Proposals on how to reduce poverty pushed

By Rose de la Cruz

At least two House lawmakers proposed ways to reduce the 11.1 million people who rated themselves poor in the recent survey of Octa Research Group of UP. Among them are: creating at least 2 million net new jobs per year to reduce the 11.1 million to 5 million in 4 to 7 years and for corporations and medium enterprises (in tandem with local governments) to hire fit-to-work and willing senior citizens to take them away from poverty and hunger.

The proposals were broached by Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes (Senior Citizen partylist) and Rep. Christine Alexie Besas Tutor (Bohol, 3rd district) amid yawning poverty and food insecurity and increasing inflation. 

“I call upon corporations and medium-sized enterprises to work in tandem with local governments on the hiring of fit-to-work seniors to help reduce poverty and hunger, especially in cities and towns with high population density and high poverty incidence,” Ordanes said in a statement.

The seniors hiring model program of the City of Manila can serve as a benchmark for the country’s other 147 cities to follow, he suggested.

Ordanes explained that if each of the 148 cities of the country can produce 1,000 jobs for seniors in a year, that is already 148,000 jobs created, even if only for temporary six-month periods.

He added that if each of the 1,486 municipalities creates at least 50 jobs for seniors, that is another 74,300 new jobs.

For seniors with special skills and a wealth of experience, short-term employment contracts or consultancies can help keep them active, provide for some of their daily needs, and improve their self-esteem, he stressed.

Many seniors in their 60s still want to and can work. It is a matter of matching them with the right companies with solid corporate social responsibility programs. 

Tutor said if the Marcos administration is truly determined to ease, if not completely erase, poverty and lead the country to its aspired goal of upper middle income status, it must create at least 2 million new net jobs per year to ensure that all people are gainfully earning income.

This was the suggestion of Rep. Kristine Alexie Besas Tutor (Bohol, 3rd district), who chairs the Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation of the House, cited the OCTA Research Group of UP’s survey that says self-rated poverty now stands at 11.1 million.

Wiping out poverty by creating jobs for the poor and hungry is a daunting mission that would take many years to do. 

“I believe the goal should be creating at least 2 million net new jobs every year to bring down 11.1million serlf-rated poor to 5 million in 4 to 7 years,” she said in a statement.

“As I said in my recent speech at the International Women’s Day at the House, it is easier to create jobs for women. Housewives can work part-time from home or in their neighborhoods. Micro enterprises, social enterprises, and online selling will suit the particular circumstances of housewives,” she continued.

For single adult women and older teenagers, seasonal employment can help, but they need permanent jobs more, so seasonal employment should be oriented toward giving them work that qualifies them for stable, permanent jobs, she added.

Temporary and seasonal jobs can only improve the poverty and job statistics in passing. Sustainable low-investment livelihood programs are among the permanent solutions.

This is where the Small Business Corporation and other government financial institutions can have the most impact. This year the national government subsidy to SBC is P1 billion. This subsidy can be increased in the 2025 budget if the SBC can prove it has the absorptive capacity to process P2 billion or more worth of microlending and small loans.