In the Philippines, conflict and violence are generated by poverty, inequality (both political power and economic resources in the hands of an elite), marginalization and poor governance. Poverty, lack of education, drug or substance abuse, vice, crime and unemployment are among the many problems that continue to batter them. Poverty is a major social problem in the Philippines with 21.6 percent of the Filipino population earning an income below the poverty line, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
