What is your brief definition of poverty?

• "hand-to-mouth existence" - Atty. Ismael Khan, Supreme Court
  
  
• "living below minimum level of basic needs or a low level of living
  that is accepted decent or above subsistence"
  - Prof. Erle Frayne-Argonza, sociologist and social development specialist
  
  
• "patunay na hindi pantay-pantay ang mga tao sa lipunan at hindi makatarungan ang sistemang kinakapalooban nito" - Ms. Erica Bucog, KARATULA UP Manila
  
  
• "sanhi ito ng (1) kawalan ng pagkukunan ng ikabubuhay, (2) katamaran at pagwawalang-bahala sa buhay at (3) pagyakap sa mendicancy at paghuhubad ng dignidad"
  - Prof. Carol Pulumbarit, UP Department of Arts and Communication
  
  
• "old clothes, poor health, hunger" - Mr. John Forbes, American Chamber of Commerce
  
  
• "absence/lack of will and/or resources to develop - Mr. Alberto Lim, Makati Business Club
  
  
• "financial inability to sustain the provision of the necessities of life"
  - Mr. Mike Wooton, Manila Times columnist
  
  
• "life devoid of material resource" - Regent Nelia Gonzalez, UP System
  
  
• "state of life where people live a life bereft of dignity - whether financial or spiritual
  -Dr. Lileth Galban, UP College of Dentistry
  
  
• "walang regular na trabaho kaya 'di sigurado kung may kakainin, dadamitin o titirhan"
  - Prof. Remedios Lorica, DLS-College of St. Benilde
  
  
• "A person is poor if he or she has limited capacity to attain his or her full potentials for decent living." - Prof. Danilo Arao, UP Journalism Department
  
  
• "When a person, family and community cannot cope with basic needs for food, shelter, education, culture and security." - Dr. Arturo Pesigan, World Health Organization
  
  
• "Poverty is when a mother cannot feed her child. It is present when hunger drives people to commit unimaginable crimes. Poverty is felt when one is left with no other option but to leave his/her family and country just so he could earn a living. Poverty exists when we allow children to toil beyond their capacity, to labor instead of taking care of their needs. Poverty is when we cannot afford healthcare and medicines. - Sheila Leynes, MD
  
  
• "Poverty is systems failure of society where its citizens lack access or are deprived of the opportunities for wealth creation and total human development."
  - Jaime Galvez-Tan, MD, UP College of Medicine
  
  
  
• "Poverty in general sense is the lack of what is necessary, important or valuable."
  - Dr. Lea Chiu, UP College of Education