"The benefits of social programs should have trickled down by now."
In a Philippine Statistics Authority survey covering the first semester of 2018, poverty incidence was reported at 21 percent, lower by 6.6 percentage points from 2015. Self-rated poverty among the population was at 38 percent based on the SWS survey conducted last March. Reports have also noted that employment rate increased in the first quarter of 2019.
Despite the improvements in statistics, however, many Filipinos have expressed their difficulty in coping with the increasing prices of goods and lack of livelihood opportunities, especially in the rural areas.
The administration boasts of its Build, Build, Build program which is aimed to hasten infrastructure development in the country. It has been said that infrastructure development paves the way for economic growth. For instance, farm-to-market roads in the rural areas, especially those linking far-flung barangays to the town proper, play a major role in ensuring that goods and services are available and accessible to the communities. Not only do these roads boost livelihood, but it also allows employment opportunities to enter and reach far-flung areas. Undoubtedly, FMRs bring progress closer to the people.
However, not all areas are given equal attention in these infrastructure projects. It is saddening that proposed projects such as the FMRs in provinces do not get the same priority as the urban infra projects. There are reported delays in the release of funds in provinces despite the allocated budget in the General Appropriations Act. There are no actual disbursements and payments made. The government reports of its increased expenditures, but sadly, these are concentrated in the metro.
This lamentable situation in the rural areas not only produces an imbalance in the agricultural output of the country but also affects the living conditions of our farmers, fisherfolk, and the surrounding communities. I am hopeful that the administration will attend to the other aspects of governance that needs to be focused on, such as the economic conditions of our fellow Filipinos. On the war on drugs, for example, it is undeniable that illegal drug use is related to poverty. The poverty-stricken are forced to resort to drugs to make a living. The government should understand that unless poverty is resolved and eradicated, and unless big-time drug dealers are caught, then these small-time drug users and pushers will continue to exist.
Hence, what we need is an economic boost in the countryside and rural areas. The government needs to address the delays in the bidding and disbursement of funds for the immediate commencement of these infrastructure projects. I repeat my call to the Department of Finance to facilitate the expeditious release of funds to the implementing agencies. These funds should be spent and mobilized to get projects going and to avoid corruption. I am urging the different heads of government agencies to look closer and see the plight of our fellow Filipinos in the grassroots level. Three years into the administration, the benefits of social programs should have trickled down by now.