Binay: Millions still poor under Aquino’s ‘Tuwid na Daan’

VICE President Jejomar Binay on Monday said there are still millions of poor Filipinos left behind in the government’s journey along the “Tuwid na Daan.”

In his version of the State of the Nation Address (Sona) delivered before students in Cavite State University, Binay cited the Social Weather Stations survey which says that five of 10 Filipinos rate themselves as poor.

Binay said this is equivalent to 11 million Filipinos who say they are poor after five years of the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.

Binay also said Aquino may have boasted of the low unemployment rate of six percent in April 2015, but this still translates to almost 3 million jobless Filipinos.

While Aquino may also boast of 18 percent underemployment rate, there are still 7 million Filipinos with jobs but are looking for additional employment because their income is not enough.

Binay said the basis for the poverty threshold of the administration is skewed. He said for the government, a family with P58 per day to spend for basic necessities is already not considered poor.

He said in what the Aquino administration called “inclusive growth,” only the elite class, including Aquino’s party mates, friends and classmates, benefited from such gains, leaving behind the common masses.

“Hindi lahat ay nakinabang sa pag-unlad. Ito ay exclusive para lang sa iilan. At ang iilan na yan ay ang mga mayayaman na lalo pang yumaman sa nakaraang limang taon. Kasama dyan ang mga kaibigan, kaklase, at kapartido ng ating Pangulo,” Binay said.

“Samantala, ang mga manggagawa, magsasaka, maralitang taga-lungsod, mga empleyado ng gobyerno at milyun-milyong karaniwang Pilipino ay hindi nakasalo sa pag-unlad,” Binay added.

“Sa madaling salita, lalong yumaman ang iilan, ngunit mahirap pa rin ang bayan,” he said.

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