Poverty In The Philippines (How Does It Affect Us?)

[Jack Peterson]

:unsure: A little spin off from the other Topic (if I may at this time) 

 

Poverty, what is Poverty

the state of being extremely poor.

"thousands of families are living in abject poverty" Now Ain't this the Truth? 

 

Now does this actually affect us?  Not really does it? getting away from the dreaded extended family issues my only concern, is the Guilt I sometimes feel when I come across it in the local Area. I certainly don't feel it on the constant beggar issues in the City or on the Boulevard. It is my belief that this is a business to someone, OH! I know there are times that we can to a degree tell the Honest (sic) ones and I think we can all say, we do a little.

No what I mean is when I go to the Shop for a beer and there they are, buying 2 eggs 1/4 of Rice and maybe if they are lucky a 12/13 peso can of sardines for a Family of maybe 5/6 even more perhaps. This is where I feel the guilt as if I do it for 1(one) I must do it for all, then where are we? I don't get involved.

Yesterday I noticed that there were a number of Kids not at school, this in its'elf is not unusual but it was only a small number maybe 5/6 So I asked "No Class Today?" no sir We couldn't Go. Oh! why, say I? Well Sir, Aunty( they were all cousins of 2 of them) had no money for last nights Project Paper and things so we were too ashamed to go without our Project. Now this is Poverty of the Second Part but 10 marks to Aunty for Feeding them.

 

Is it any Wonder that Kids are not getting the Schooling because of this situation?

So I Start this Topic to let our maybe newcomers to the PI know just what they will come across and probably more importantly Do all the homework before you come, so it can never happen to them Chris Brought up a brilliant thing on the other Thread

 

 I further think that early retirement at a younger age, to the PI,, is not necessarily the way to go. In particular those like the OP, who still wants to hunt and fish with his kids.  I still say poor planning, he could have had all that and still come here later.

And moving back is not as easy as it seems either. Re-entering the work force, age 50 and above?

 

If things do go wrong and of course they can, Not all of us can go back to square one.

Poverty is a way of Living here and it is quite a shock. I often say it IS all about Money, if we have the Money and we do ( well most of us) Our kids will do well. there is usually something like 4/5 foods on the table to complement the daily Rice or potatoes for me So yes My Offspring is Lucky, No not Lucky, to me, she is living the life we can afford But there are literally millions that are not and this is the start of the whole thing, They don't get the education as they can't afford it so they don't learn anything, Value of money for a start ( if you have no money how can you learn the value of it) OH! it will go On and On

But what can any of us really Do. It is an ever increasing Spiral, something that in deed needs to be addressed but it ain't going to happen in our lifetime and with little or No Sex education and no real Birth Control it can only get worse.

​OK I feel like I could digress here and it is long enough and spouty enough now, so I will just say that this World we live in now here in the PI definitely comes in Two parts, the Have's and the Have nots. We are Fortunate that we ( most of us) Live in the better half

​So when anyone who is thinking about Retiring to the PI Please, Please do a lot of Homework. 

To Educate your Kids ( the way you would like) and get them the Trappings of the 21st Century we need Money, Sustainable Money for when the early Pot Runs Dry. The Poor Blighters here have little chance of Progressing through lack of money and every day, we hear of Ex-Pats falling into the same hole. Cheap it is But it still needs that Input and Budgeting to make it work.

Sorry if it is somewhat confusing in parts but I am sure we can all sing from the same Hymn Sheet in the End. But I will take Questions at the end of the seminar  :hystery: 

 

Comments are welcome but in the Words of a new member Please be Kind :rolleyes: 

 

Jack :) 

​Obviously in a Sober serious head Mood. :thumbsup: 

 In addition Because I need new glasses, this piece has taken so very long to do but I hope it can go some way to show those that are not in the real know about the PI How it is and why the Population and Poverty all go hand in hand and is a problem all around. "It is all about Money"

 

 

 

 

 

[jpbago]

   Poverty here affects us foreigners in many ways. As JP says with no money for school projects or even school for many, the cycle continues. Uneducated and poor people do not plan for the future. It affects us in where we live as if lots of poverty, there are no developments in the city as most of the people have no money to spend in malls, car dealers, auto shops or franchise restaurants. In poor areas, there is no English spoken. With nothing here where I live in a city of 170,000, everyone has to go to Bacolod to see a doctor, to get glasses, to buy a door knob, to buy a faucet, to eat in a sit down restaurant, or to buy anything. The buses are often standing room only. I could use Ron's description of Naga and it would be the truth. With poverty and lack of education, there might be more crime both domestic and of opportunity. With poverty, there is more air pollution and garbage everywhere. With poverty, our girls have to go to Bacolod 6 days a week to school. To sum it up, if you live in a poor area, poverty does affect us foreigners but if you live in a gated subdivision in a large city, then no.

[manofthecoldland]

    The young boy was lean, clean, apparently in good health and  had a disarming smile. His clothes didn't fit too well and were simple, Ukay-ukay no doubt.

     "Getting enough rice and dried fish... and eating some gulay?" I asked.

  "OO-oo, Po. "he replied with a grin.

  "Do you go to school?", I asked.

   Again a positive response.

   "You have a ina at ama?", I queried. Again a "yes'.

  "How about a barkada?", but already knew he had lots of friends, so his positive answer didn't surprise me.

   "Are you poor?"

   "Hindi", I just don't have money. 

[Gratefuled]

I do not usually read the long lengthy comments but I found this one interesting once I got started. I agree with you about the education and the lack of it here. Even the private schools are lacking in many areas. 

I'm speaking from experience we have had with our son (stepson) now 15 and only in 8th grade. He is not a "slow learner" like one teacher said. He just needs to be taught properly and not just given assignments. We have him up past the 80% level now in all of his subjects. I stress that he MUST learn English. Learn comprehension, composition and proper grammar. 

Our goal is to get him admitted to a good university. If ever my wife decides to leave and come with me to the states, he will have the benefit of a better education. All 3 of my sons graduated from universities  back home. 

Yes, I do pity the poor unfortunate children here in the Philippines who cannot go to school for lack of money. A family with 2, 3 or 4 school age children will find it difficult to have them properly educated. Food comes first. 

Yes, the expats who have step children have a chance to make a big difference in a chilld's life. 

Thanks for posting this important reminder that it is hard for children in the Philippines to succeed.

[chris49]

Poverty is a way of Living here and it is quite a shock

 

Poverty, overpopulation, malnutrition, anything else you care to mention are worldwide problems.  They do not shock me, for my background, where I have lived, I am quite used to it.

 

the constant beggar issues in the City or on the Boulevard. It is my belief that this is a business to someone

 

There does seem to be a common Filipino view that these beggars are well organized part of a ring. I do not know, it is not my position to evaluate that. If I have coins in my pocket I will give, if it involves breaking a note or puling out a larger denomination note, then no. I notice Gina adopts my philosophy, she will give a small amount. Others, local and foreigner will not, that's their choice.

 

So does this cycle of poverty disturb me? Perhaps, but usually not. It's a cultural thing, like absentee fathers and single women raising kids with no support. There's nothing I can do about it directly.

 

But that does further explain why a foreigner is so easily targeted by young girls usually with a child, Do you notice the Filipino guys getting into relationships with single mothers? Nah....they go for the younger ones or the working girls with an income.

 

The whole thing is a cycle. I carry my load within the family and unfortunately to the extended family, but I have to do that right. in exchange we get their support and do not need maids and Ya Ya's, so there's the trade off.

 

It's a good post Jack. And there's a few ways to look at it also.

[Jack Peterson]

It's a good post Jack. And there's a few ways to look at it also.

 

 

 As always, much food for thought here. Life ain't just like the Brochure says, Is it?

[Dave Hounddriver]

The Philippines, its culture and its people and its government and its problems, would be the same if I was here or not here.  I did not come to Philippines with the belief that I would or could or even wanted to change anything.  I came for the sole purpose of being happier here than I would be in any other place that I knew of and that I could afford.

 

That's not very humanitarian of me but the truth is I am happy here, despite poverty in the Philippines, and if that ceases to be true then I shall probably leave.  This does not mean I am hard hearted.  I do what I can after my needs and the needs of my family are meet.  Most often my charity goes out to fellow foolish expat friends who are here on $1,000 a month and find out it really is not enough when they end up with a long stay in hospital.  I usually give very little cash in those instances but lots of my time and whatever help I can.  Almost all of us will end up in a hospital at the end and almost none of us have planned for it.

 

So I will let the Philippines take care of filipinos who are poor and do what I can to help my friends and family who are poor.  Being poor"ish" myself that is not very much so no need to send pm's with your requests  :hystery:

[stevewool]

Most often my charity goes out to fellow foolish expat friends who are here on $1,000 a month and find out it really is not enough when they end up with a long stay in hospital. I usually give very little cash in those instances but lots of my time and whatever help I can. Almost all of us will end up in a hospital at the end and almost none of us have planned for it.

 

Dave will you be my friend :unsure:

Edited February 17, 2016 by Dave Hounddriver
fix quote

[Jack Peterson]

 

 

Dave will you be my friend :unsure:

You  know they will talk about you, Don't you?  :hystery:

[manofthecoldland]

There does seem to be a common Filipino view that these beggars are well organized part of a ring. I do not know, it is not my position to evaluate that. If I have coins in my pocket I will give, if it involves breaking a note or puling out a larger denomination note, then no. I notice Gina adopts my philosophy, she will give a small amount. Others, local and foreigner will not, that's their choice

    This probably should have been put on the recent 'beggar' thread, but I 'preferred not to' at the  time.

     I had some battle shock with beggars when I first got here that cured me of naive altruism. My wife counseled me and told me her philosophy was that if the were able bodied, they weren't to receive alms. Only the extreme elderly or people missing limbs. She further told me of seeing some of our regular mall beggars at the time ( no more now) putting on their dirt make-up behind the mall before going to their begging stations. 

   I would still slip P5 or P10 to a very old man who sat under a tree. He's gone now.Maybe he was deserving. Maybe not. But I felt compassion.

   Another older femal pro would come to the expats at coffee... or at the bank ATM line.. and show us a medical perscription. My wife took it and read it. "Its three years old" she told me. "Don't even thing about giving her anything." The other long term expats laughed. They knew. 

   I used to see the handlers and their young confederates working the ATM lines, but its been 3 years now since I last witnessed that so I think at least here where I live, its supressed. 

   My tactics a few years ago were of two types. I would either tell the woman "You have to go to your relatives, not me... That's the tradition." (She probably didn't understand English, but I was saying it mainly so that the others in line could overhear my attitude and pass it on re: koriput or knowledgeable foreigners... no sense in encouraging the concept of us as easy 'marks'.).....

   Or I would say, "Its illegal for me to give you money. I could be kicked out of the country, deported,  for breaking the National Law. Sorry."

    Presidential Decree No. 1563. Begging is prohibited in the Philippines under the Anti-Mendicancy Law of 1978.

    Of course, I never added the fact that child beggars were exempt under the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, Sect 58 of Republic Act No. 9344..... under 18-exempt from prosecution.

    I still help people. Usually more than I can afford to. But only under rare circumstances. Charity begins at home..