Ten People. Ten Views. One Blog.

by Ann Rency Custodio

In a quick survey conducted by the group assigned to check on the Livelihood sector of the Brgy. Lumanggan Miagao, it was found out that most of its residents depend on farming as the main source of living. Most of them are tenants of other people’s land, who depend on the small percentage of share during the harvest seasons. The most disturbing part is that higher percentage of the respondents has a higher daily expenditure than its daily income and there are some whose daily income is just enough for its daily expenditure, but no respondents proclaimed that their daily income is higher than its daily expenditure, which is an indicator that poverty is prevalent in the place. Having a lesser income than the amount of money essential for one’s daily needs could result to small but worst forms of human deprivation, such as hunger.

When asked, if there is any projects or programs by the Municipality of Miagao that offers help to improve their livelihood condition, all of them were consistent that there was none. The result was not a surprise; one could really determine from looks of their dusty uncemented road to the totality of the structure of the place, that it need s serious help from the government.

In looking at the bigger picture of the situation, Brgy Lumangan is one of the many Barangays of the country which needs livelihood assistance from the higher government. One of the eight goals of the Millennium Development Project of the United Nations among 189 nations, including the Philippines is to eradicate extreme hunger and poverty by the year of 2015. The United Nation Development Program in the Philippines together with the cooperation of central and local government units is moving forward in achieving these goals. Specifically, our country has a Philippine Mid-term Development Plan which goals are parallel with that of MDG. It aims to work out its objectives through advocacies and development projects to ensure better life for poor Filipinos

The sound of the goals set by MDG can instill hope and positivism to every individual below poverty line. On the downside, it is less than 5 years from now until the set deadline, but the said international project is not yet conceivable in places which needed it the most such as Brgy. Lumanggan.