hi salve, my company is looking at potential beneficiaries which would need some kind of help (financial or in kind). would you be able to recommend some institutions? please advise. thanks!

i’d like to suggest the sponsoring of students at http://www.worldvision.org.ph; sponsoring two students will cost you less than P1,000 a month

Salve correction lang po: “3.8 million Filipinos or 700 million families”… you meant 700,000 families right?

Definitely not good news. And with world prices for foodstuffs increasing fast things will just get worse. We have to go back to basics - prioritize food production and agricultural livelihood.

Salve,
700 million poor families must be a typo error. Our population is only 88 million. The poverty threshold is P15,000 per capita and the poverty gap is 30% or P4,500 per capita. There are 27 million Filipinos below poverty line. So the total poverty gap is P122 billion per year. That’s the income needed to get 27 million poor Filipinos out of poverty.

P122 B per yr. looks like a big number. But come to think of it. Filipinos send 500 million text messages every day. At P1/txt, that’s P182 B per yr., more than enough to end poverty.

The statistics shows that our country is going nowhere, it is because of our corrupt politician running our government. Every penny they corrupt it will result in a hundred or thousands of families in poverty!

This is a kind of news item that leaves one weak in the knees esp. after I got this email about how much money our congressmen are making. No wonder they go out into the streets trying to sound “right” and “truthful” when the truth is they’re all GREEDY and they merely want to protect their treasure chests! At the expense of who? The lowly, poor Filipino! This is bad…really bad. And sad..Kawawang Pinoy!

tubbykat, just a very quick post. Please consider supporting Synergeia Foundation. The President and CEO is former finance undersecretary Milwida Guevara. Last Tuesday, she just won the Gawad Haydee Yorac Award for her inspiring work in bringing quality basic education to the poorest of the poor. Read my article about her here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080305-122976/Education-reform-advocate-gets-2nd-Gawad-Haydee-Yorac-award
Washington Sycip says about her: I know of no other person who does so much for the country.

you know, tubbykat, I personally know her work and I will vouch for her and her organization. I can set up a meeting if you are interested. Let me know

Salve: I’ve saying it all alone that the so call booming economy Gloria Arroyo, Bragging about nothing but PAD just like she PAD her votes in May 10, 2004. Presidential election to ensure her winning. But nobody believe me,. I’ve saying that if you don’t believe me just wait and see! Thank god, Finally somebody admitted the so call booming economy of Gloria Arroyo, Nothing but lies, Just like she’s been lying to the filipino poeple just about everything in order for her to look good, So that she can continue squatting in Malacanyang Palace. I also been saying if you don’t believe me just wait and see the Philippines economy will collapse before your eyes and you won’t know whats hit you. This my friend will happen if Gloria Arroyo, Continue staying into her stolen power. She give nothing but a lip service to the filipino people, While she and her goons laughing all the way to the bank. I’ll say, Its time to kick her ass out its over due! Ditch her out ora mismo.

Salve,

I also believe education is the key to reducing the number of people below the poverty line…

Just like PI mentioned , we have lots n lots of texters in the Phils..

Maybe Synergiea Foundation can setup a txt account where people can donate “txt currencies” and then converted to real cash to be use in the foundation activity and help out realize our dreams of “much lesser poor country”.

Ex: Txt I wnt 2 Help Synergiea , then send to 2xx for Globe or 1xx for Smart.

Each txt cost 20.00 or more , big chunk of that amount should go to Synergia and the rest for the telco/system.

There are many people using pre-paid cards that has 2 months expiration dates. I think they would rather donate the remaining money on their accounts to Foundations like this rather than have the telco automatically zero out their balance…nakatulong pa sila!

If we can generate 100 , 1000, or more txters, multiply by the frequencies of donation by generous txters that would be a sizeable amount too..

Then this account should be advertise by all of us to help out in our own little ways…

I am in the “getting there” group — getting there in a very difficult way because of the growing cost of living in our country. Maybe I can say I’m in the “getting by” group. I’m sure there are a lot like me — career men and women who have no other dream but to be more comfortable in life, not necessarily rich. While being in this group is difficult in many ways [for one, nobody among our leaders ever thought of defending the rights of the middle class -- it's always the poor.. but ok, I'm just a bit complaining], still this is no excuse for doing nothing to help other people from their misery. For one, we who are “getting there” or “getting by” could at least send 1 child to school. Just imagine if all of us do that. Send at least 1. How many are we? I’ll imagine. That would be amazing. My first own “scholar” is now on his second year in college. Haaayyy. I know I’ll get by.

salve: is there really an end of poverty? what countries have 0 families below poverty line? what is the principle of poverty line measurement? thanks….

Hi Salve,

A can of sardines a day? for a family of six? this is really sad..

just thinking out loud..

if there are fund raising music concerts, why not fund raising financial/investment planning seminar? i think this is an activity that can be set up without too much reliance on providence

some top of mind requirements to organize such an event would be as follows:

venue - maybe we can get an institution to provide it for the cause?

speakers - we can appeal to some experts (maybe doc noet, rex mendoza..) to share their insights for gratis

audience - people (maybe your readers) who are willing to pay a nominal fee to hear the experts

proceeds from this event would then be donated to a charitable cause

this can be an event the bridges the gap between the “haves” and the “have nots”, the “haves” contribute something to gain additional insights to help them become more financially savvy and in the process provide immediate assistance to the “have nots”..

If you think this is something worth pursuing, drop me a line and i can help in organizing it

thanks,

Hi Salve,

Mr. Gonzales’ idea is superb! Hope this will push through. Am currently here in Jeddah, so I can’t be really of assistance. But if ever the event comes to fruition by July, I’ll be willing to lend a hand or perhaps will be one of the “audience”.

Wish this project good luck!!

Thanks,
Cheryl

hi ms. salve,

i can say i am fortunate enough that i work for a company which emphasizes corporate social responsibility. we have partnership with educational institutions and foundations where employees get to share our time teaching for grade school students and commit a chunk of our pay/bonus for our less fortunate kababayans. though i commend the company for sharing some of its resources to others, at the back of my mind there are some reasons why companies do charitable works because of its tax implications. but i more than salute a few of my friends who really oblige themselves to share part of their earnings to give to the needy. one friend recently forwarded an email to help them out for their next activity this summer. i would like to share here their programs:
1. april 2008 - feeding program for children 3-5 years for 50 malnourished children; sponsorship is open for only Php20.00/week/child
2. june 2008 - back to school program - for 30 children ages 4 to 5 years; sponsorship is open for only P50.00/child/month
This project will be launched in San Jose delmonte City, Bulacan.
For those who are willing to sponsor, you may contact Mrs. Carissa Doering at share.ministry@gmail.com or sms her at 0906-5563392. you can also visit their website at http://www.freewebs.com/sharemininstry/

caveat: im still happy to be part of the so many charity works at the office. i found it more fulfilling than having luxuries in life. but i believe it’s just a small step to overcome poverty, if it can be really outdone. on the final analysis, there’s always hope by the grace of God.

I am living in Australia now. Everytime I go back to our country my tears is falling for those people who is living in the streets.One time, I saw a woman with a baby in her arms sleeping in the parking lot. Very, very sad and yet our politicians are just busy talking about corruption.

why not push the government and church to work with controlling population growth?….. our population growth is crazy……and the sad thing those who cant afford are the ones that has more mouths to feed….

Salve,

Our country joined the bandwagon that is capitalism and yet is ill prepared for the one outstanding albeit bitter reality of this enterprise, the “creation” of wealth & the extreme polarity of the rich & the poor as a result. I say strengthen our bases first specifically, agriculture, education & healthcare. I see so many irrigated land being converted to subdivisions & commercial establishments. Our teachers & health workers are going abroad by the thousands each month. In the news it says that the era of cheap food is gone. How are we to go forward when we are hungry? We can’t think well and we become sick easily. Put the chunk of our effort into agriculture, it’s not too late to have the right revolution there. And oh, buy Philippine-made products as much as possible.

Salve - great article. My wife and I are a Fil-Am couple here in the States but plan to return to the Phil’s to retire someday. I am studying the Filipino economy more and more and appreciate your writing. Feel free to visit our website which is a blog entitled “A Fil-Am Journey.” Thanks again.

good day salve,

Instead of letting me wallow on my comfort zone and salve my conscience (pardon the pun), you are getting me discomfitted.

Heck, the poor will remain poor and they will be always with us. And no matter how we perorate about the ills of this society esp. under the Arroyo regime, this will get us nowhere.

The fault lies in all of us. But i would put the bulk of the blame on our elite and the poor. I will absolve the dwindling middle class because I believe I stll precariously belong to it.

I blame our elite because they do not have nationalism or even a tenth of the nationalism of the Korean elite. And they do not have any strategic vision for the good of this beautiful and rich nation of ours. They think like the hacienderos of the old. Exploit the people and the country, bring out the riches, invest it in other country, build villas and castles in Austria, mansions in California and when everythng messes up in this hell-hole, leave the Indios especially the poorest of the poor to kill, murder and maim each other. Instead of poolng their riches together and strive to make our nation an industrialized country, they engaged in distributorship and smuggling and other quick-return-of-money schemes. instead of emulating the elites of Korea and the chaebols, our elites prop up this evil administration. Word of note, if you are familiar with the Korean model, they banded together, pooled their resources and embarked on a convergent vision to industrialize Korea. Now, where has it brought Korea and where is the Philippines in relation to Korea. We share some similarities with Korea. the Southern one. Had our leaders correctly exploited the fear America had for communism, we could have or is industrialized ten years ago. But our elites are idiots and imbeciles compared to the Koreans and maybe the whole Filipino race, you and me included.

I blame the poor because they are so comfortable with being poor that they bear in agony being poor. I like the statment of former Representa thieve Hortensia Starke that the poor do not know how to husband the land given to them by the land reform because they like to remain poor.

I have friends and acquaintances who have been in the underground and they realized that the Flips are not worth fighting for. You could maybe imagine a doctor, or a teacher, or an engineer who sacrificed a petty-bourgeois life to serve the people they called they endearingly term the masses. They teach the masses basic education, help them improve their hygiene, organize them so they can bargain with traders and middlemen, etc. and yet for a thousand pesos or for a cel phone turn them over to the military and worse treacherously kill them.

so bleeding heart, where do we go from here. Until such time the poor will realize that the selfish myopic elites of this country will not liberate them from poverty, until they realize that people power will only result to musical chair of the same corrupt, selfish, puppet president, until they realze that popular elections will only result to change of faces in the different elecive positions and will not reflect the true will of the people, until they realize that only the rich and those supported by the same selfish, myopic, un-patriotic elites, until they realize that they have to rise up in revolt against the elites and the system they prop up. And until we as a people realize that we have to change ourselves, nothing in the next three hundred years will bring change for the better in this country.

Leo Steven

Its because no one takes the blame and takes real responsibility. It’s always someone else who is at fault. Me? - no never. That kind of attitude.

My 2 centavoses: curb population and strengthen education. Sprinkle a bit of national responsibility too.

Oh and we should also ask ourselves, what are we going to do about it? Aside from blaming others.

I agree with the comments about curbing population control. If parents can’t provide proper food, shelter and clothing then why are they being allowed to have more children who will most likely have the same mentality as their parents?

I am a Catholic but I don’t agree with the stand of the church with regards to population control. Kung wala ka maipakain, di gumamit ng contraceptives. I myself have a hard time deciding on a second child, sure I can feed them but that’s not all they need.

Coming from humble beginnings myself, I think there has to be a change of attitude for Filipinos. People who are poor will remain poor if they just keep saying “buti pa kayo”, it should be kaya ko rin yan!” Each individual should try their damnest best to alleviate themselves and not just wait for a hero to come along.

my eyes are watery reading that story about how a poor family in the Philippines survive the day, how could a person even feels pride and dignity if his stomach is crumbling, i believe we are a nation of bayanihan, but we stop doing it after hearing how our government and politician use this fund to serve their own interest.

is it our culture? endemic in our times?funny fact but its true that juan dela cruz would skip meal just for a load(text). is it their fault too?
chicken or the egg?

Lets help the poor by providing them the very basic food and shelter, yes we the readers, not the government, these children need food period. water period. shelter period.

Ms salve you might want to open an online donation corner so your viewer can just click and give anywhere in the world.

just give period.

Hello to everybody and thanks to our friend who already mentioned our ministry earlier.

The website is online now
http://www.shareministry.net

We started our feeding program last Thursday March 27. And also a doctor was around to examine the conditions of the children. Result: Out of 37 present children - 28 are showing signs of the primary complex and 80% are malnourished.

Please visit our website and share whatever you can .. thoughts, prayers, our website and finances.

God bless!

ShareMinistry

As expected, poverty will get worse and worst! Philippine economic plans is just always looking on a short term benefits. How selfish our govertment is.

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