One Student’s Fight Against the Philippines’ Economic Inequality
Breathtaking beaches, rich food, and stunning holiday resorts are all things the Philippines is known for. Unfortunately, underneath this tropical facade, the Philippines faces an issue of great magnitude: crippling socioeconomic disparity.
In fact, a recent study carried out by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Trade Union Council found that the Philippines has the highest rate of social inequity in Southeast Asia. As Miguel Villanueva, founder of Tatak Talino, a student organization that aims to address the issue of socioeconomic disparity in the Philippines, puts it: “It’s a major problem in the Philippines. We have one of the biggest socioeconomic gaps in Asia…maybe even in the world. Almost a fifth of our population lives under the internationally recognized poverty line.”
The situation has only deteriorated with the arrival of the pandemic to the Philippines’ shores. Miguel even goes so far as to say that: “The issue has been exacerbated by Covid…it’s really sad. We have some really privileged people here in the Philippines, but also the poorest of the poor. The pandemic really hasn’t done us any favors.”
Thankfully, there are clear-cut, established ways of addressing this issue. Miguel’s expertise points toward education being the key. He believes that “education is the key to breaking the poverty cycle for most people in poverty…education opens up so many more opportunities to find work, find a job, and to find a path into the middle class.”
It’s this approach that Miguel’s initiative has adopted. He explains that: “We raise funds for students at public high schools. Some of the kids there are immensely talented, but just don’t have the opportunities we do. Especially during the shift to online learning, we helped them out by donating tablets. We enabled them to continue their education, which helps them out for the future.” As he candidly puts it, “We’re trying to give them a chance to make it big for their family.”
The good news is that it’s possible for anyone to help out with the Philippines’ economic woes. He says, “If you’d like to get involved, we’ve got an Instagram page (@tataktalino) where you can just DM us. Otherwise, we’ve got a store that helps with fundraising or you can donate to us.”
Overall, however, Miguel feels the most important thing is that people get involved in trying to counteract issues like this – whether local or abroad. He says: “Whatever you’re passionate about or think is a problem, just try to help out in that area – even if it’s just raising awareness or working with a local organization. That’s already doing something.”
*As told to The Global Spectator’s editors