Opinion: ECONOMIC MOTIVATION AMONG MERANAOS

Economic motivation can be a phenomenal problem when people are economically backward or living in the state of poverty. This problem is happening when the government through its established institutions failed to perform their mandated task. Concerned people have to emerge and actively participate in various activities and processes in order to survive and stand as significant witnesses in various modes so the government can pay attention and thus provide sustainable solution. 

Poor economic conditions is among the factors which actually motivated among Meranaos to participate in various activities. It is observable that: 1) Some Meranaos participated in the elections in order to assume the leadership and become rich out of the government funds allocated for the improvement of their area of responsibility; 2) Civil and criminal cases in their area are rooted in economic disputes/conflicts; 3) Cooperation and unity of some Meranaos broke-up due to poor economic conditions; and 4) The prevalence of vote selling and buying; killings and kidnappings, borrowing money or any kind by the poor from the rich with fixed interest and of some Meranao children who cannot go to school to study are all directly related to poverty.

These observations imply that almost all the problems are caused by poor economic conditions. However, this does not mean that all the Meranaos are poor. But it is generally accepted that majority are economically unstable or belong to the poverty line.

Poverty, I think, does not just stem from economic factor per se. Rather, they might arise from certain psycho-social and political constraints as illiteracy and ignorance due to poor education, poor health, lack of technology and means for productivity and gainful pursuits plus other factors as unemployment. This means that poverty emerges out of problems obtaining and affecting people in a given locality. On the other hand, economic motivation refers to the economic factors (i.e., financial problems, underdevelopment.) This is a universal phenomenon which eventually influenced concerned people to emerge to make reforms.

With this problem, the Philippine government can urge its line agencies to do their task in the effective delivery of basic services. TNRS