THERE ARE an estimated 12,800 millionaires and 12 billionaires in the Philippines and 70 individuals with a net worth of at least $100 million, according to a Henley & Partners Private Wealth Migration report in 2025. If even a few of them focus on alleviating poverty, they could save millions of people from great hunger and suffering. Their lives would be worthwhile and have great value if they do so.
Beyond the Philippines, there are 5 billion people in the developing world suffering hunger without access to humanitarian aid, like those in Sudan. Approximately another 575 million people will suffer extreme poverty by 2030, the year the United Nations and rich nations said poverty would be eradicated. These are just empty promises. If every empty promise were a sack of rice, we could feed the world.
In 2024, there were about 2.59 million Filipinos unemployed and unable to feed their families. By August 2025, there were 2.03 million unemployed, the Philippine Statistics Authority said. A Social Weather Stations survey in September 2025 said 41 percent of Filipino families rated themselves “food-poor,” or unable to eat a full, healthy meal a day.
The OCTA Research group has said in a report that approximately 11.3 million Filipino families suffered from food poverty. A UN Children’s Fund report from 2024/2025 revealed that around 18 percent (or 2 million) children in the Philippines suffered from severe food poverty, often eating primarily starch with little or no protein. That’s where “pag-pag” food comes in to help. The leftovers from the dining plates of the rich in fine restaurants are collected, recycled, and recooked and shared with the hungry poor.
The cause of poverty and hunger lies in the political structure of the country, where the super rich virtually hold the electoral process captive. A few hundred families are managing a nation of 115.8 million people. But there is always hope. Enough rich people might have a change of mind and heart, and work for the common good and dedicate themselves and their wealth to serving humanity, like Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
Another source of change is possible by the emergence of a new generation of educated young people committed to human rights and social justice, and filled with compassion for the poor. These people are moved by the hunger, social injustice and inequality plaguing more than 17.5 million impoverished Filipinos. They want to change it, but how?
As David Boyd, the former UN special rapporteur on human rights and the environment, said: “Powerful interconnected business and political elites — the diesel mafia — are still becoming wealthy from the existing system. Dislodging this requires a huge grassroots movement using tools like human rights and public protest, and every other tool in the arsenal of change-makers.”
Filipinos’ peaceful grassroots movement for social justice and human rights is growing as hundreds of brave, socially committed, environment- and human rights-focused Filipinos sacrifice themselves in the service of the poor. They are inspiring many more and keeping alive the faith by doing good and opposing wrongdoing against the poor, believing in Jesus of Nazareth that they can and will win.
With that kind of faith, how can they fail in due time to change the Philippines for the better?/PN
