2013_11_22_ICS_Geographical features and corruption are the main factors conditioning extreme poverty in the Philippines.

Geographic characteristics and institutional corruption are the main factors that condition extreme poverty in the Philippines, according to Luis Ravina, researcher principal of the Navarra Center for International Development of the University of Navarra. The expert recently visited the country on the occasion of the research on poverty and development that he leads in the Philippines. Institute for Culture and Societywhich he presented yesterday in Valencia before a hundred people. His stay coincided with the passage of Typhoon Haiyu.

"The geographical status is one of the factors that condition extreme poverty in the Philippines. Every year it suffers from 15 to 20 typhoons and, in addition, it has more than 4,000 islands, which condemns it to isolation. Creating infrastructure and transportation systems there would only be within the reach of the world's richest countries," he explained.

Professor Ravina also expressed that "corruption is the cancer of development because it does not allow resources to be well allocated", and that in the Asian country there is a status of "systemic corruption".

Even in the 21st century," he said, "citizens' votes are bought. If the price of votes leave, it means that the government is not effective in its measures against corruption; if it goes up, it means that it is being truly effective and that is why it has to pay more".

Eradicating extreme poverty through science

Still, he expressed hope for the future of the country, especially for the women who are moving to work in the Middle East, Hong Kong and other parts of Asia, "which produce the highest income for the country". He also noted that many companies are starting to set up their call centers in the country. call centers (call centers) there, so that the Philippines has overtaken India in this regard.

"The programs of study say that if the money that comes from the remittances of those workers who are abroad is destined to Education, the development can be promoted. But if it is dedicated only to consumption, there will be no long-term benefits deadline. Education and health are the keys to getting out of poverty," he stressed.

Luis Ravina traveled to the Philippines to establish contact with the country to contribute proposals from research to help eradicate extreme poverty. Some of the issues his team is focusing on are corruption, business innovation and monetary stability.