Rich-poor gap created social volcano - Palace
06/13/2009 | 03:16 PM
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang acknowledged Saturday that social unrest is brewing in the country, but said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is not to blame for it.
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the social volcano is a result of a semi-feudal system in which only 10 percent of the population control the majority of the country’s wealth.
Remonde was reacting to a warning of Chief Justice Reynato Puno on Friday that the country’s “social volcano" is on the verge of eruption, and called for Filipinos to heal the wounds that divide the nation.
In an independence day speech, Puno also said the Filipino people needed to stop quarreling and insulting each other, and to join hands in fighting corruption and law-breaking.
“Well, ah, may katotohanan naman ang ating pagka-social volcano ng ating bansa is a situation that has been around since the time of Marcos and even before. But it’s owing to the fact ang socio-economic and political system as we can see, feudal through the years, 10% controls the nation’s wealth, majority of people remain poor," he said on government-run dzRB radio.
[Well, ah, there is truth to the claim that we are in a social volcano but it is a situation that has been with us since the time of Ferdinand Marcos and even before. It is owing to the fact that our socio-economic and political systems are feudal; only 10 percent control the nation’s wealth while majority remain poor.]
With this in mind, Mrs. Arroyo has made it a priority to alleviate the situation of the poor, he said.
Mrs. Arroyo is pushing “genuine peaceful social transformation," which should be the duty of all succeeding leaders, he said.
Remonde also said the government is undertaking a moral recovery program under the Presidential Commission on Values Formation and the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission.
In the meantime, Remonde said the government continues to invest in infrastructure and human development.
He said Mrs. Arroyo urged officials of banking institutions last Tuesday to “be more active in lending" especially for infrastructure projects. - GMANews.TV
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the social volcano is a result of a semi-feudal system in which only 10 percent of the population control the majority of the country’s wealth.
Remonde was reacting to a warning of Chief Justice Reynato Puno on Friday that the country’s “social volcano" is on the verge of eruption, and called for Filipinos to heal the wounds that divide the nation.
In an independence day speech, Puno also said the Filipino people needed to stop quarreling and insulting each other, and to join hands in fighting corruption and law-breaking.
“Well, ah, may katotohanan naman ang ating pagka-social volcano ng ating bansa is a situation that has been around since the time of Marcos and even before. But it’s owing to the fact ang socio-economic and political system as we can see, feudal through the years, 10% controls the nation’s wealth, majority of people remain poor," he said on government-run dzRB radio.
[Well, ah, there is truth to the claim that we are in a social volcano but it is a situation that has been with us since the time of Ferdinand Marcos and even before. It is owing to the fact that our socio-economic and political systems are feudal; only 10 percent control the nation’s wealth while majority remain poor.]
With this in mind, Mrs. Arroyo has made it a priority to alleviate the situation of the poor, he said.
Mrs. Arroyo is pushing “genuine peaceful social transformation," which should be the duty of all succeeding leaders, he said.
Remonde also said the government is undertaking a moral recovery program under the Presidential Commission on Values Formation and the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission.
In the meantime, Remonde said the government continues to invest in infrastructure and human development.
He said Mrs. Arroyo urged officials of banking institutions last Tuesday to “be more active in lending" especially for infrastructure projects. - GMANews.TV
