the poor in the philippines: some insights from psychological research

MA. TERESA TUASON

“THE POOR IN THE PHILIPPINES: SOME

INSIGHTS FROM PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH”

WHAT IS POVERTY?

“living on less than $1 a day” –(World Bank)

It is a state of being poor or indigent.

It is a situational condition contributing to the possibility of further negative outcomes and consequences for people in abject poverty.

Perceptions of POVERTY:

CULTURAL CAUSES:

• OVERPOPULATION•LACK OF SEXUAL IMPULSE CONTROL• LAZY ATTITUDES OF THE POOR

SOCIAL CAUSES:

•LOW LEVELS OF EDUCATION•LOW INCOME•LOW MOTIVATION FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT

THAT CREATE, MAINTAIN, AND

WORSEN POVERTY IN PHILIPPINES

PROBLEMS

HOMELESSNESS AND SUB-HUMAN LIVING CONDITIONS

Urban growthDeteriorating

economy

PEOPLE TEND TO LIVE IN SLUMS.

OVERCROWDING!

lack of privacy is linked to depression and other negative psychological

outcomes; overcrowding contributes

to psychological frustrations which, in

turn, have a bearing on behavioral responses and residents’ ability to cope

with the conditions;

MARGINALISATION FROM ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SOCIETY

The Philippines is known to be the 12th most populous country in the world.

OVERPOPULATIONUNEMPLOYMENT

POVERTY in the Philippines

OTHER PROOFS OF POVERTY IN THE PHILIPPINES

MENTAL AND PHYSICAL AND HEALTH CARE DEFICIENCIES

FAMILY STRESS

OVERSEAS WORKING

CHILDREN’S EXPERIENCES OF ASSAULT ON THEIR BASIC NEEDS

STREET CHILDREN

THE BOTTOMLINE IS:

The poor in the Philippines are the effects of governmental deficiencies in our societies.

Poverty is not only due to the causes of the government but it can also be part of the society. Especially on the attitudes and cultures of the society.

NEGATIVE EMOTIONS DUE TO POVERTY

ANGERSELF-PITYENVYFEARPAIN

"UTANG NA LOOB" “SUWERTE”

Referred to carrying a feeling of indebtedness to people who had helped them.

It was regarded as something showered upon people. – God’s mercy or their rare good fortune.

CULTURAL VALUES

"BAHALA NA" “PAGPUPUNYAGI”

Culturally defined attribution to fate.

Letting go and acknowledging one’s lack of control of things.

Working hard for such conditions.

CULTURAL VALUES

"PAKIKIPAGKAPWA" “STRONG FAMILY TIES”

Reliance on others and social security

Value of togetherness had become an integral part of living of Filipinos.

CULTURAL VALUES

“FROM RAGS TO RICHES”

MODEL OF THE COPING PROCESSES

CONCLUSION

Through research that has been carried out on destitution in the Philippines, we sought to understand poverty. It is said that the powerful and oppressive societal and global structures that keep people poor are prevalent graft and corruption in government, lack of poverty alleviation efforts and global issues such as, exploitation by multinational companies. Therefore, it’s our responsibility to expand on poverty’s alleviation efforts and to eradicate poverty, at the individual and community levels.

“Without a caring society, without each citizen voluntarily accepting the weight of responsibility, government is destined to grow even larger, taking more of your money, burrowing deeper into your lives.”

REFERENCES:

http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Manny_Villar

http://pds.sagepub.com/content/22/2/299www.adb.org/documents/books/

poverty-in-the-philippines/chap6.pdfwww.mb.com.ph/articles/289852/understandi

ng-philippine-poverty

www.preda.org/en/news/human.../the-roots-of-philippine-poverty/