Nearly 20 million Filipinos living in poverty | News Night

NewsWatch Plus PH

15 Aug 202202:39

Summary

TLDRIn the Philippines, the number of people living in poverty increased from 16.7% to 18.1% between 2018 and 2021, affecting nearly 20 million individuals. The health crisis, restrictions on mobility, and limited access to regular employment are cited as key factors. The government, through the social economic planning secretary, Arsenio Balisagan, aims to address this by focusing on job creation and economic reopening. Meanwhile, the social welfare department is reviewing programs and lists of beneficiaries for the conditional cash transfer program to better assist the impoverished, like Leila from Tambogon, who relies on vegetable sales and government aid to support her family.

Takeaways

🌧️ Leila from Tambogon is resilient despite bad weather, as she sells vegetables to support her family.
👷‍♂️ Leila's husband is a construction worker, and their combined income is crucial for their family's survival.
💰 The family is grateful for the government's Cash Aid, but it's not enough to cover all their needs.
📈 The poverty rate in the Philippines increased from 16.7% to 18.1% between 2018 and 2021, affecting nearly 20 million people.
🏥 The ongoing health crisis is cited as a significant factor contributing to the rise in poverty.
🚫 Restrictions and limited mobility have hindered economic opportunities, especially for low-income households.
🔑 The lack of regular and productive jobs is a key issue affecting the earning capacity of the poor.
📈 The administration plans to focus on job creation to reduce poverty by the end of their term in 2028.
🤝 The social economic planning secretary emphasizes the need for collaboration between agencies to address poverty.
🔍 The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is reviewing its programs and beneficiary lists to better target assistance.

Q & A

What is the main challenge faced by Leila Tambogon despite the bad weather?
-Leila Tambogon's main challenge is to sell vegetables to support her family, which includes a construction worker husband and four other family members. The income from her livelihood, along with government cash aid, is not sufficient for their survival.
How has the health crisis affected the lives of Filipinos according to the script?
-The health crisis has made things difficult for Filipinos, increasing poverty levels and adding burdens due to the rising prices of basic goods.
What is the percentage increase in poverty in the Philippines from 2018 to 2021 according to the script?
-The percentage of people living in poverty in the Philippines increased from 16.7 percent to 18.1 percent between 2018 and 2021.
How many more people in the Philippines were living in poverty in 2021 compared to 2018?
-Nearly 20 million people were living in poverty in 2021, compared to over 17 million three years prior in 2018.
What factors does Secretary Arsenio Balisagan attribute to the increase in poverty rates?
-Secretary Arsenio Balisagan attributes the increase in poverty rates to the lingering health crisis, restrictions on mobility, and the low earning capacity of poor households due to limited access to regular and productive jobs.
What is the government's plan to address poverty by the end of their term in 2028?
-The government plans to focus on job creation, with the expectation that more Filipinos will get out of poverty as the economy reopens.
What is the social welfare department's approach to reducing poverty levels?
-The social welfare department is reviewing programs and tapping other agencies to help the poor. They are also reviewing the list of beneficiaries for the conditional cash transfer program.
How does the social welfare department plan to identify the poorest families?
-The social welfare department plans to work hand in hand with the poverty incident report to identify the poorest families and match them with government programs.
What is the discrepancy between the number of poorest families identified by the social welfare department and the statistics body?
-The social welfare department identified over 5 million poorest families, which is higher than the over 3 million identified by the statistics body.
What is the government's immediate assistance plan for struggling individuals like Leila Tambogon?
-The government's immediate assistance plan for struggling individuals includes the conditional cash transfer program, which Leila Tambogon hopes to receive sooner rather than later.

Outlines

00:00

🌧️ Economic Struggles Amidst Pandemic

Leila Tambogon, a vegetable vendor from the Philippines, faces financial challenges despite the government's Cash Aid. Her husband, a construction worker, struggles to provide for their family of five. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated poverty, with the Philippine Statistics Authority reporting an increase from 16.7% to 18.1% of the population living in poverty between 2018 and 2021. Social Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisagan attributes this to pandemic restrictions, limited mobility, and the lack of regular, productive employment opportunities. The administration aims to reduce poverty by focusing on job creation and economic reopening. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is tasked with identifying the poorest families and aligning them with government assistance programs, including reviewing the Conditional Cash Transfer program's beneficiaries. Leila hopes for timely financial aid to alleviate her family's hardships.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Bad weather

Bad weather refers to unfavorable meteorological conditions that can hinder activities or negatively impact livelihoods. In the video, it is mentioned as not being an issue for Leila from Tambogon, suggesting her resilience despite challenging environmental factors. This term sets the scene for understanding the hardships faced by individuals like Leila.

💡Vegetables

Vegetables are edible plants or parts of plants that are consumed by humans as part of their diet. In the context of the video, Leila sells vegetables, which is her source of income. This keyword is central to the video's theme of livelihood and economic struggle, as it directly relates to Leila's means of supporting her family.

💡Income

Income refers to the money received on a regular basis for work or through investments. In the video, Leila's income from selling vegetables is crucial for her family's survival, highlighting the precarious nature of income sources for many individuals, especially during times of crisis.

💡Construction worker

A construction worker is a person employed in the physical construction of buildings, infrastructure, or other projects. The video mentions Leila's husband as a construction worker, indicating the type of manual labor that is often associated with low wages and unstable employment, contributing to the family's financial struggles.

💡Cash Aid

Cash Aid is financial assistance provided by the government or other organizations to individuals or families in need. The video discusses how Leila is thankful for the Cash Aid from the government, illustrating the role of social welfare in supporting those living in poverty and the importance of such aid in alleviating immediate financial pressures.

💡Poverty

Poverty is the state of being extremely poor, often defined relative to the resources, possessions, and standards of living of others in society. The video reports an increase in poverty rates in the Philippines, with nearly 20 million people living in poverty, emphasizing the widespread economic challenges faced by the population.

💡Health crisis

A health crisis refers to a situation where there is a significant threat to the health of a population, often due to disease outbreaks or other health-related emergencies. The video attributes the increase in poverty to the lingering health crisis, which has led to restrictions, reduced mobility, and consequently, limited earning opportunities for many households.

💡Social economic planning

Social economic planning involves the strategic development and management of a country's economic and social policies to improve the well-being of its citizens. The video mentions the role of the social economic planning secretary, who is tasked with addressing the challenges of poverty and job creation, showcasing the government's efforts to tackle these issues.

💡Job creation

Job creation refers to the process of generating new employment opportunities. The video discusses the government's plan to focus on job creation as a means to reduce poverty, indicating that providing regular and productive employment is seen as a key solution to improving the economic situation for many Filipinos.

💡Conditional cash transfer program

A conditional cash transfer program is a social welfare initiative where cash assistance is provided to eligible families under certain conditions, often related to health, education, or nutrition. The video mentions that the social welfare department is reviewing this program, highlighting the government's efforts to ensure that aid reaches the most vulnerable and to tailor assistance programs effectively.

💡Social welfare department

The social welfare department is a government agency responsible for the administration of social services and welfare programs. In the video, it is noted that the department is reviewing its programs and collaborating with other agencies to assist the poor, demonstrating the role of such departments in addressing and responding to the needs of impoverished communities.

Highlights

Leila from Tambogon is not deterred by bad weather as she prepares to sell vegetables.

Her income from selling vegetables supplements her construction worker husband's earnings.

The family of five relies on government Cash Aid to meet their needs.

Despite aid, the family struggles to survive on limited income.

The health crisis has exacerbated living conditions for many.

Rising prices of basic goods add to the financial burden on families.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority shows an increase in poverty rates from 16.7% to 18.1% between 2018 and 2021.

Nearly 20 million people were living in poverty in 2021, up from 17 million in 2018.

Social Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisagan attributes poverty to the health crisis and limited job access.

The government plans to focus on job creation to alleviate poverty.

The administration aims to reduce poverty as the economy reopens.

The Social Welfare Department acknowledges the challenge of reducing poverty levels.

The department has identified over 5 million of the poorest families in need of assistance.

There is a directive for secretaries to work together to identify and assist those in poverty.

The DSWD is reviewing programs and seeking help from other agencies to support the poor.

The Conditional Cash Transfer program is being reviewed to ensure it reaches those most in need.

People like Leila are hoping for timely Cash Aid to improve their situation.