PAGBABAGO
Most people involved in working for the rights of the underprivileged are familiar with Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez, Peruvian theologian and philosopher who passed away at 96 a few weeks ago.
Fr. Gutierrez’ most influential book “A Theology of Liberation” together with Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, author of “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” had influenced many educators like myself. Their works were often quoted in our teaching modules during the early eighties. Both thinkers dealt with systemic poverty and presented challenges and opportunities that may provide us the needed approaches to fight indifference when faced with poverty and exclusion.
Because of what was perceived as unorthodox by previous popes and leaders of the Church, his works had faced scrutiny as a threat to Catholic teachings. He criticized capitalist systems and although this drew praise from many, leaders of conservative groups saw his ideas close to Marxism. His works however are now favored by Pope Francis who described Gutierrez as “a great man. A man of the Church who has brought great apostolic impetus and rich theology.” His death was mourned by many, including several among our local columnists and members of various sectors.
The response of businessman Mel V. Velarde, chair of NOW Telecom and the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication, which he had circulated to various leaders of the church and colleagues, is in the form of what he describes as “the cycle of defeatism” that had entrapped the Filipino poor. Among them, the lack of access to quality education, exploitation in employment in the form of low wages and restrictive labor laws that had forced migration due to limited opportunities in the country, enrichment of oligarchs and foreign-controlled corporations that monopolize essential services like utilities, telecom, water, and consumer goods, leaving low-income families to spend most of their earnings on these basics. Consumerism is driven by media, encouraging low-income families to spend beyond their means.
Velarde further deplores the “dependence on the Pantawid Pamilyang Filipino Programs (4 P’s) which though helpful in meeting immediate needs, fosters dependency without addressing the root causes of poverty. It has a huge budget but has yet to bring about structural change. Politics is designed to present a façade of democracy but leaders often act in favor of powerful families who support all sides. Changing leaders through elections rarely alters the fate of the poor. Churches, while proclaiming the good news, often remain blind to the struggles of the poor.”
After decades of dealing with unequal sharing of power, grassroots researchers and think tanks have concluded that the more effective approaches in narrowing social and economic gaps are found in awareness-building and changing mindsets through education and empowerment-building, as well as encouraging engagement between and among social groups. It is a gradual change process and does not happen overnight. But it needs sustained efforts and support. It needs champions like Fr. Gutierrez and an entire community approach. It must likewise have the full support of some leaders of government. Which is why electing the right leaders is of utmost importance.
We shall present some educational and awareness building initiatives in subsequent pieces. These initiatives are based on a restructuring of our educational and information systems and do require full commitment of the community. ([email protected])