Poverty drives Caraga farmer to commit suicide

from The Tribune

Following the death of 11-year-old Marianette Amper, poverty has once again drove another Filipino, this time a 29-year-old farmer in Butuan City, Caraga Region, to commit suicide.

The victim’s lifeless body was found hanging from a tree about 100 meters from his house Friday morning.

Police said the victim, identified as Estanislao Andeg Ablin, a resident of Purok 2, Barangay Mandamo, Butuan City, used a rope to hang himself to death. The victim’s body was already in state of decomposition when discovered Friday.

Authorities said they are requesting

an autopsy if only to rule out foul play. Neighbors claimed they last saw the victim alive last Nov. 3.

Neighbors and relatives claimed the victim was suffering from a lingering illness and that being poor prevented him from availing of costly medical treatment at any local public and private hospital.

Numerous persons in Caraga have reportedly committed suicide due to poverty brought about by the lack of economic and job opportunities in the region.

Caraga Region is considered as one of the poorest regions in the country.

As depression among Filipinos from poverty continues, Malacanang yesterday admitted that it cannot easily resolve the problem.

In a statement, Press Secretary and concurrent presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said the President has always been focused on resolving poverty as he urged public to be more patient.

“The President has maintained a sharp focus on bringing the gains of the economy to the people, but the transformation cannot happen overnight,” Bunye said.

He added poverty should not be the concern of the government alone but of the Filipino people as a whole as well, especially the business community who “has a moral obligation to share its blessings with the poor masses.”

Bunye said the rich and middle class could give contributions to the Department of Social Welfare and Development to ensure there would not be a repeat of Amper’s suicide.

“While government certainly has a major role in poverty eradication, granting a poor child’s wish is also at the fingertips of many Filipinos. For families that have much more than others, let’s look for opportunities to share our blessings and spread peace within our communities,” he said.

Malacanang stressed the government should not be blamed over Amper’s suicide.

Earlier, Senator Loren Legarda expressed alarm over the compelling proof of hunger in the country in view of Amper’s death.

“The severe lack of jobs and income is the reason an increasing number of borderline households are going hungry more often than before. Lacking gainful employment, many marginal families have absolutely no source of income whatsoever. Thus, they are likely to face hunger,” Legarda said.

In 2003, 24.7 percent of Filipino families or 30.4 percent of Filipinos were considered poor. Poverty is essentially a rural phenomenon as three out of four poor Filipinos or 75 percent reside in rural areas. Poverty level in rural areas was much higher at 36.3 percent against 12.7 percent in urban areas in 2003.

The family of Amper, whom at 11 years old had decided to take her own life, lives in a far-flung barangay in Maa, Davao City.

The senator stressed that now more than ever, the government needs to immediately alleviate poverty and hunger.

“(There is) the need for a national employment plan that would purposely encourage labor-intensive private investments and public projects this, apart from the need to consciously spur stronger agricultural growth,” Legarda said.

“In deciding which specific projects should be backed by program funds, the single most important consideration should be jobs creation. This means that the projects that promise to create the most number of new jobs should get the highest priority support,” she added.

“A robust farm sector would not only provide more income for growers and new jobs for rural workers, but also ensure abundant food supply, Legarda said, adding, “an ample food supply is the best way for us to guarantee more affordable consumer products.”

The senator also cited the need for government to “advance” the execution of rural infrastructure projects, which create new jobs that tend to benefit mostly marginal families.

According to the International Food Policy Research Institute, at least 11 million Filipinos are among the 1 billion people across the globe living on less than $1 a day, the threshold defined as extreme poverty by the United Nations.