Economic Impacts

ECONOMIC IMPACTS

One could only imagine the impact and the consequences of these instantaneous changes to the families left by victims of the WoD On the economic aspect, starting again and trying to cope with the tragedy may also mean: moving to a different area and buying/renting a new place; an urgency to look for a new job or additional sources of income; or, beginning to rebuild a life in a new place with little to no support system. These kinds of situations have also forced families to be apart from each other. One human rights defender from Sampaloc shared (Philippine Human Rights Information Center [PhilRights], 2019),

“May ilang pamilya kami na pinuntahan na talagang binantayan namin. Umalis sila, lumipat ng probinsya. ‘Yung bahay nila nakatiwangwang lang. Iniisip nila na baka balikan sila.” (There are some families that we visited and kept track of. They left their houses and transferred to the province. They think that the perpetrators will get back to them).

PhilRights has also conducted data gathering to identify the effects of EJKs on the urban poor families and communities last 2017. They have reported that 49 out of the 58 cases they have documented were breadwinners and financial providers for their families. After the killings, the women and elderly are expected to support the family’s finances. There are instances as well where the eldest in the family takes up the role of the parents who have passed on. During these circumstances, survival is the primary concern, which usually leaves no room for the person to grieve and process their emotions. They are forced to act tough to support the surviving family members (PhilRights, 2017). These individuals are pushed to look for additional means of income regardless of the working conditions or salary range.

In addition, the child/children of the victims killed were also the ones heavily impacted by the tragedy. Based on the report of Human Rights Watch (2016), one of the families they interviewed in Mandaluyong narrated that the three children of the victim, Renato, stopped attending school. The eldest became a garbage collector to support his siblings. The sibling said in the report,

“I had to work harder when my father died. I became a father to my siblings because I don’t want to see them suffer … so I’m doing everything I can. I force myself to work even if I don’t want to. I force myself for me, for my siblings” (Human Rights Watch, 2016).