Clarisse Tingchuy
AB-Political Science
Question: If you will become the next president of Philippines, for you to be able to
eradicate poverty, preserve human rights and promote the general welfare, which
among the 4 isms will you utilize?
POSITION PAPER
If I will be the next President of the Philippines, I would likely deal with the key
issues on eradicating poverty, preserving human rights, and promoting the general
welfare in a realistic perspective. First, what our country would need is an assessment
of the situation. As a future President, I will need a thorough assessment of our
country’s growth with all the facts, stats, and demographics in our economy, education,
the growth rate etc. From these assessments, I can come-up with strategies that would
be tested. For me, I cannot just make a prediction or ideally imagine what a perfect
solution to solve these problems on poverty, human rights issue, and the national
welfare because there is no constant nor perfect solution to solve all of these.
On the reduction of poverty plan, I would hire first an economist who will serve as
my advisor so that I’ll be able get a better hand on what strategies and economic plans
are effective to implement. Second, I would seek to suspend the TRAIN law as a way to
reduce the inflation or the soaring price in the market. Third, would be a reformatting of
our system by removing the corrupt officials who puts the people’s money in their
pockets. Creating jobs for poor families would be one of my priorities too by investing in
job-creation strategies such as rebuilding an infrastructure, factories, renovation of
abandoned housings and turning them into industries with the focus of handling and
giving the jobs to those who are poor. Well, they will undergo with some seminars and
trainings to know how they will do and handle the jobs. Through this investment, those
who belong in poor families will now have the opportunity and capacity to earn a living
and in turn, the government will earn taxes. Pursuing an increase of job creation would
also help on lessening the number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW’s) and they can
just work here in the Philippines while not being away with their families and will also
help in increasing the employment rate here in the Philippines. I would strengthen my
ties with other countries and also seek for their help and advice. I will negotiate with
other countries and large employers to invest in our country. I will task the LGU’s
towards the goal on creating ordinances for large employers to invest in low-income
communities. I would also implement the raising of minimum wage that will slowly help
in reducing the poverty. Lastly, I would invest with a high-quality and affordable
education to every student’s. I believed that Education is the very key in solving poverty.
Rebuilding of schools and classrooms would be of great help and I will also coordinate
and seek help with various agencies, non-government organization’s (NGO’s) and
institutions like the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
in helping our country provide an accessible and free education to everyone. Now, with
all of these strategies and plan, where will all the budgets came from considering that
we are also in huge debt? Well, we could borrow or loan money from institutions like the
World Bank to fund our projects. Slowly and slowly, once all the projects and these plan
are at work and operating, and we are gaining and our country is recuperating, we could
pay our debts little by little.
In the case of protection of human rights, I would revoke the withdrawal of the
Philippines to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Second, I would halt the drafting
and the on-going talks with the federal constitution which seeks to remove the bill of
rights provision. Third, I would stop the lowering of age criminal liability for the children.
Yes, it is a fact that there a lot of children committing crimes but let’s look on a wider
perspective. The root to this problem is always the poverty and they are just victims of
hunger and poverty which causes them to steal, do drugs and other heinous crimes.
Although they have committed such acts, our juvenile system for minors are to be kept
them in a Bahay Pag-Asa. Detaining them there is the solution, but we can improvise it
with giving them jobs to do at the Bahay Pag-asa where they are detained or
rehabilitated. The government will give them jobs to do like doing handicrafts and such
and they would sell it and provide them a technical-vocational education and training. In
turn, they will earn money too. I would also push stricter laws for human rights. In the
Extra Judicial killings, I would punish those policemen who used usurpation of power
and authority to innocent civilians. EJK’s are never a solution to conquer drug problems
in our country. What we need is a therapeutic solution by providing rehabilitation and
facilities for users, pushers, and dealers. The government will give them jobs, and by
improving the educational system, we can help reduce these problems.
In the promotion of general welfare, I would focus on strengthening the existing
programs along with all the strategic plans I have mentioned above. I would also like to
invest on technological advancement together with the aid of other countries. I already
mentioned the removal of corrupt politicians. Addressing political corruption will improve
the trust of the people to its government. Proper education will be employed for who the
best candidates are to be elected. Also, I would remove the ever longing political
dynasty here in the Philippines so that corruption would not happen within the families
as Politics should not be a business, but rather a career to serve and lead the people. In
the promotion of general welfare, I will adopt laws that are suited to promote the welfare
of the people and that would suffice their needs.
Reduction of Poverty, addressing human rights, and promoting the general
welfare should be handled as what they are and not what they should be. We have to
see, assess, and evaluate these problems realistically to come up with a realistic
solution. Ideas are only in the mind. If you put action to these ideas, then we become
realist to deal things as they are.
