As the population of the Philippines continues to grow, poverty and civil unrest is widespread on the island of Mindanao. Mindanao's poverty can be attributed largely to past migration and economic policies of the Philippines government that delayed economic growth. Furthermore, since independence was obtained from the United States in 1946, the condition of life of Mindanao's poor has worsened due to such factors as internal conflicts between government forces and secessionist movements. This paper sheds some light on the dilemma of poverty, government policies, migration and civil unrest on Mindanao, southern Philippines.
