Can We Spare A Little Change?

by George Goking

It has been talked about so much, for so long. But it is very disappointing to see that nothing much has changed over the years. I am talking about the indifference towards the marginalized and poor. The walls that separate the better-off from the oppressed have been built so high up, that only a few of those who attempted to peep into the life of the sadder side of this world dare to crossover.

Life is not just for the few to enjoy. How many houses must a person have in order to live comfortably or how many 8,000 peso shoes must a person have in order to walk around the city without getting blisters? I’m pretty sure there are more significant ways of spending one’s surplus of money. If one has worked hard for his wealth, then of course, one has the right to enjoy it as he pleases. But this issue of poverty and the like isn’t getting any better. It surely doesn’t take a whole team to drill through concrete and dig through pipes and wires in order for the world to see the ugly truth that segments of society have to live with every day.
Many of us in the Ateneo were born lucky and will continue to live lucky for the rest of their lives. I have nothing against that, but we must not forget that there are people working in campus, sleeping right outside the gates of Ateneo, and probably people who sit right beside us in class that could certainly need our help in various ways that we can. I have been talking about money too much. Money is supposed to be a means to something else, not the ultimate end itself. The prosperity of the common good and the human race should be on the top of our list.

Every person has a unique set of capabilities that enables him/her to enjoy certain aspects of life that many/others may not have even imagined. It would be a shame if the truth were to end there. I believe that in life, there are many locked doors hidden right in front of our faces, but each door can only be unlocked by certain people. The possession of keys is not an exclusive privilege of the rich or the poor, both hold the same power, but for different realms. Similar to acquired knowledge from books, there is much to learn from the Other.

Keeping to ourselves is not a life well lived, and closing one’s doors to the certain sets of people is like having a disabled loved one wait in the car while the rest of the family eats lunch on a Sunday afternoon. Sympathizing for the poor won’t make this situation any better, and waiting for somebody else to do something about it is like waiting for a tumor to shrink on its own.


Life and its wonders are much better experienced when shared and depriving the many for the pleasures of the few is like eating all the cherries on your birthday cake because it’s your birthday (that’s just mean). Be good to your fellow men and be a jouissance’r for the world!

Better to Err on the Side of Caritas

by Sophie Villasfer

29 November 2012
Discussed Text: Levinas, "There Is," Ethics and Infinity


One of the most common ethical concerns was raised in class: Is it okay to give to beggars?  Or will giving only contribute to the social problem?

I believe that if I have something extra, whether food or money, it is usually better to go ahead and give.  As mentioned in class, it is better to err on the side of caritas (which is Latin for charity or love).  In other words, it is better to be wrong because I loved, rather than being always '"right", because I did nothing in the first place.  The usual counterargument is that those in need must approach the DSWD or the NGOs instead of begging.  Another argument is, why won't they look for work? I think that while these points are valid, when put into the situation of to give or not to give, I cannot help but think why am I not in this person's situation? Why am I not begging in the street? Why was I born to a family that can provide for me?  Why me?  And at that situation I realize that I do not have the right to blame the poor as to why they are poor, nor do I have the right to rationalize the many options they have for them to escape poverty instead of bothering me.  I cannot judge that it is the poor's fault that they are in that situation, because I myself did not choose to be rich, or at least provided for.  In the bigger picture, I was blessed to be "thrown" into existence through a family with some means.  But why? The other side of this realization is the question, why was this person "thrown" into poverty?  Why do opportunities evade him? These are the questions I do not have the answers to, and yet, by being aware that my situation in society is a gift, I feel the weight of responsibility. Perhaps whatever extra I have is for another.  As it was my family's responsibility to take care of me, maybe for the moment, it is my responsibility to take care of this person that demands from me.  There is this person that demands from me, calls me to give, yet I do not know him.  But even if I do not know him, I feel that he is one of many that I should respond to.  And with this feeling of responsibility (or gratefulness, or even guilt), also comes frustration.  I feel that I want to give in a way that is more efficient, more sustainable.  However, at the moment I am still a student with financial limitations.  Maybe someday.  But today, all I have is some change in my pocket, or maybe some bread.  So at that moment on the street, when I have something extra, I decide to give.  While it may not solve a long term problem, I may have helped another person live another day.