“Recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.”
-The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights
By virtue of Resolution 47/196, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the 17th of October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This year marks the 30th anniversary of recognizing our commitment to the poor and the continuing fight against all forms of discrimination.
This year’s theme emphasizes dignity for all – the right of a person to be valued and respected. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes dignity as the bedrock for all other fundamental rights. However, people living below the poverty threshold experience their dignity being set aside in their day-to-day lives.
Poverty hinders one from realizing their dignity. Its multifaceted character creeps upon almost all of life’s areas – health, education, access to basic services, and justice, among others. Millions of people face limited access to health care, food insecurity, dangerous working conditions, and unsafe housing which make them more vulnerable to volatile environmental and societal issues.
The Philippines is no stranger to the plague of poverty. The plight of the marginalized sectors – among them being sentiments of abandonment and neglect – is enough proof of the denial of their dignity. A poignant example would be that of people living in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA) who expose themselves to various hazards to obtain access to basic health services, resulting in high mortality rates.
The Supreme Court, speaking through Justice Jose Mendoza in Imbong v. Ochoa, recognized that the enactment of a single legislation is not a one-size-fits-all solution to poverty. In ruling that most of the provisions of the RH Law were not unconstitutional, it declared that, “as healthful as the intention of the RH Law may be, the idea does not escape the Court that what it seeks to address is the problem of rising poverty and unemployment in the country. Let it be said that the cause of these perennial issues is not the large population but the unequal distribution of wealth. Even if population growth is controlled, poverty will remain as long as the country's wealth remains in the hands of the very few.”
Poverty strips one of their dignity. It forces even the most dignified individuals into lawlessness, especially in the midst of dire situations. Crime and poverty have been recognized as “the pernicious pair that curse society.” In People v. Caliwan, the Supreme Court found a fishball vendor guilty of the crime of robbery with homicide. It held that “while the dispensation of justice must be tempered with mercy especially in favor of a poverty-stricken fellow being likely pushed to the edge by the exigencies of survival, the law, nevertheless, cannot turn a deaf ear to the victims of lawlessness.”
As we commemorate another year of poverty eradication, may we continue to honor the lives and struggles of the poor. May we never lose sight of our collective responsibility to better the welfare of all, for it is only then that we are able to uphold the dignity of the destitute.
