Pondering the prospects of overseas workers in Kuwait who may have to go back home due to the current diplomatic controversy, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said: “I think if you’re hardworking, you won’t go hungry in the Philippines.”
The statement elicited adverse reactions from the public, especially since most of the millions who decide to find jobs in other countries do so exactly because they could not find sustainable work here that would provide comfort, security and upward mobility to their families.
Diokno is highly regarded for his competence and objectivity as an economist. He should know better —which is why the statement came off as both callous and surprising.
The Secretary of course provided context—the government’s Build, Build, Build program—for his words. “We need more warm bodies… We need more electricians. We need more engineers. Some teachers, yes, we can absorb them.”
He stays silent however on the job opportunities the thousands of domestic workers can expect to find here when they return.
The statement rankles because it implies that those who cannot find work here, or those who go hungry, are not doing enough and are not hardworking—in short, indolent.
Arguably, this will be true in some instances, not because they are lazy Filipinos but because as anywhere, there are people who are more driven than others to make their lives better, and who do not give up easily even when they face setbacks.
We would like to believe however that all things being equal, most people would want to be driven, hardworking and self-reliant, able to imagine upward mobility for themselves.
Unfortunately, things are not equal, and starting points are diverse. Some Filipinos are able to focus on improving their skills and establishing a viable career path, because the basic requirements of food, shelter, clothing, and education are already taken care of.
They are a minority.
Most Filipinos have to struggle with basic necessities. There is not enough food on the table, there is nowhere to live, education is a luxury. And because energy is finite, they are worn down by the daily struggle, with little left for everything else. The cycle is indeed, vicious.
The Budget Secretary is steeped in the workings of economic theory and may have not had the opportunity to converse with real people and their real struggles. Instead of hinting that the poor are not working hard enough, Diokno—the entire administration—should themselves work hard to provide opportunities so that Filipinos could narrow the privilege gap and have equally fair shots at improving their lives.