Poverty has indeed afflicted our society in graver ways. This evening as I was lining up for the jeepney ride home, a young girl perhaps 8 years old, relatively clean and decent looking went to every person on the line, sang a Christmas song and unabashedly asked for money. She was alone yet she was persistent.
A similar case is seen outside SM. As one alights from the tricycle groups of boys would immediately sing to you Christmas carols and ask for money usually even before you get the chance to pay the driver. Thus some end up giving them the loose change.
This kind of scenario was basically absent or not that prominent in Naga City last year. I only experienced this in Naga this year. In Manila I was used to persistent beggars. But in Naga, no.
Which led me to wonder, how high did the incidence of poverty rose in our country? With PNoy’s program of ensuring a tuwid na daan, is he really sacrificing too much the livelihood of the people? I hope he realizes the other great problems of this country and starts really acting on them in a capacity that is felt positively. I hope the increase in credit rating of our country rubs off it’s effects in ways we, the common people could readily feel. Otherwise, the country may cease to care what kind of a daan it is so long as their stomachs are filled.
