Republic of the Philippines

PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY

Goa, Camarines Sur

College of Arts and Sciences

Name of Campus/College

Society, Poverty and Criminality

Name of Student: CHRISTIAN C. PACAMARRA Week No:12______________________________

Course Code: SOCIO1____________________ Name of Faculty: Earl John C. Hernandez________
Course Title: General Sociology__________________

Write a short (150-180 words) comparative essay by connecting the documentary film, Street
Children in the Philippines and to your personal experiences or observations of poverty (and
criminality) in the country. Relate these experiences as well to the present-day realities in the
context of COVID-19.
According to a report published on April 15, 2021, there are an estimated 250,000 homeless
street children among the 4.5 million homeless persons in the Philippines, which have a
population of 110 million people. Additionally, they live as if they are garbage to be discarded,
and their rights are abused on a daily basis by officials that are meant to protect and assist
them..... (From UCA NEWS) Poverty was already prevalent in our nation prior to the outbreak of
the pandemic. As we confront a pandemic in this day and time, I believe this virus is one of the
reasons why the Philippines' economy is continuing to deteriorate. Although the government is
doing its duty, we cannot deny that the current administration is focused on reducing
criminality and drug addiction, rendering the poor, particularly street children, vulnerable to
authority abuse.
Furthermore, corruption is the root cause of poverty. According to Cabanatuan City resident
Germi Sison...(PHILSTAR), "there are numerous reasons of poverty in the Philippines, but
corruption is the mother of all primary causes of poverty." Peace and order might have been
restored long ago if the AFP had not been corrupted. Our farmers may have had a higher
output if the fertilizer fraud had not occurred. Without corruption, the state might have offered
better education to the youth, who could have helped to improve the country. Public
transportation drivers may have been reprimanded and paid more if the LTO and traffic
enforcers were not corrupt. Without corruption, the state might have built more industries that
produced more required goods, created more jobs, and reduced poverty. Without poverty,
people could have been busy with livelihood activities and if they were busy, they could have
had fewer children to feed.”
We can see that the pandemic is a concern, but corruption is also prevalent in every
department or organization in the Philippines. Instead of completing their jobs and taking
 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

responsibility for the welfare of our nation, they participate in various forms of corruption. As a
result of these issues, there are more disadvantaged families and less access to education and
health care. And at last, the Philippines is experiencing a high percentage of unemployed
Filipinos as a result of the pandemic; according to the Philippine Statistics and Authority, the
country's unemployed persons increased from 3.88 million in August 2021 to 4.25 million in
August 2022, resulting in an unemployment rate of 8.9 percent. This was the highest
unemployment rate since January 2021.
I feel that the difficulties that every family faces are partly the result of the government's
insatiable hunger for money and refusal to enact better policies for Filipino families, particularly
children and young orphans. We need a good program, and we should not focus on projects
that will not alleviate our countrymen's tremendous poverty.
 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

Reference list:
Published: April 15, 2021 10:24 AM GM

Author: UCA NEWS

https://www.ucanews.com/news/the-philippines-throwaway-street-children/92119#

Author: PHILSTAR

Published: April 29, 2011 | 12:00am

https://www.philstar.com/inbox-world/2011/04/29/680173/what-major-cause-poverty-philippines

Reference Number: 2021-446

Release Date:

Thursday, November 4, 2021

https://psa.gov.ph/content/unemployment-rate-september-2021-estimated-89-
percent#:~:text=Unemployment%20Rate%20in%20September%202021,8.9%20Percent%20%7C
%20Philippine%20Statistics%20Authority