Bangkok to Manila

One of the millennium goals established by the United Nations was to reduce poverty and especially child poverty. According to an article in the newspaper, the Philippines are making great strides to reduce poverty, especially in the major cities, but I have not witnessed this first hand, by any means.

Let me give you a few examples of what I have witnessed. I take a jitney everyday to play golf and I have never seen anyone buy a full pack of cigarettes when the vendors approach the jitney. They always buy one or two cigarettes and the vendor automatically reaches in to his pocket for a lighter. Drivers probably don’t have one, I presume.

My caddy,that I have played with the last three days has 4 or 5 old clubs that must have been left around over the years since they are all different. His four wood still has the string wrapped around it like golf clubs were made 30 years ago. Needless to say, he hits a mean ball and I would wonder how good he would be if he had a modern set. If there is anyone reading this who has an old right handed set they want to get rid of, I have his address. It did take him two days to give me his address because he said he did not know the number of his house. I guess when you live in a shanty town made up of tin shacks, it is hard to have an address. However, he did give me some address today and I do plan to send him some clubs, but my old ones are left handed.

I did talk in my blog yesterday about whole families with no-one working except maybe for some cousin or two riding a tryke. I presume they kill their own chickens and pigs to eat. Kids followed me around the golf course for the last few days trying
(and succeeding) to sell me balls. My question is, why aren’t they in school during the day?

Pawnshops are as frequent in the Philippines as tailors or massage parlours are in Thailand. Perhaps they are also in Thailand and I have just not noticed because I do not read Thai…yet.

Clearly the Philippines is a very poor country. I thought Bangkok or Thailand was poor but it is an economic powerhouse in Asia apparently. However, there are differences between Thailand and the Philippines. For example, I see churches everywhere since it is such a Christian country. I also noticed a few cemeteries and mortuaries which do not exist in Thailand to my knowledge. Buddhists, I assume, burn the bodies. I will have to ask when I get back what they do with the ashes to see if there are cemeteries. There are also quotations from the Bible everywhere here, including taxis, jitneys, shop signs and so on. There are also mottos at the beginning of each town encouraging such things are hard work, friendship etc.

Just had a haircut for 60 pesos, about 1 dollar. For this I got a head and shoulder massage, haircut and shave. The barber has to pay the rent, overhead and other costs. He also has to stay open 15 hours a day. Just further proof of how destitute things must be. I gave him twice as much as this, but it certainly will not help in the short or long run, I can’t imagine.

Manila looked like it had sidewalks, wide avenues, sewers, dogs in cages, beautiful museums and parks. Can’t wait to get back there tomorrow to see if my first impressions pan out.

I also can’t wait to return to the Philippines to experience diving and the beaches. In spite of the poverty and absolute destitution, the people are warm, friendly, empathetic and helpful. Maybe we could use a bit of poverty in North America.