Roi Anthoni B. Lomotan
DUMAGUETE CITY, June
12 (PIA) – Filipinos should be liberated from the bondages of poverty to
achieve and enjoy genuine freedom.
This was the main
thought of Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) Officer in Charge Dr. Peter
Dayot’s message to Dumagueteños in celebration of the Philippines’ 117th
Independence Day Anniversary today.
Dr. Dayot is the
keynote speaker at the Independence Day Anniversary commemoration rites at
Quezon Park, Dumaguete City.
Dayot highlighted the
Filipino struggle against poverty and the role of everyone to fully reduce it
if not totally eradicate it.
Dayot said poverty is
the biggest challenge the country is facing today with more than a quarter of
the national population belonging to the poor sector.
He believes poverty is
an effect of the country’s many unresolved problems which include lack of
quality education, inequitable justice, overpopulation, corruption, apathy,
weak employment generation, underdeveloped agricultural sector and many others.
However, he cited lack
of quality education, corruption in the government and overpopulation as the
major causes of poverty.
“While survey results
strongly link poverty levels to educational attainment and lack of quality
education, it also identified corruption in the government and overpopulation
as major causes of poverty,” Dayot tells his audience.
According to him,
while elementary education is free and compulsory it was found that only about
75% of relevant age students attend school. The remaining 25% do not attend.
The usual reason given
to this non-attendance is financial distress. Other reasons are the absence of
the school in the area and lack of government support.
In the case of
corruption, Dayot noted that the prevalence of corruption seems to be a common
knowledge to all but it is interesting to note that many of the poor people
consider it normal for a high government official and members of his family to
acquire wealth and become very rich during his tenure of office.
But still he stresses
that corruption not only hurts a nation but also increases the number of the
poor.
On the other hand,
overpopulation has became a major factor in the widespread poverty in the
Philippines since it places the government in a difficult situation in the
delivery of basic services such as health, education, water supply,
sanitation and others, Dayot adds.
Dayot pointed out that
these problems stop the Filipino people from attaining and enjoying genuine
freedom and national development.
“Whether we won a
genuine independence that our forefathers have shed blood for has remained
a matter of incessant debate. Some sectors of the society say we won a genuine
independence while others say we did not,” he said.
Dayot however,
acknowledged the efforts of government to combat poverty and its other related
problems.
He recognized the
government’s Conditional Cash Transfer program as a good strategy to augment
the income of poor families and improve the welfare of children and their
families.
Aside from this, he
also noted the efforts of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) for their sacrifices
and for helping keep the economy afloat with their remittances.
He also cited teachers
and health care providers especially those assigned in hinterland areas as
modern heroes who help deliver basic services and serve marginalized families.
Dayot reminded
Dumagueteños to be heroes in their very unique way by playing a positive role
in the battle against lack of quality education, corruption, bad governance and
population explosion.
“As we engage
ourselves in this fight, let us be invigorated by the fact that as Filipinos we
have rich history and cultural heritage to conserve, a national identity and
pride to preserve and a sense of purpose to secure,” he concluded.
(mbcn/ral/PIA7-Negros Oriental)