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4POL1 SEMINAR
ASSESMENT PAPER
POVERTY PORN
Poverty has been a common concern for discussion in the Philippines by different
organizations are focusing in reducing the poverty rate in the country. A tool or a medium
that are constantly being used to promote the advocacies in poverty reduction is “Poverty
Porn”. The poverty porn are being used by the different sectors of the society in order to
raise awareness to the public regarding the continuous increasing of poverty rate in the
Philippines. However, the poverty porn are being abused by different sectors for their
personal interests.
seminar about Poverty Porn. The seminar discussed the different faces of the Poverty
Porn used by the different sector and organization in the society. The seminar gave a
background regarding on how the poverty porn and poverty itself was used in the
Philippines. A portion of the seminar discussed on how the poverty in the country are
being used by the government to acquire donations and help from other states. The poor
are being exploited to generate sympathy from other state and other sector to acquire
help and donations. Since the Marcos era, the poverty in the country are not properly
addressed rather the government are focused on giving remedial solutions for the poor.
The programs, policies and laws in the country are not directly addressing the increasing
using poverty porn in their respective field. It was discussed that the media sector in the
country has been exaggerating the face of poverty. The poverty in our country are
continuously highlighted in an overstated way for the reason that it is the mass prefer to
subscribe. It was also undertaken in the seminar that poverty porn works for the media
for the reason that it gains public sympathy. Media men are mind setting the public that
there are many poor and struggling families in the country in order to acquire sympathy
in order for the public to clamor for government actions and for the public to contribute in
The important issue in the seminar, however, was on how poverty porn are being
used as a political strategy by different politicians. Poverty are kept on being used by the
politicians especially during campaign periods to gain votes from the citizens. Poverty
porn are being used by these politicians as a way to show how they sympathize and
understand the situation of the unprivileged members of the country. These tactics using
poverty porn are kept on being used by these politicians even though it wasn’t completely
true and even though it was manipulated for their personal gains poverty porn. During the
2010 Presidential elections, candidates such a Manny Villar and Joseph Estrada used
The seminar “Poverty Porn” gave a different perspective regarding poverty to the
participants. The students who participated gained a different outlook on how the poverty
was really shown in our country. The real face of poverty in our country that was implanted
to the students mind by the government, media and other sectors was changed because
of the seminar. It could help the students to realize what really is need to be done in order
to eradicate the poverty rate in the country. The other participants such as professors and
student leader acquired the proper knowledge regarding the use of poverty porn in the
country. The seminar will serve as a starting point to propagate the knowledge to other
students regarding poverty in the country. The seminar had been beneficial to every
participants to explain the real purpose of poverty porn and to enlighten the real face of
The seminar “Poverty Porn” is one of the seminars that the youth should
participate. Since the youth belongs to a generation that are greatly influenced by media
and other social media networks, it is essential that the youth specifically the students to
know the reality regarding the poverty in the world and on how it was being portrayed by
the media and the government. The seminar will enlighten the youth regarding poverty
and will help them to be truly aware on how poverty is affecting the lives of different
individuals in the country. The seminar will instill a realization to the youth and will serve
Poverty is such common problem that every citizen have already knew it, what’s
needed to be done is for the government leaders and media to show the strategies, plans,
projects on how citizens can help for the betterment of the problem in poverty; showing
of how the lives and how the people in poverty line survives their everyday life must stop,
pitying must put to end and how to help them must be the priority of every citizen and
institutions. The wrong understanding concerning poverty, caused mainly by the media,
should be transformed into a meaning that will lead everyone in action to eradicate
extreme poverty in the country. Poverty porn is a very essential tool to eradicate poverty
however it will be continuously abused by different sectors for their own benefit. Poverty
porn is not enough to eradicate poverty. Broadcasting poor people in televisions, gaining
the country. Every citizen must act and continue to be aware regarding the truth about
the poverty in the country in order to have a better and efficient solutions.
EDUCATION AS A PRIVELEGE
Access to education has been one of the main agendas of the current and previous
Planning Office ,2011) Education is considered as one of the basic needs and rights of
every citizens in the country. However, the current trend in the Philippines had affected
the access to the education by the unprivileged members of the society. The trend was
trend was applicable to the higher education or the tertiary level of education of the
Philippines. As stated in the Article XIV Section 1 of the 1986 Constitution of the
Philippines, “The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality
education at all levels, and shall take appropriate steps to make such education
accessible to all”. (De Leon, 2011) It means that the government should support the
education of every citizen from basic education to tertiary education. However, the
education system in the country, especially the tertiary education, are considered that it
The students of University of Sto. Tomas, who expertise in the field Political
Science organized a seminar regarding higher education as a privilege. The seminar was
attended by different speakers that discussed the implications and factors on how does
that education in the Philippines are commercialized. The expenses to enter the
universities and colleges requires an immense amount of money. The tuition fees in the
universities and colleges constantly increases without the consideration of the students’
capabilities to pay. The other option for the students who wants to acquire higher
education is the State University and College (SUC’s). However, the Aquino government
deducted the subsidy to the SUC’s resulting to increase of other payments and decrease
lead to commercialization of education, somehow, the universities and colleges turn out
the country are only for the privileged members of the society and not a right of every
citizens.
The education in the country can be considered as a big market, where everything
has its price. The main concerns of these higher education institutions is to gain profit, for
these institutions, higher education is a business and not a social service. The
government itself is one of the reason why the education system in the country are
constantly being commercialized. Partnership with private sector in running the SUC’s
can be beneficial to the education system in the country, however, rather than being a
help to boost the quality of education for the unprivileged ones it became a hindrance.
The private sector who partnered with the SUC’s gained too much control and turned it
operates. It will be beneficial to the students to realize how privileged they were for the
reason that they were able to study in one of the prestige universities of the Philippine.
The seminar serves as an eye opener not just for the students and also for the other
participants such as professors, and leaders of different organizations that the education
system in our country are not accessible for everyone. The seminar is essential to be
Higher education is one of the needed stepping stone to ensure the success of a
person; it is one of the requirements of the world to be employed for a better future.
Education as considered by many is the greatest social equalizer in the world. An easy
improve the knowledge of every citizen in order for them to contribute in a much useful
Education and poverty in the country are closely related to each other. Poverty
leads to difficulty to access higher educations. On the other hand, difficulty in acquiring
higher education can lead to increase of poverty rate in the country. The government
must continue to implement policies and programs that will undertake the concerns of the
country regarding education and poverty. The sectors of the society must contribute in
dealing with the problems in poverty and education. The seminars conducted by the
students of Political Science in the University of Sto. Tomas are essential to the society.
It serves as a stepping stone for the students and other participants of the seminar to
contribute and to unite for a common goal. A goal that will benefit every member of the
Works Cited.
Presidential Management Staff. (2013). The 2013 State of the Nation Address Technical
Report.
From http://www.gov.ph:ttp://www.gov.ph/past-sona-speeches/