Systemic Solutions
Problems are systemic in nature. However, it would seem that the vast majority of solutions, be they in the form of government assistance, government enforcement or even from the most well-intentioned NGOs and other charitable organizations, seek to “cure” symptoms. Therein lies the crux of the bigger problems. Symptoms cannot be cured, they can only be alleviated temporarily soothed. Only the disease itself can be cured. If the symptoms are relieved, such relief will only be temporary in nature and will, tragically, in the end, do nothing to help the person suffering and in many cases, allows the disease to fester and grow to the point where it may be virtually impossible to cure it. If problems are indeed systemic in nature, so too then, the solutions must also be systemic. Thus, the approach of GIDIFA for alleviating the suffering of the poor, the indigent and the other underclass citizens, focuses on systemic solutions that cure the disease at the same time it alleviates the suffering from the symptoms.
Land Restoration and Reclamation
Land Reclamation and Land Restoration are two terms that are often used interchangeably. There are however, two very separate and distinct practices no matter which word is used to describe them. One of these ideas was discussed in a previous article and the other will be clarified here. Again, it is important to remember that just because something can be done, does not necessarily mean that it should be done. Where these programs are implemented, careful consideration must be given to all of the relevant factors before any work begins. There is an old adage about even “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry!” No matter how well anything is planned, there is always the possibility that there will be unintended consequences. In terms of the environment, the ramifications of a failure could very well lead to irreplaceable damage. Still, the processes do have a great many merits as well. The real questions are, what is it, what does it mean and exactly when should it be used.
Sociological Support for the Indigent
One of the primary factors in regards to any efforts to implement societal change, is learning how to change the way that people think without attempting to actually control their thoughts (Lest there be any doubt about that). Large segments of the indigent, homeless and underclass citizens have been that way for numerous generations and are currently trapped enslaved if you will, in a world bereft of hope and void of any real opportunity for growth. When this hopelessness is allowed to fester and grow and to extend across generations, especially when a generation or more has lived their entire life in these circumstances, it has a direct impact on the way these people think. That hopelessness must be replaced by a very real and tenable sense of hope and the way that these people think must be changed along the same lines. Only when they have the full means of support to prove that their hope has merit will the formerly underclass citizens be capable of becoming truly productive and contributing members of society.
EDSA Boulevard and Transportation Subsidies
EDSA Boulevard should serve as a prime example that something needs to be done about the traffic situation in Metro Manila. The projects and programs laid out in this article are decidedly radical in nature, but are possible when completed in cooperation with a Financial Organization like GIDIFA. If these programs were to prove successful in Metro Manila and more specifically on EDSA Boulevard, there should be little doubt left that they could be successfully implemented across the entire nation. The key to its success would not only be its ability to clear up the traffic problems on EDSA however, but to be implemented in such a way that it supports and retains the entrepreneurial spirit of the Philippine People and those that are making their living in the current mess.
