“I will not be surprised if there will even be a higher spike in the coming months because of the economic recession brought about the COVID-19 pandemic which has greatly affected the economic sector of the country, particularly employment and the sources of living.” – Leila Lopez, Assistant Professor at Ateneo de Manila University’s Development Studies Program.

The rate of poverty in the country continues to increase which means that the number of Filipinos who consider themselves poor continues to rise. This economic concern is highly alarming since “poverty” also covers hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other basic services, social discrimination and exclusion as well as the lack of participation in decision-making (United Nations Official Website). Based on the SWS Survey conducted in 2019 which exhibits the same results for this year, most of the respondents who consider themselves poor come from the Visayas. Iloilo City, as part of the Visayas region, has indigents who have lost their jobs and/or employment due to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. A good number of Ilonggo indigents who were employed are in the informal sector, in which many of them are likely dependent on day-to-day livelihood.

Ilonggo indigents who are from the informal sector are usually jeepney drivers, sidewalk vendors, and alike. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, these indigents had no choice but to gradually lose their sources of living. If this concern continues to worsen a lot of Ilonggo families will suffer from hunger and other related concerns which will affect the economic balance of the locality. Thus, an urgent call for a stable livelihood program is needed to address the rising rate of poverty and an increasing number of Ilonggo indigents.

Let us help the Ilonggo indigents rise from poverty through a livelihood program of high potentials – handicrafts. This will not only help augment poverty in Iloilo but will also serve as a tool to showcase Ilonggo Arts and Culture through handicraft products. Let us eliminate poverty through arts. It’s time that we put the CALL into ACTION! Let us help Ilonggo indigents! Together, we Choose Obra Ilonggo!