Maica Fetalino BSA II-A

REFLECTION

Poverty is one of the biggest challenges in our country. Many previous presidents have promised to reduce
the poverty rate in the country but so far this is still one of the challenges facing by the country. Because of
poverty, there’s a gap created between the income of lower class and upper class. Some factors that influence in
income inequality are the rising proportion of the urban household, the age distribution changes, the increasing
number of highly educated household, and wage rate inequality. Government implemented various programs to
help in reducing the poverty rate in the country that help also in reducing income inequality; the government has
focusing on education, healthcare and the overall economy in combating poverty in the Philippines.
One of the ways that government provide in combatting the poverty is by providing greater access to
education. Through education people gain skills and knowledge that help them to get a better job and to get a fair
income like other who received enough for their service, so there’s an increase in job opportunities that will help
also in combatting the poverty. Thus, the Philippine signed in the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education
Act in 2017; the goal of this is to inspire more people to enroll in higher education and to lessen education
inequality. Also, the aims of this act are to lessen the dropout rate in higher education and to promote that
education is available for everyone.
Another one is by providing greater access to healthcare. In 2019, President Duterte signed the Universal
Healthcare Act. This act provides access to healthcare by enrolling citizen to National Insurance Program.
Although this act is not free at all but those unfortunate families may have a better access to health services. One of
the actions that government doing to ensure the effectiveness of this act is to allocate more funds to Phil-health
which will help in enhancing the services and lower the cost of the medicines that can be afford by those in poverty
especially to those whose income is not enough to sustain everything that they need.
Next, is by providing family aid. In 2007, the government implemented Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino
Program (4Ps), this program provide conditional cash to the poorest for able for them to have a good health,
nutrition and education. But then, this program has certain requirements, and if the government sees that the family
who is part of this program is not utilizing the cash properly, they have also the right to remove that family in the
program. This program helps 20 million Filipinos, and 9 million out of 20 million are all children. This program
helps in reducing the poverty in the country by reaching 20% of the nation’s population.
Also, the government provide plan for economic improvement. The strategy of strengthening the economy
is one of the actions that are made by the government in reducing the poverty in the country. In 2019, President
Duterte signed the Rice Tariffication Law, the purpose of this law is to promote about patronizing local rice than
imported rice, that’s why government put 35% tariff on imported rice. Rice Tariffication Law aims to benefits the
local farmers, by giving them a competitive and well organize system when it comes to agriculture. Lastly, in 2017
under Duterte’s administration they create build, build, build infrastructure. The main goal of this is to complete 75
project of Duterte, including to this is the new public transportation and the airport renovation. The government
believed that improving infrastructure will stimulate the economy and will create more jobs that will help in
reducing the poverty in the country.
In conclusion, this policies that is implemented by the government may not be enough to combat or reduce
poverty and income inequality but then it’s a good action, since it has a good indicators that it is effective. All we
need to do is to continue to do this thing and add more policies and program that may help in faster eradication of
poverty and income inequality in our country.

REFERENCE:
Estudillo, J. (1997). Income Inequality in the Philippines. https://www.ide.go.jp/library/English/

Publish/Periodicals/De/pdf/97_01_04.pdf

“Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program | GOVPH.” Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines, 2020,

www.officialgazette.gov.ph/programs/conditional-cash-transfer/#:%7E:text=The%20Pantawid

%20Pamilyang%20Pilipino%20Program,of%20children%20aged%200%2D18.

Project, Borgen. “Combating Poverty in the Philippines.” The Borgen Project, 25 Sept. 2020,

borgenproject.org/poverty-in-the-philippines-3.