13

as palaboy sa lansangan (vagabond) and iskwater (squa! er).

Having no money to buy food means that poor people are not able to have proper meals, thus making it likely for them to become malnourished and sick. " ey are sometimes referred to as patay-gutom (starving). " eir situation is described as “isang kahig, isang tuka” which means that whatever they earn for the day is barely enough for their daily needs. As such, other requirements, such as medical treatments, go unful# lled as any li! le money that the poor have are used to buy food rather than spent on medicines or hospitalization. Being poor also means not being able to go to school, which results in unemployment. Tambay (bum) or walang trabaho (unemployed) are some of the terms that respondents provided when asked about the words that come to

Table 2. Poverty is Economic• ! emes • Responses• Economic crisis • Crisis, global crisis

• Mahal na bilihin (high prices of basic commodities)

• Pagbasak ng ekonomiya (economic decline)

• Low employment rate

• Debt • Humiram ng pera tapos walang ibabayad (borrows money but does not have the means to pay)

• Nababaon sa utang (buried in debts), mataud utang (has a lot of debts)

• Underdevelopment • Hindi progresibo ang isang lugar (a place is not progressive)

• Hindi pag-unlad ng bansa, walang kaunlaran, hindi umuunlad (no progress or development)

• Walang asenso sa buhay (no progress)

• " ird World country

• Pilipinas ang pinakamahirap na bansa sa Asya (Philippines is the poorest country in Asia)

• Poverty and occupation

• Kargador (laborer), nagtitinda sa palengke (market vendor)

• Alipin (maid)

• Overseas Filipino Worker, mangibang-bansa (goes to foreign country to live or work), migrant

• Namumulot ng basura (garbage scavenger)

• Mangingisda (# sher folk)

• Pok-pok (slut), Macho dancer

mind when hearing the word poverty. " e people of Jolo also described the state of poor people as “kapit sa patalim” (clutching a knifeblade), which means that at times, the poor do not have recourse but to do unlawful things in order to survive.

Poverty is Economic: KrisisFor Muslims, Christians, and Badjaos, the meaning of poverty is closely intertwined with the economy. Participants linked the concept of poverty with the economic crisis. " ey associated poverty with mahal na bilihin (high prices of basic commodities), pagbagsak ng ekonomiya (economic decline), and low employment rate. Poverty was also linked to large amounts of debt, nababaon sa utang (buried in debt), and the consequent inability to pay o$ these debts. It was also perceived that where there is poverty, people would have no hope of asenso sa buhay (advancement) or pag-unlad ng bansa (development of the country). Some respondents also associated poverty with underdevelopment particularly in " ird World countries, such as the Philippines.

Poverty was also associated with an individual’s occupation. Poor people were represented as the kargador (laborers), the market vendors, the alipin (slaves), the overseas Filipino workers who go to foreign countries to seek greener pastures, the basurero or namumulot ng basura (garbage

“Poverty was also linked to large amounts of debt, nababaon sa utang…”

14 Meaning Making in Mindanao

Table 3. Poverty is Psychological

• ! emes • Responses• Poverty,

status and self-esteem

• Laging inaapi (always oppressed)

• Hindi nirerespeto (not respected)

• Walang kaibigan (has got no friends)

• Kawawa (deplorable), malungkot (sad)

• Mababa ang pagtingin ng ibang tao sa mahirap (poor people are looked down on)

• Mababang estado sa buhay (low status in life)

• Takot (fear), mahihiya makipag-usap sa lahat (ashamed to talk with other people)

• Nahihiya kapag may bumisita sa bahay (embarrassed when somebody comes to the house)

• Poverty and mental health

• Nababaliw (gets depressed) at nawawalan ng pag-asa (loses hope)

• Palaging nakatunganga (always stares at nothing) at umiiyak (always cries)

• Magulo ang pag-iisip (troubled)

collector or scavenger), the prostitutes and the macho dancers, and the mangingisda (# sherfolks). " ese jobs are seen as low-paying and those employed in these occupations as forced into these jobs. Poor people were perceived as having no option but to take these low-paying jobs in order to provide for the needs of their families.

Poverty is Psychological: Kawawa" e people of Jolo saw poverty as having psychological or socio-emotional dimensions. Respondents referred to status and self-esteem as important aspects of poverty. Poor people are seen as kawawa (deplorable, wretched) and as having a

sad and miserable life. Poor people are represented as victims of neglect, disrespect and pang-aapi (oppression). " e poor are also seen as having low self-esteem and as experiencing feelings of hiya (shame) and takot (fear). In relation to this, poverty was also linked with mental and emotional disturbances, as poor people were seen as nababaliw (mentally ill), palaging nakatunganga (always daydreaming), and magulo ang isipan (troubled state of mind).

Poverty is a Weakness of Character: Tamad" e residents of Jolo also described poverty in relation to character-based weaknesses of poor people. For instance, they a! ributed poverty to a person’s lack of faith – one is poor because one does not acknowledge or follow God’s commands. Poor people are described as nakalimot sa pagtawag sa Panginoon (one who has forgo! en to call on God) and humihina ang pananampalataya (wavering faith). Poor people are also seen as tamad (lazy) and walang pakialam sa kapwa (lacks concern for others), thus representing poverty in relation to dispositional causes

Table 4. Poverty is a Weakness in Character• ! emes • Responses• Poverty and

character-based weaknesses

• Walang kinikilalang Diyos/Panginoon (does not acknowledge God)

• Humihina ang pananampalataya (wavering devotion/faith)

• Di sumusunod sa utos ng Diyos (does not follow God’s commandments)

• Walang paniniwala (does not have faith)

• Nakalimot sa pagtawag ng Panginoon (has forgo! en to call on God)

• Nawalan ng pananalig sa Diyos (no longer have trust in God)

• Katamaran, tamad (indolence)

• Makasarili (sel# sh), Walang pakialam sa kapwa (does not care for other people), insensitive, walang awa sa kapwa (does not have compassion for others)

• Fatalistic, Makitid ang kaisipan (narrow-minded)

• Crab mentality

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