Group proposes “radical” measure to uplift poor
NEWS RELEASE
20 April 2010
As the presidential campaigns seem to have descended into a morass of personal attacks and mudslinging, the urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) urges the candidates: Stick with the real issues, please.
And along these lines, the group proposes a radical, although not entirely unheard-of, framework to immediately address the poor's fast-sinking living conditions: direct state support for the unemployed and underemployed, through unemployment benefits and the setting-up of 'unemployment offices' throughout the country.
“Instead of bickering about psychiatric tests and whatnot, the presidential candidates should discuss how they plan to deliver immediate relief to the millions of our country's long-suffering poor. This is one such proposal, which we hope they would seriously consider,” said Carlito Badion, Kadamay vice chair.
There are 2.8 million unemployed persons in the country, according to the January 2010 Labor Force Survey of the National Statistics Office (NSO), with another 19.7 million underemployed (seeking more work). Other independent sources have placed the unemployment figure much higher, however, with the IBON Foundation estimating that there are 4.1 million unemployed, while the latest SWS survey (June 2009) indicates that as much as 10 million of work-seeking adults are unemployed.
“The root of poverty is unemployment. And as it is the government's responsibility to secure decent and sustainable employment for its citizens, so should it be its responsibility to support the unemployed or those that do not earn enough to sustain their families,” said Badion.
Benefits for the unemployed as a state program is not entirely new, as it has long been implemented in several other countries. It may, however, be considered 'radical' here, says the group, “given our governments' history of letting each one fend for himself, never mind his and his family's welfare.”
As an initial measure, the group suggests that the government use its own 'poverty threshold' in determining how much a family needs, which stands at P10,000 a month in the NCR.
“Of course, this is obscenely low,” said Badion. “But it says much about a government that cannot beat even its low poverty threshold. In the NCR, if you have two minimum wage earners (at P382 a day), a family will still not meet the P10,000 a month threshold.”
DOLE statistics show that a total of 1,124,000 persons (23.2% of the labor force) in the NCR are either unemployed or underemployed.
Unemployment offices
To further emphasize the state's obligation to the unemployed and underemployed, the group proposes that 'unemployment offices' be set up around the country, with the duty of registering all unemployed and underemployed persons in the area and actively finding work for them.
“The strategy is two-pronged,” said Badion. “If the government does not want to lose vast amounts of money supporting the unemployed, then it has to bear the burden of making sure that they no longer stay that way. With an efficient registry, it can monitor who finds work, who falls out of work, and who should be paid and how much.”
In any case, he added, the burden of finding work should not squarely fall upon the jobseeker, “who already has his poor family to contend with.” Badion noted the various costs that one has to pay to look for a formal job, which leads many among the poor to simply find “odd and low-earning” types of livelihood.
The group admits that the proposal is at an “infant, conceptual” stage, yet this is where the presidential aspirants come in. “These people have all sorts of consultants, educated minds hashing out their campaigns. Instead of cooking up more and more devious ways to demean their opponents, they should study this proposal, and see how they can implement it,” said Badion. “These are the things that they should talk about, instead of cheap and meaningless mudslinging."
The campaign for state support for the unemployed and underemployed, the group adds, is only the first of a series of demands and proposals that Kadamay will launch as the country (“hopefully”, they contend) prepares for a new leader after the May elections. These campaigns will relate to longstanding problems of unemployment, housing, food security, and basic social services. ##
Reference Carlito Badion, Kadamay Vice Chair | 0939.387.3736
For further details, please contact Jon Vincent Marin, Kadamay PIO | 0910.975.7660
No comments:
Post a Comment