THIS year’s World Day of the Poor was commemorated by the Catholic Church on Sunday, Nov. 16. In his message titled “You are my hope,” Pope Leo said that helping the poor is a matter of justice before it is a question of charity.
The Pope also quoted Saint Augustine who said “You give bread to a hungry person; but it would be better if none were hungry, so that you would have no need to give it away. You clothe the naked, but would that all were clothed and that there be no need for supply this lack.”
The pontiff said he hopes that the commemoration would encourage the development of policies aimed at combating both old and new forms of poverty, and implementing new initiatives to support and assist the poorest of the poor.
“Labor, education, housing, and health are foundations of a security that will never be attained by the use of arms,” he added.
Predominantly Catholic or not, the Philippines should take these words to heart especially since 50 percent of all families rated themselves poor, according to a Sept. 2025 survey of the Social Weather Stations.
An additional 12 percent rated themselves borderline, placing themselves just at the divide of “poor” and “not poor.” The remaining 38 percent of respondents said they were “not poor.” The Sept. 2025 rate is one percentage point higher than the 49 percent in June but five points lower than the 55 percent rate in April.
The numbers, placed against the backdrop of the corruption scandal in the country, is not only saddening but infuriating. Imagine half the population believing themselves as having little to no access to basic needs and social services. Imagine them experiencing loss and displacement in the event of disasters. In contrast, we only have to remember images of numerous luxury vehicles, piles of cash on the table, and other displays of opulence as a result of the profitable dealings with the government, or of acting on behalf of the government on such transactions.
Filipinos have, for decades, tolerated the effects of poor leadership and corrupt government. These have been responsible for our country’s failure to achieve our true economic potential. Whatever gains we have may be nominal, because improvements are only be felt by those who are not poor in the first place.
But it is the poor who have a rightful claim to the taxes being plundered. As a result of corruption, people have inadequate food, housing, health, and education. They work in unjust conditions because it is either that or have no work at all. They are not able to contemplate the long term because they are stuck with the immediate demands of survival on any given day.
If anybody claims to want to serve this country, they must be asked: what have they done for the poor aside from cosmetic acts of charity, with calculated returns in terms of electoral support?
