The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is celebrated every year on October 17 throughout the world. It was officially recognised by the United Nations in 1992, but the first commemoration of the event took place in Paris, France, in 1987 when 100,000 people gathered on the Human Rights and Liberties Plaza at the Trocadéro to honour victims of poverty, hunger, violence and fear.

 POVERTY IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Philippines has a population of 89,468,677. Prior to the onslaught of Typhoon Ketana (named typhoon Ondoy locally), 16% of this (or roughly 14, 315,00) lives on less than one dollar ($1) a day. 9% (or about 8,052,180) are unemployed.



By the end of 2008 (before the onset of successive natural disasters),  poverty level was estimated was estimated to be at 33% of the population. With three successive devastating typhoons hitting the country  just recently, the tens of thousands more of Filipino families already living below the poverty line will be further pushed into extreme difficulty and long term poverty.

Now, no amount of window dressing can hide the economic failure of the Arroyo administration despite being in power for more than 9 years now! 



Take a look at the faces of poverty in the Philippines before and after the onset of Typhoon Ondoy.

FACES OF POVERTY IN THE PHILIPPINES BEFORE 'ONDOY'

 

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AT THE AFTERMATH OF TYPHOON ONDOY