▁trade ▁def ic it . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁the ▁trade ▁def ic it ▁increased ▁from ▁$ 4 1 8 ▁million ▁to ▁$ 2 . 2 ▁billion , ▁while ▁the ▁foreign ▁deb t ▁increased ▁from ▁$ 5 . 1 ▁million ▁to ▁$ 1 4 . 8 ▁billion ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁A ▁study ▁by ▁the ▁World ▁Bank ▁found ▁that ▁Philipp ine ▁pover ty ▁increased ▁between ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 8 . ▁Real ▁w ages ▁for ▁sk illed ▁for ▁workers ▁in ▁urban ▁areas ▁fell ▁by ▁ 2 3 . 8 %, ▁and ▁for ▁un sk illed ▁labor ers ▁the ▁decl ine ▁was ▁ 3 1 . 6 %. ▁Auth ors ▁of ▁the ▁study ▁concluded ▁that ▁" p urch asing ▁power ▁has ▁dropped ▁in ▁both ▁urban ▁and ▁rural ▁areas , ▁in ▁all ▁regions , ▁and ▁pract ically ▁all ▁occup ations ," ▁and ▁the ▁gap ▁between ▁rich ▁and ▁poor ▁is ▁" wor se ▁in ▁the ▁Philippines ▁than ▁elsewhere ▁in ▁the ▁[ S out heast ▁Asian ] ▁region . ▁In ▁this ▁context , ▁the ▁material ▁conditions ▁of ▁the ▁working ▁class ▁was ▁greatly ▁in ▁contrast ▁ ▁to ▁the ▁lav ish ▁op ul ence ▁of ▁cron y ▁capital ism ▁under ▁of ▁the ▁Mar cos ▁regime . ▁These ▁are ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁factors ▁that ▁prop elled ▁workers ▁to ▁resist ▁the ▁Mar cos ▁dict ator ship . ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁These ▁workers ▁protest ed ▁against ▁the ▁Mar cos ▁regime