RESEARCH group Ibon, in its latest survey, says that seven out of ten Filipinos rate themselves as poor. In its report, Ibon said, that of the 1,496 respondents to the October 2009 nationwide survey, 71.4 percent now consider themselves poor up from the 67 percent in the July 2009 survey. Highest increase in self-rated poverty is in the National Capital Region (NCR) where 62.4 percent of the respondents rated themselves as poor from the 49.5 percent in July.

Among the reasons is that there are not enough jobs nor means of livelihood in their area, says 47.3 percent up from 39.2 percent in the July survey.

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Ibon says their latest survey has a margin of error of plus or minus three percent.

Ibon, in fact, just gave voice to the suffering masses whose existence is conveniently denied by all those in power, and conveniently drummed up by all those who want to be in power.

People are poor, and getting poorer by the year. People are poor and feeling poorer by the quarter.

The gnawing reality is that the poor no longer know the way out of their poverty, the poorest have become so marginalized, they are no longer noticed.

But this shouldn't be so.

We only need to observe women groups being assisted by non-government organizations like the Katakus Inc., to realize that there are ways out of this muck our people are in. Among others, Katakus arms rural women with knowledge on agriculture-based technologies, from organic farming to paper-making. Now they are into so much organic-speak, you'd think they were agriculturists themselves. They have also become entrepreneurs and readily see more potentials for product enhancements in the land they till.

These women used to be "plain housewives" who are just there to tend to their children and pray that their husband bring home some money. With a little help, they have found a livelihood, a good portion of which is ploughed back to the family. The once 'unproductive' housewives are now entrepreneurs and organic farmers, and they now have a say in the health of their children, their communities, and their environment. Hence, before they didn't even have money to spend for themselves, now they have money to spend for their families. From their small plots, they have grown a whole different life where food is always on the table and there are some extras to take care of the children's education.

Bottomline, the struggle is against marginalization. In a country where 70 percent believe they are poor, it's a very deep pit the poorest have to climb up from. But as the women of Katakus themselves learned, livelihood opportunities can be made and not just be prayed for.