MHE512 Disaster Relief Module 2 SLP - Essay Example

This state of affairs culminated in the impeachment and subsequent resignation of President Joseph Estrada in 2002, a popular figure for the masses. Succeeding him was then Vice President Gloria Arroyo who was subjected to questions of legitimacy and yearly impeachment complaints until she was officially elected in the 2004 national presidential race. The impeachment did not stop and became an annual affair with complainants rushing to be the first to file. Military and police authorities are also embroiled in the political struggle and many of them have attempted to overthrow the civilian government.

(Balisacan, 2004) Corruption is also rampant in the poverty-stricken rural regions as political leaders swindle local public treasury coffers. Many projects are padded and made to appear very expensive when there was minimal expense or no projects at all implemented. Transparency International, an agency devoted to rooting out corruption, conducted a Corruption Perceptions Index for 99 countries and found that in a scale of 1 (high perception of corruption) to 10 (low corruption perception), the Philippine respondents ranked 3.

6 in the index. 72% of the sampled population also believes that public officials are inherently corrupt. Philippines ranked as the 55th least corrupt out of the 99 countries surveyed. Nepotism is also very rampant and many positions in the government are filled with relatives and political allies. Patronage politics is extremely prevalent as patrons are important support systems during elections. Thus, one can find many positions in the government occupied by sons, campaign managers and other supporters.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is even guilty when he appointed his son, a Congressman, in charge of the National Disaster Council. (Benson, 2005)EconomicPhilippine economy is an example of a mixed economy as the formerly agrarian country is now experiencing milestones in industrialization. The Republic of the Philippines is now a major exporter of garments, semi-conductors, pharmaceutical products and electronic devices and equipment. Mining is also a big industry as the country is endowed with rich minerals and other natural resources.

Many Filipinos are now working abroad as nurses, engineers and household assistants. Their remittances are now the single largest contributor in the economy spurring growth and investment. (Benson, 2005)There is an imbalance of imports and exports with the former outweighing the other. Heavy reliance on imports is also increasing the exposure of the economy to international downturns. With the global recession, the Philippine peso devaluated leading to a multiple-fold increase in international currency debts and shrinking of capital value.

Heavy reliance in remittances has proven to be catastrophic as the global recession forced many countries to stop construction developments and send home its international workforce, majority of which are Filipinos. Many expatriates now in the Philippines find themselves with no income opportunities and a depleted savings account. (UNICEF, 2005)Health Since 23% of the population is below the poverty line, many areas in the Philippines