Notes: Poverty and Development – Part 4

As a development worker working and traveling in developing countries, I noticed one common and disturbing theme: POVERTY. For me, poverty is THE development issue. It has been a perennial problem that majority of the world’s population faces. But the lack of impact of development efforts on developing countries, despite the years and the billions of dollars spent on programs makes me wonder if development programs helping poor countries as intended or are they fostering dependency on international aid, corruption within the government and consequently, furthering poverty and underdevelopment? This has led me to one major question: what have we not done right?

This is the last part of my effort at examining the historical development trends and progress, with a focus on the Philippines.

WHAT HAVE WE NOT DONE RIGHT?
It is needless to say that capitalism prioritizes profit over everything else. Thus, it is only natural that capitalist-led development further encourages materialism and colonial mentality among Filipinos. Land conversions to give way to urbanization and industrialization went unchecked at the expense of food availability and environmental sustainability.

Despite warnings against natural resources depletion and degradation, indiscriminate logging and fishing for profit continues to destroy the ecological balance of upland, lowland and coastal ecosystems, leading to floods, soil erosion, siltation and endangerment, even extinction, of biological species. In their desire to join the export band wagon deemed to be more profitable, more farmers have turned to cash crop production oriented towards markets abroad, leaving the needs of the local people unmet and the local market weak.

The grassroots cooperatives, credit and livelihood programs implemented with funds from international donors were aimed at alleviating the financial situation of families and communities. Yet, development interventions somehow forgot to include the financial institutions’ regard for small debtors in the equation.

Despite evidence that poor people can also be responsible debtors as evidenced in the high repayment rates of credit programs, banks and other institutional lenders still ignore these people’s requests for loans to either start or expand a business. Poor people are left to the mercy of loan sharks who demand excessively high interest rates on loans which eventually lead debtors to either close and sell their businesses and other properties, or plunge them deeper in debt, or both.

The drive towards increasing access to education for all children indeed resulted to high literacy rate. But as illustrated earlier, this was not complemented with an increase in employment and business opportunities. The Philippine education system is basically employment-oriented, specifically urban employment. It fails to encourage rural occupation, environmental concern, entrepreneurship and diversification of capital.

Instead, it encourages Filipinos to put all their eggs in one basket – employment. It promotes the idea that employment, especially in multinational/international corporations within the country, or any other employment outside the country is the only way to ensure an income and bring them out of poverty. The swelling number of middle class comprised mostly of OFWs and professionals are helpless in the face of unemployment despite having some savings. This lack of initiative to invest in the country is further aggravated by the government’s ineptitude to encourage investment and promote business opportunities for the middle class.

Materialism and commercialism, both prerequisites and by-products of capitalism have bred greed and undermined positive Filipino values and traditions. Wealth became the sole measure of a man’s worth regardless of its source or the means by which it was acquired. Corruption in all levels and across all branches of the government is rampant. OFWs see each other as competitors for employment, leading to widespread distrust, skepticism, cynicism and conflict among Filipinos abroad. The Filipino value of putting the family’s needs and interests first still remains. Yet, the traditional values and practices of community cooperation (bayanihan), altruism and nationalism (pagmamalasakit sa kapwa at sa bansa), and even protection of the environment (pangangalaga sa kalikasan) are slowly deteriorating.

Donor-driven capitalist-led development in the Philippines for more than half a century has only made Philippine development highly dependent on external funding and markets. It has failed to ensure the sustainability of development. It has somehow made development as the goal in itself instead of treating it as an evolutionary process that needs to be sustained.

And this is what we have not done right in all the years and efforts on development in the Philippines. What makes it more alarming is that this is still the kind of development that is being pursued in all developing and underdeveloped countries by international development movers from the capitalist nations.

This is the last part of the Notes on Poverty and Development post. I would like to clarify that these are just my views, and mine alone. You are welcome to comment on the topic and issues discussed herein...