Why Are Foreigners Doing the Job of the Government?

Stories about foreigners and foreign NGOs setting up shop in the Philippines on a quest to eradicate poverty are numerous. But why is this even necessary? Are there foreigners investing in eradicating poverty in Compton or Harlem or the south side of Chicago? Plenty of local and national organisations take care of the poor in those cities. So why is the Philippines relying on foreigners to pick them up instead of doing it themselves? Take this man for instance:

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/12/30/australian-natl-builds-community-center-in-one-of-bicols-poorest-barangays/

With that headline one might think he's doing a nice thing helping out poor people. But much more is going on. Australian Bob Murray is the head of the Muravah Foundation. Here are some of their objectives and projects:

The Muravah Foundation was initially established in the slums in Manilla, Philippines to give opportunity to under-privileged kids to complete a university degree. Core to our philosophy is that we support ALL the children in each family. This complete family then has a chance in the future to move out of poverty permanently. 

This philosophy has grown to include the adoption of whole communities, by investing in education, health, environment, improved farming methods, irrigation and small business loans. We've established a community based farmers association (Mayon Farmer's Association) and introduced banking.

When I came to Barangay Sua, Bicol, on the East side of Luzon, the main Island, it was a case of sponsoring a whole family including creating work for the parents, and it soon became adopting the whole community. 

This meant re-building the Elementary school and fitting it out with everything necessary for a good education for the kids. It also meant introducing a feeding program to keep 150 of the 320 awake and alert. With no gas in the tank they would arrive at school exhausted. It meant building a brand new health clinic capable of serving all emergency needs including baby delivery. It meant increasing the income of the families and as the only form of employment was farming it meant increasing farmer yields. This meant forming a farmer association and providing input loans, water supply etc. It meant care for the environment and most of all, it meant restoring Hope. 

So the Journey began and so it continues. 

I’m now 67 and in perfect health (no drugs required) and we have a succession plan in place – just in case. 

As I have verbally informed the folk here “ this is a lifelong commitment. Not leaving ‘til the job is done.”

http://www.muravahfoundation.com

Muravah Foundation has now adopted the school and the school classrooms, roofs and windows have been re-built and painted. All blocks of rooms are now connected by a covered walkway and we have installed a new toilet block. 

Muravah Foundation has already supplied educational books, shelving and furniture for the library, and security windows for the office and library.  We supplied the best available English coaching manuals which were introduced into the curriculum in June 2011.

http://www.muravahfoundation.com/Projects/education.htm

Last year we were feeling pretty pleased with the progress we have made by increasing production for 100’s of rice and vegetable growers. We then reflected on our motto “ We take people out of poverty permanently”. Hey! What about the families with no land? Still dirt poor living well below the poverty line, not enough food on the table, and here we are surrounded by them, and yes – we are still feeding 112 kids every day at the Tumpa Elementary school. The answer was staring us in the face. All around there is arable vegetable growing land not being farmed due to absent, old or sick owners. We formed a business unit called M.F.A. FARMS and approached the owners with the proposition that we farm it and in return we will plant the land with coconut. All agreed and we now employ several of the previously unemployed to work the land. The unemployed without farming skills will be included as apprentices as we grow. This is early days, and we’re still in the red, but we will make this work. Currently we have 11 hectares planted with potential for 35 hectares and that’s just in barangay Sua. The Mayor has organized tables for us in the farmer market in town for retail and wholesale sales of our produce. We are now well recognized and respected by the Government agencies.

http://www.muravahfoundation.com/Projects.htm

Doesn't this strike anyone as weird? That a foreigner is adopting whole communities? That a foreigner is adopting schools and providing them with instructional materials? That a foreigner is working with famers to increase the crop yield? That a foreigner is creating jobs for the people? That a foreigner has established a banking system to provide small business loans?

What is going on here? This man is literally doing all the jobs the government is tasked with and he is doing it better than them! This NGO has taken over whole barangays and has effectively become the government providing healthcare, education, jobs, banking, and even teaching farmers how to farm more effectively. And he has the support of the Philippine government!

There is a Department of Education and a Department of Agriculture and a Department of Labor. Where are these government agencies? Why aren't they providing educational materials to poor schools or assisting farmers in increasing their crop yield or creating jobs and other economic opportunities for the people? Those tasks are actually part of the constitutional mandates of those agencies.

Job creation:

Article 13 

SECTION 2. The promotion of social justice shall include the commitment to create economic opportunities based on freedom of initiative and self-reliance.

Increasing the crop yield:

Article 13 

SECTION 5. The State shall recognize the right of farmers, farmworkers, and landowners, as well as cooperatives, and other independent farmers’ organizations to participate in the planning, organization, and management of the program, and shall provide support to agriculture through appropriate technology and research, and adequate financial, production, marketing, and other support services.

Education:

Article 2 

SECTION 17. The State shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and development.

Article 14 

SECTION 1. The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all. 

SECTION 2. The State shall: 

(1) Establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society; 

SECTION 4.  

(2) The control and administration of educational institutions shall be vested in citizens of the Philippines.

When a foreigner adopts a school, rebuilds it, and provides it with educational materials who is controlling that school? The foreigner of course. But no one sees a problem with that and in fact Bob Murray claims his organisation is recognised and respected by government agencies.

Those agencies should be appalled at this situation, aghast that an Australian has commandeered a whole barangay, and ashamed with themselves for allowing it to happen. This man, this Australian, with his NGO, is outperforming the government in the very areas they are tasked with overseeing! 

Apparently Filipinos are better off when foreigners are in control. Why isn't the government doing its job and why, when it does do its job, does it do so in a desultory and perfunctory manner? Why are schools lacking in proper educational materials and teachers underpaid? Why are famers not getting the best from their land? Why are people left without jobs and relying on handouts from their OFW relatives? Why are there homeless people and people living in shanties when the constitution specifically states that the State is to provide affordable housing to the underprivileged?

Article 13 

SECTION 9. The State shall, by law, and for the common good, undertake, in cooperation with the public sector, a continuing program of urban land reform and housing which will make available at affordable cost decent housing and basic services to underprivileged and homeless citizens in urban centers and resettlements areas. It shall also promote adequate employment opportunities to such citizens. In the implementation of such program the State shall respect the rights of small property owners.

A foreigner is also breaking into this market which should be covered by the government.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/10/15/18/danish-firm-connovate-forays-into-ph-affordable-housing-sector

"We’re starting with affordable housing. It is a bit more refined than low-cost housing. We started out at the affordable stage and from there we can move from the mid-income market and progress," Engaard told ANC's The Boss. 

"To be frank with you, it’s not absolutely about the money, it’s more because I can see the vision that Emma Imperial has in the region and wants to create affordable homes for the people of the Philippines," Engaard said.

Not only is Engaard a capitalist he is also a philanthropist! He is in it for the money as well as to share in a vision to help Filipinos. The government is not a capitalist system at all. It is to have its power derived from the people and to serve the people. But the people are either not being served or they are being underserved. What power do the people really have when the government which is said to receive its power from them does not serve them the way it should? None! They have no power at all.

Why are foreigners doing the job of the government and doing it better than them?

The answer is simple.

The bureaucrats and politicians in the Philippine government are too busy stealing from the people and misspending or not spending their budgets. Maybe federalism and thus more government will fix this mess.