schools.  Public schools in the provinces should be given more importance as those are the ones which usually lags behind their metropolitan counterparts when it comes to quality. Free and good quality education should be available to all citizens, eliminating the requirement of very high grades that may discourage those who are really willing to learn but has come from a socioeconomic background that did not allow them access to knowledge. And as I have already stated before while discussing solutions to the other problems, it is really important that the rich play their part in nation building by paying their fair share of taxes to contribute to the national cause of raising world class citizens who are knowledgeable and able. Corporations should think of contributing to education as investing in their future human resource capital, and that the taxes the pay justly would reap them great fruits in the long run.

Thinking of solutions to our nation’s probelms is of course, the easy part. It is true that these solutions are acheivable, but laying them out is just one part of the process. In order to put them into practice, two important things need to happen. The first one is that the government should have the integrity and will to implement these solutions. No amount of money would be enough to solve the problems that are plaguing our country if government officials keep on fattening their pockets with taxpayer money. It is important that they are equipped with the legislative knowledge and the will to do what is necessary for the greater good of the people, even if it involves going head-to-head against big corporations or religious groups. They must never allow themselves to be bought off by these big money lobbyists protecting their wealth. Our government should make investing in the future of the country by taking care of the social welfare of the people the guiding principle in governing the nation. The second thing that needs to take place is national cooperation. All sectors should work with each other in order to acheive these goals as legislation would be of no value if the country doesn’t abide by the rules. Businesses should be willing to pay their fair share of taxes and cooperating with the government and understand the consequences of tax evasion. The religious sector should also learn to recognize its limits as the Church and the State should be separate, and that the majority have the say, not them. Officials should not prioritize their biases and their own interests and instead learn to listen to the people - whom they have vowed to represent - and tune in to their complaints and their needs. And lastly, we, the people should be willing to participate in nation building and to do our part in making ourselves world class and globally competitive citizens through having a thirst for knowledge and for competence. We are the ones to hold the government accountable and it is our responsibility to seek knowledge about the pressing issues our country currently faces. 

If the nation fixes the broken health care and education services, and narrows the income gap, our country would be ready to join the rest of the twenty-first century. Disease related child mortality rates would decrease as children are more protected against diseases that often strike third world populations. People would be more productive and will worry less about their health as the health care they need becomes more accessible and affordable. No more patients would die because of being turned away by hospitals due to the lack of money. Population growth might even slow down or even plateau once the budget for reproductive health is restored. More jobs will be made in the government sector as more health care centers and public school classrooms are made. Income gap will narrow and working parents will have money to support their children’s need, enabling them to raise and educate the future generation. The majority of Filipinos will finally have the chance to live a decent and dignified life as more of them acquire jobs both because of more job opportunities and better education. Filipinos will have greater purchasing power due to higher wages, therefore stimulating economical growth. More filipinos will be properly educated and participant in how our country and the world works. More filipinos will be engaged in thought out debates concerning things that matter and will be more able to ask the proper questions the common pinoy currently do not. Generally speaking, we will have a generation of critical thinking Filipinos who knows how to hold politicians accountable and will not become ‘bobotantes’. The social divide will become thinner as everyone can then have an equal footing when it comes pursuing their education. All of these things will ultimately lead to the decline of poverty and a blazing economy. The Philippines, once dubbed as the ‘Tiger of Asia’ can once again roar as it boasts of a better economy and a generally better standing in the world because it has prioritized the health, welfare, and education of its people.

The Essence of Good Governance

by Christian Nicole Alderite

Your choice defines your future. The power to appoint the next leader of the nation is in our hands. The 2016 Philippine Elections is nigh upon us and we have to choose a leader that can govern our country. We ought to select a candidate that exhibits good governance. To govern is to take charge and to represent a community, and governance is the way a leader takes charge and represents the community. Good governance, in the simplest sense, is being good at representing a community, their rights, their needs, and their voices.

To govern is to make decisions and to lead. Good governance means having good decision making skills and good leadership. A good leader knows how to acknowledge the consequences of the decisions he/she had made on behalf of the community he/she represents. It is important that the decision making process is done in an efficient manner, which means that a leader must consider the time frame in order to respond to the problems quickly and not waste precious time. ("What is good governance?", 2016) At the same time, a leader must avoid being too rash in and short sighted in making decisions. The policies that have been enacted must be effective at addressing the issues at hand ensuring that the solutions would solve the problems for a longer time period. It is also important to consider policies that may not have beneficial effects at first or may even have some adverse effects in the beginning but would ultimately reap greater benefits in the long run.

Good governance also stresses that the decision making process is inclusive and transparent. ("Good Governance and Human Rights," 2016) Making an inclusive decision means that all members of the community, especially the minority, are properly represented and have the opportunity to participate in the process of decision making. The decisions that have been made must serve the interests of all the members of the community by finding common ground so that the common good can be implemented. Making decisions with good governance also means that the policies that have been decided on has followed due legal process and done taking the sentiments and opinions of the citizens into account.

An example of a place with good governance is Sweden. The Nordic country is one of the nations in the world with the highest quality of living. This was due to several factors such as shorter income gaps between the wealthy and the middle class, free education from kindergarten to college, free quality healthcare, and free sustainable and renewable electricity derived from solar energy, an evidence of taking long term investments into account when making decisions. ("Secret of their Success", 2016) Swedes are in fact the most content and the happiest citizens in Europe and in the world despite having higher taxes as compared to other western nations. Sweden’s government can be described as a social democracy which a political ideology that promotes socio-economic justice in a capitalist economy. ("Social democracy - RationalWiki," n.d.) This is the reason why Sweden has labor unions that defends and represents the interests of the middle class workers, ensuring that CEOs won’t have the chance to abuse their employees and that they won’t get ultra-wealthy. Social democracy is not to be confused with and is starkly different from the socialist ideology which is very undemocratic as it discourages individual prosperity and private ownership, and does not focus on providing social services. ("Socialism vs Social Democracy — What’s The Difference?", n.d.)

The Swedish government implemented policies to ensure that all members of the nation are cared for, well represented, and provided the necessities they need to have an equal opportunity to pursue their happiness and to realize their full potential. The same thing will happen in our country if we had a leader who exhibits good governance. We the people would be cared for, listened to, and be given the opportunity to achieve our goals in life. There would be better healthcare provisions, more affordable quality education, fairer wages and shorter income gaps between the middle class and the elite. There would be true equality, religious freedom, greater tolerance, and better citizens living in a peaceful country where everybody respects one another, where there is less crime and less corruption. All of these are possible if we elect a leader who has good governance. Good governance, in essence, is recognizing and holding dear the notion that the government should work for all the people in the nation efficiently, effectively, transparently and inclusively, giving all people equitable rights and opportunities, not working just for the elite, the majority, and the people in power.

References

Good Governance and Human Rights. (2016). Retrieved March 7, 2016, from

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Development/GoodGovernance/Pages/GoodGovernance

Index.aspx

What is good governance? - Good Governance Guide. (2012). Retrieved from

http://www.goodgovernance.org.au/about-good-governance/what-is-good-governance/

The secret of their success | The Economist. (n.d.). Retrieved March 7, 2016, from

http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21570835-nordic-countries-are-probably-best-governed-world-secret-their

Social democracy - RationalWiki. (n.d.). Retrieved March 7, 2016, from

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Social_democracy

Socialism vs Social Democracy — What’s The Difference? | Faustian urGe. (n.d.). Retrieved March 7, 2016, from

https://spfaust.wordpress.com/2011/06/12/socialism-vs-social-democracy-whats-the-difference/

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