"This pandemic is truly a test of our creativity and resourcefulness."
The Social Weather Stations (SWS) July survey on joblessness indicated that 45.4 percent of the adult population in the Philippines has become jobless. Half of this was attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. These translate to 27.3 million and 13.65 million jobless Filipinos, respectively.
Among those who became jobless during the pandemic, 23 percent were in the urban areas while 18 percent were in rural areas. Some 23 percent were in Luzon, 19 percent in Visayas and also in Mindanao, and 18 percent were in the National Capital Region (NCR).
Government data show a different and better picture. On September 4, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), as of April of this year, 17.7 percent or 7.3 million adult Filipinos became jobless. On the other hand, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said that based on their records, only 3.3 million Filipinos lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
We can readily say that the difference in these numbers is huge. 13.65 million per SWS, 7.3 million according to PSA, and 3.3 million from DOLE. However, if we take a closer look at the numbers, we will notice that the SWS did its survey in the first week of July, the PSA number is only as of April when the lockdown was still in its first month, and the DOLE report is only based on employers’ submissions and we do not know how many employers did submit. We know that more of the lay-offs happened after the first month of lockdown.
The difference between SWS and PSA numbers would not be as big if the timeframe is the same. Finally, to me, the least reliable source of the three is DOLE. This is not because the number is wrong but because of the many unknown factors about the reported numbers.
At this point, the numbers are surely even higher.
How do our people cope? Definitely, for the poorest among us, the meager amount of government assistance is not enough. Whatever kind of mathematics we use, P6,000.00 cannot suffice for even the basic needs of a Filipino family for even a month. Those in the middle and upper classes do not get any State support and have to find other sources of livelihood. This pandemic is truly a test of our creativity and resourcefulness.
My NGO has been conducting focus group discussions with community women and the effects of the pandemic on them and their families are discussed among other issues. While the FGDs have not been completed, reports from women in Quezon City, Bulacan, Laguna, and Quezon Province have been consistent. Family members who used to have regular jobs are now unemployed. Those engaged in informal work have also been seriously affected. Most sources of earnings have stopped and whatever small capital they had is now gone because of family survival. The poverty they experience now is worse than before.
By sheer necessity, people are trying to find, or are engaging in alternative sources of livelihood. This is done across economic classes primarily using online platforms. The use of internet technology is something that ordinary women have to learn and are trying to. In our FGDs, a good number of poor women particularly in rural areas said that selling is now their families’ major source of income. Many have started selling food they cook in their neighborhoods. Gardening, which used to be a hobby is now a livelihood activity as they also join the “plantita/plantito” craze.
Even in Metro Manila, food is sold left and right online. A few friends took online professional cooking classes and are now marketing their creations. An engineer friend learned baking and now sells his breads, cookies, and pastries. Another engineer friend now flies fruits from Davao and sells them in the Metro. A few friends who have farms have been selling their harvests. Plants and gardening supplies are marketed online by numerous sellers. An enterprising teen mother buys clothes from ukay-ukay near their community and resells them online targeting other young people who do a lot of videos for Tiktok.
I have seen a few acquaintances working in the development sector who, unknown to me, are artists too, again take out their brushes and paint to create art for selling.
These are difficult times in many respects and people are trying to cope and survive using their own means, talents, and skills. It will be quite hard to sustain without government intervention. Every day, more and more Filipinos join the millions of unemployed. Poverty level is skyrocketing. Businesses are shrinking and many are closing.
As already said several times by President Duterte, his administration no longer has money for those needing assistance. In fact, the bigger part of the proposed national budget for 2021 will be sourced from borrowing. Sure, the government intends to already open the economy. However, doing this should be coupled with strong measures for COVID-19 prevention. Government must also create jobs and not only rely on the private sector that is already very severely affected.
While joblessness should be arrested, the government and all of us must continue to arrest the pandemic.
@bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook