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Monday, October 06, 2003
Gulle: The princes and the paupers
By Inocentes A. Gulle
AMONG poorest countries in the world, the Philippines probably has the highest literacy rate. The fact that we are said to be the third largest English-speaking nation can simply attest to this. For how else would we learn to speak English but from the schools?
It is also said that we have the most number of poor persons compared to the rich. Some statistics say the poor comprises 70 to 80 per cent. That is roughly 60 million compared to only 20 million rich people.
As we know, the rich are composed of government officials, businessmen, and big landowners. We also know that these sectors are the ones running the affairs of this country. Naturally, these same people control the wealth of the nation. How much of the national wealth trickles down to the rest of the population, depends on how much they (the rich) are willing to share.
It's very hard to say how this situation came about, why there are very few of the rich compared to the poor, in this country anyway. I suspect that this lopsided situation has already existed since we became a sovereign nation.
Most of the inhabitants of the colony were poor, composed of peasants, servants and vassals of the Spanish masters. They were not even considered Filipinos at the time.
The few who managed to gain the favors of their former masters (the Spanish colonizers) and therefore, somehow gained education and wealth, would inevitably inherit most of the prerogatives and the status of privilege. Who else would take over the authority of running the affairs of the new state?
Having that authority and privilege, they would naturally manage and control the economy and possess as much wealth of the nation as possible (all of it, if that is possible). As human nature dictates, they would hold on to it as long as possible. Let the poor fight for the crumbs.
These privileged few would inevitably become the wellspring of Filipino leaders who would run the country until the United States took over from Spain, as our new colonizers. Unlike the Spaniards, however, the Americans would give the ordinary citizen access to education at government expense. The poor were at last given the chance to extricate themselves from the bondage of ignorance.
Thus, new and potential leaders would emerge from the poor. They, in time, became members of the privileged class - with the same penchant for accumulation and holding on to wealth.
From this class would come the capitalists that would control the economy of the nation. This same class would, using their wealth, manipulate the politicians who are just as hungry for privilege, status and wealth. These are the people (40 percent of the population) who would keep 80 percent of the wealth of the nation.
Why the great discrepancy? What else but pride, vanity, lust, jealousy and greed of the privileged few who want to keep everything for themselves. This is not to say that the rich are greedier than the poor. Once the poor gets the chance to become rich by some twist of fate, he too becomes one among the former. That's simply human nature.
While they bask in vacation spas, in air-conditioned mansions, travel in style around the world, dine in plush restaurants, have trysts with their paramours, drink and dance merrily with the millions they withhold from the people that helped them make those millions, the rest of the country eat dust.
I am just reminded of the starkness of the difference in lifestyle depicted in an old English tale, "The Prince and the Pauper", hence, "the princes and the paupers" in our land.
But let the poor not despair, the time is fast coming when the poor in spirit will inherit the earth. The pompous rich will gnash their teeth. So it is written, so it will be done. Just keep the faith.
(October 6 2003 issue)
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