Philip Emmanuel C Penaflor

Rethinking Hope and Peace Philip Emmanuel C Penaflor

Poverty in the Philippines is essentially the result of a traditional political system perpetrated by political dynasties who lack a vision for a greater good beyond their selfish interests. This system is perpetuated by the people's indifference and apathy, and their own lack of a common vision. The difficult task of social change to break the vicious cycle of poverty can be initiated by the need to have a vision as a people and agree on what they want to achieve as a nation. This vision should be encapsulated in the Constitution. The new Constitution should outlaw political dynasties as imperative to break the oligarchy's stranglehold of the country's political, economic and cultural processes. Strategies should be put in place, especially in the education sector, whether formal or informal, to make the people realize the negative implications of indifference and apathy and to enable them to commit to change.