Poverty

POVERTY is the opposite of human development, which the Human Development Report (HDR) 2011 defines as the “expansion of people’s freedoms and capabilities to lead lives that they value and have reason to value”. It limits human freedom, as Amartya Sen would say, and this can be attributed largely to “unequal access to capabilities”.

If one lives in a place where the natural capital is depleted (practically nearly the entire Philippines), then one suffers (both the rich and the poor) from an environment that is not conducive for human survival, unless one migrates to a greener pasture. If one is born out of a poor family, then one has to suffer the consequences of being born in that predicament, unless any of the following happens: a child has the capability to finish school and becomes highly competent or learn a skill; a parent sacrifices to ensure that a child finishes school or learns a skill, and a member of the family, clan, community, society or the government provides support to the child.

There is always a sufficient reason why a poor person is born and suffers the consequences of such fate. A material cause can be the parents. A formal cause can be high fertility. The efficient cause can be the decision of the poor parents to beget a child despite their poverty. The final cause can be the limited vision of the poor parents in producing a child they could not nurture and educate. The instrumental cause can be the failure of the members of the community or society to become each other’s keeper.