Dole-outs deny human dignity

Just a little background before I comment.

Clinton backing cash dole-outs for poor—Palace

By Norman Bordadora
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines—Former US President Bill Clinton personally expressed his support for President Benigno Aquino’s conditional cash transfer program as a means to reduce poverty, a Malacañang communications official told reporters on Wednesday afternoon.

Continue reading the news here.

What I think:

Spoonfeeding in school never produced students who can think for themselves and who can do things for themselves. The same goes with the way this country is ran.

I found myself this morning talking with two colleagues about the current state of poverty in this country. One colleague, EJ Pagulong, mentioned that he is not in favor of the dole-outs that shall be given by the PNoy administration to poverty-stricken famlies. We share the same sentiment about this because we feel that this move to "reduce poverty" is not at all effective.

Giving these families a certain amount of money to supposedly alleviate their poverty-strewn lives is a denial of the very essence of humanity. By giving them dole-outs, you have removed from them the power to change and improve their lives in their own initiative and capacity.

The dole-outs are a welcoming of the fact that these families can no longer sustain their human capacities to lead their own lives and direct it the way they want it to be directed. The dole-outs, instead of uplifting their self-esteems, have only worsened things for these families. It is a derision, a mockery of their human capacities.

Instead of spoonfeeding them, we can boost their morales if the administration and the nation can provide arenas and media through which they could help themselves alleviate the dire state they are currently leading.

Human dignity and self-respect can only be enhanced if we will allow them to find their own way up. WE need to respect them as adults who can think for themselves and who can take care of themselves the way they want it to. The reason why they are stuck in this state is because of the lack of channels through which they can begin chaning their lives.

If we will not give them these channels, then there probably is no more hope for them really.