By Ruben C. Mendoza
The Philippines faces an energy crisis brought about by the US-Israel war against Iran. The price of fuel has more than doubled, and with it, the inevitable increase in the prices of basic commodities, bringing more hardships to those who are already struggling in life.
The last time a similar crisis happened was when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country, which effectively shut down the economy. What the pandemic showed was that there were no adequate safeguards in place to protect the vulnerable from such events.
This time around, in response to the rising fuel prices, the Philippine government has provided subsidies to public utility vehicles, but they are merely stopgap measures that are not enough.
It appears that we Filipinos haven’t learned at all from what we experienced during the pandemic. We haven’t really addressed the systemic injustices in our country, such as the unbridled neoliberal system of our economy.
The fact is that neoliberalism doesn’t serve the common good since it puts a premium on profit. Many capitalists are concerned about their employees only insofar as they contribute to their company’s profitability, but not whether they live decent human lives.
The concept of the common good is foreign to them, and the quality of life of their employees is not a factor in their business decisions. Many employers simply give the minimum wage required by law, even if they are capable of giving more, and even if they know that the minimum wage isn’t enough to adequately provide for one’s family.
Let us imagine a world in which the principles of the Catholic social tradition are taken seriously by those in power. It will be a world in which the political and economic system gives more emphasis on the dignity of human persons and their right to live decent human lives.
Such a system will promote and protect the rights of workers to a just wage, job security, and social welfare. If only workers receive a wage that is in keeping with their dignity, they will have more resources to provide for their needs and not be dependent on government handouts.
As the late Pope John Paul II argued, “in every case, a just wage is the concrete means of verifying the justice of the whole socioeconomic system and, in any case, of checking that it is functioning justly. It is not the only means of checking, but it is a particularly important one and, in a sense, the key means” (Laborem Exercens, 19).
He also stated in his encyclical Centesimus Annus, “It is a strict duty of justice and truth not to allow fundamental human needs to remain unsatisfied, and not to allow those burdened by such needs to perish. It is also necessary to help these needy people to acquire expertise, to enter the circle of exchange, and to develop their skills in order to make the best use of their capacities and resources. Even prior to the logic of a fair exchange of goods and the forms of justice appropriate to it, there exists something which is due to man because he is man, by reason of his lofty dignity. Inseparable from that required ‘something’ is the possibility to survive and, at the same time, to make an active contribution to the common good of humanity” (34).
Without question, there is a need for an economic model in which profit is not at the center of economic activity and in which the good of each and every person is prioritized. Such a system seeks the development of each person and the whole person (Pope Paul VI, Populorum Progressio,14).
The present context calls for the development of an economic model in which the poor are prioritized, consulted, and empowered. It is critical that they are not merely at the receiving end of decisions that others – the powerful and the privileged in society — make for them but that they are the “artisans of their destiny” (Pope Paul VI, Populorum Progressio, 65).
An ethical economy will be one in which the very condition that necessitates government subsidies and charity will be eradicated, and will have the common good as its goal. Such an economy will also have to deal with the issue of environmental justice and be respectful of the integrity of God’s creation.
The present fuel crisis ought to make us realize our country’s over-reliance on fossil fuels, which are not only environmentally hazardous but also leave the country at the mercy of market forces. We need to turn to renewable energy for our needs. This is in line with the challenge of Laudatio Si’ to develop sources of renewable energy (26).
Needless to say, a change in economic model demands political reform as well. It is conceivable that there will be resistance from those who benefit from the present system. There will be a push back from the economic and political elite if ever there are initiatives that threaten their privileges and power, even though those changes are necessary for the common good. Nevertheless, the work for social justice demands that the system be transformed — even if only one step at a time.
We, Filipinos, need to learn from previous crises if ever we are to build a just and fair society. We need leaders who will eschew partisan interests and who will tirelessly work for the upliftment of the needy and the marginalized. The task of social transformation is an uphill battle, but it is a necessary one if we are to mold a society according to the Kingdom that Jesus envisioned. – UCA News
*The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCA News.
