University of the Philippines Manila College of Arts and Sciences Padre Faura St., Ermita, Manila

B.A.T.A – Bahay, Aklat, Tira-tira, Alunignig: Understanding poverty through the eyes of a child and on how it affects them psychologically, socially and emotionally

An Undergraduate Thesis Presented to the Department of Social Sciences College of Arts and Sciences University of the Philippines Manila

In Partial Fulfillment of the Course Requirements in Development Studies 199.2 for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies

Presented by: Niña Mae S. Dayandante 2012-76867

Prof. Reginald S. Vallejos Thesis Adviser

May 2016

College of Arts and Sciences University of the Philippines Manila Padre Faura, Ermita, Manila

APPROVAL SHEET

This thesis, entitled B.A.T.A – Bahay, Aklat, Tira-tira, Alunignig: Understanding poverty through the eyes of a child and on how it affects them psychologically, socially and emotionally, prepared and written by Niña Mae S. Dayandante, in partial fulfillment of the requirements in Development Studies 199.2 for the Degree of Bachelor in Arts in Development Studies, is hereby recommended for approval.

______

Prof. Reginald S. Vallejos, MPA Thesis Adviser Department of Social Sciences

This thesis is hereby accepted and approved as partial fulfillment for the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor in Arts in Development Studies.

______Prof. Jerome A. Ong M.A. Chairperson Department of Social Sciences

Acknowledgement

Through the help and guidance of my core group, this thesis paper would not have met its objectives in identifying the psychological problems that may arise from a child’s condition in poverty. For my parents and relatives, Mariel and Girly Dayandante who joined me through my quest in Payatas and for sponsoring our trip there, for my thesis team: Cesar Mansal, Carlo Cunanan, Andrea Gutierrez, and Nichole Repollo who added me with technical and moral support. To my boyfriend, Jumar Celis who facilitated and provided technical assistance. For the unending support of my classmates in pushing and always reminding me to finish this paper, also to the families and children we have met in both the areas of Smokey Mountain and Payatas, the barangay officials who assisted us as we scout the area. To the ever most thoughtful and supportive thesis adviser, Sir

Reggie Vallejos and most especially to the Almighty God. For He helped ease the fear and troubles that kept bugging my mind before conducting the field work. With His light and guidance, this paper will now serve as a stepping stone for reaching another milestone in life.

This paper will also serve as a gratitude gift to my alma mater, to those who have provided and given advice, a helping hand and a shoulder when in times of doubt, who showed their support and guidance in any possible way. I want to say my sincerest thank you to all of you. God bless! Padayon!

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Abstract

This paper unravels the conditions of the less fortunate families moreover on how poverty affects the children in the areas chosen by the researcher; Smokey Mountain and

Payatas. Places as such are deem to be barren, destitute, and hopeless for most people.

Analyzed and interviewed 30 children, 15 from each area regarding their current situation and on how these affects them emotionally, psychologically, physically and socially.

Eminent variables such as education, income, environmental backgrounds, and food poverty are used to dissect the real meaning of how it is to live in these places. These variables are then correlated to their physical, social and psychological aspects of the children; whether there are posing positive or negative threats to their development. An ethnographic and first hand approach was used by the researcher, further establishing rapport then building a stable connection with the interviewees. Nevertheless, the researcher observed more negative feedbacks from the maladies in their society. The role of this paper then is to serve as a mind and eye opener to people oblivious of the children’s current situation. With the hopes of provoking the government into making further implementations and actions for the betterment of the children and their families lives.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgement ...... iii Abstract ...... iv CHAPTER I: Background of the Study ...... 1 Statement of the Problem ...... 5 Research Objectives ...... 5 Significance of the Study ...... 6 Limitations of the Study...... 7 CHAPTER II: Review of Related Literature ...... 8 Sampling, Data Gathering and Analysis ...... 20 Work Plan and Budget ...... 21 BUDGET ALLOCATION...... 21 Conceptual Framework ...... 22 CHAPTER III: Filipino Children and Poverty ...... 26 CHAPTER IV: Data Presentation and Analysis ...... 44 CHAPTER V: Conclusion and Recommendations...... 68 APPENDIX A ...... 76 APPENDIX B ...... 77 APPENDIX C ...... 80S BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 81

CHAPTER I

Background of the Study

To be deprived of the life that is endowed to you is something inhumane, an act of dehumanization. Deprivation is mostly given to those who lack control, lack choices, and lack assets mostly financial in order to sustain for their daily needs. Now imagine how it is to be deprived? Others might cry thinking they can’t live without that certain deprivation, which may lead to depression, or worse commit suicide. Do we appreciate the lives that we have now given you have a home, with sufficient equipment much more there is food, a clean and working toilet, a nice comfy bed? Most of us would answer, no.

Putting yourself in the shoes of others who are not endowed with these things, would you still think the same?

Who lack choices, they are the poor; neglected and robbed from their basic needs, trapped in a vicious cycle. When poverty comes to mind, the usual saying would be that

“The face of poverty is a mother”, knowing that a mother would do anything for the sake of her family, more to her child. Child whose parents living with the conditions of poverty are more likely to grow up with poverty, passing it on to their children..and so the chain goes on. If there is no outside intervention, mostly from the government and from non-governmental organizations, the cycle will not cease resulting to a chronic, vicious and multi-dimensional poverty.

According to recent studies conducted by PIDS, child poverty in the Philippines continues to become worse. They are being deprived to access safe and sterile

1 toilets/bathrooms, this comes in hand with lack of clean water both for drinking and for daily use. This has been said to be the need that is most deprived from families living with poverty. From these studies it has been found out that around 750,000 Filipino children are faced with 5 different kinds of deprivation from basic needs while from about 10 million children are faced with at least 2 kinds of basic amenities.

Most of them do not live in places suited for a child, like most of them live in crowded places usually unsanitary where the spread of diseases spreads rapidly, with families having to use scraps from old pieces of wood, styrofoam, and plastics in order to build their house. About 260,000 of Filipino children live in houses like this, with no decent shelter. According to one of the lead authors of the report “Child Poverty in the

Philippines”, Dr. Celia Reyes mentioned that there are about 1.4 million children who are informal settlers, 6.5 million of children on the other hand did not have entry to electricity in their homes and 3.4 million lack the access to information. In line with no access to information, these children tend to have poor level of achievement in their schooling. Even if they have the means to education, the quality of which is not at par in comparing it with those children who have entry to such prestigious learning institutions, resulting to lower rates of improvement and lack of competency. Lucky are those children who are still able to afford education, but roughly around 5.5 million Filipino children opting for working rather than going to school. They are compelled to work due to neediness in order to contribute to the family’s income. The outcome of this is that they are unable to carry out their education, leading to the inability to find better job opportunities in the future.

Several programs have been laid out in order to help children facing poverty, with legislations protecting them in order to cater for their rights. As the first goal set by the

United Nations Development Program, Millennium Development Goals or MDG which is to eradicate extreme hunger and poverty, how come that the poverty in the Philippines despite reports of an increased GDP in line with the decreased poverty incidence from

27.9% to 24.9% last 2014TH July, continuously worsens, deprives them of their basic needs, and are trapped in an unceasing chain that limits their way of living? What does it truly means to eradicate poverty? As stated by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary to eradicate means total annihilation and complete removal, does this first goal really eyes on the eradication of poverty or it only implements band-aid solutions fed by people in power just to satisfy their selfish needs, sucking the lives of the lowly souls contrary to what this first goal truly intend?

Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA) said that for a family with at least five members, should have an average income of P5,590 to be able to acquire their basic needs, like food and P8,022 average income per month to access both basic and other necessities. Contrast to these, due to unemployment and lack of skills fit for a suitable, well-earning job, many families still live below the poverty line. In other words they do not meet the average income that will be able to provide their basic essential needs like food, proper clothing and shelter. So many children resort to working on their own, trying any means to alleviate themselves and their family from poverty. The key findings of the study discovered that around 750,000 Filipino children face 5 kinds of deprivations of basic amenities, while an estimated 10 million Filipino children face at least 2 kinds of deprivations simultaneously.

Reports showing that there has been an increased poverty incidence for the first semester of 2014 with a 1.2% increase from 24.6 last 2013 to 25.8%. The Philippine

Development Plan 2011-2016 also aims for the complete eradication of poverty and hunger, yet these results appear. Well other factors contribute to the increase, like severe calamities causing for food prices to hike, funds used for cover-ups made by the government for their mischievous doings instead of alleviating the poor from poverty,

(Pork Barrel Scam, SAF 44, etc.) are some. Among the 9 basic sectors in the Philippines, fishermen and farmers remained to be the poorest of the poor, and in fact five from these sectors namely fishermen, farmers, children, self-employed and unpaid family workers lastly women have a higher poverty incidence than from the general population with a

25.2% poverty incidence reported last 2012. (Torres, 2014) From these five sectors, one of the afflicted and most of the time neglected sector would be the children. The innocent, blameless and vulnerable would be some of the perfect adjectives to describe them as victims of a vicious, chronic and multi-dimensional threat, called poverty.

How do children face poverty and how do they cope with it, will be the main target of these research. As a growing child, it inculcates what he/she has learned as he/she grows up thus shaping them at an early age regarding what the reality of life is would be crucial to them, however for those who are not blessed with a golden spoon in their mouths, the way they regard poverty will be utterly different. Seeing poverty through the perception of a child, and how it affects their psychological, emotional and most importantly social competence will be able to broaden the horizon of our awareness of poverty paving way for more efficient and effective policies and programs to address their needs.

Statement of the Problem

As one of the undermined and vulnerable sector in the society, children living under poverty are given lesser attention in terms of addressing their rights, mostly physical but as well their emotional needs. Putting our shoes in theirs and leveling our terms of understanding as to theirs, divulging and emerging in their world as to how they perceive poverty as well as on how they cope with it. Poverty has exposed them to a new world without even knowing where it would lead, opened up the possibilities to a chronic chain leaving them susceptible and defenseless. Given the chance to ponder the way a child discerns poverty and its facets will broaden our horizon in understanding and cognizance with an increased efficiency in promoting adaptability for the long-term and sustained development for the recovery of children living under poverty.

How do they perceive reality and bear with the harsh challenges of reality and are policies/efforts laid down by the government affect them or be felt?

Research Objectives

In line with the problems of this research, the researcher aimed to:

1. Discuss the experiences of children under poverty and how it affects them psychologically, emotionally, and socially.

2. Understand their relationship towards others and on how they mingle with their society.

3. Present education as a gateway to escape poverty.

4. Discuss their perception of the realities of poverty and how they cope with it.

5. Assess Government or NGO’s actions in reaching out to them.

6. Provide recommendations for programs and policies to help children facing poverty.

Significance of the Study

Since poverty covers many facets however it all boils down to show that it is undermining, subjects people to settle for limited choices, inhibits their abilities to be maximized and worst they are trapped in a vicious chain that seemed to be ceaseless, for some. Different sectors, from farmers to women are subjected to poverty, who are often the topics in most researches, thus lesser attention is given to children in regards of how they become victims of poverty.

Metro Manila despite its industrialized and commercialized state is however not new to issues relating to poverty and reports had shown that it continues to increase. One of the famous places in the city would be the Smokey Mountain in Payatas and in some areas of

Tondo. For a deeper understanding of how really a child sees poverty, the researcher shall reach out and adopt a first-hand approach with the concerned citizens of the chosen area in order to further widen our realizations and horizons about poverty. Since the children sector belongs to those who are oppressed and neglected, this research will therefore increase our cognizance and be able to build bridges that may empower their voices and be able to hear out their woes, for effective and efficient policies, administered by the state.

Limitations of the Study

This research was conducted for both semesters of the school year 2015-2016, with supporting data gathered from reliable reading materials from the World Wide Web, and as well as scholarly articles and journals. The researcher interviewed children ages 8-10 as well as teenagers from 13-18 are among the preferred, gathering the data with precaution and subtle approach regarding their awareness and perception of poverty.

CHAPTER II

Review of Related Literature

“Hundreds of millions of children today live in urban slums, many without access to basic services. We must do more to reach all children in need, wherever they are excluded and left behind. Some might ask whether we can afford to do this, especially at a time of austerity. But if we overcome the barriers that have kept these children from the services that they need and that are theirs by right, then millions more will grow up healthy, attend school and live more productive lives. Can we afford not to do this?”

Anthony Lake

Executive Director, UNICEF

Poverty: A glimpse of reality

The American Psychological Association with its findings regarding how poverty affects people’s lives, on how they usually mingle and associate with others and especially its impacts on the physical and psychological well-being on people. About

28% of the world’s population is living under poverty (Tuason, 2008). Thus being considered poor, the World Bank as of 2003 estimated and has defined that people living under poverty lives on the conditions of having less than U.S, constituting 1.2 billion of the world’s total population. From the world’s total population of almost six billion people, more than four million live in countries that were identified to belong in the lower

8 or lower middle class whose income not sufficient to support their daily needs. However the needs of the poor is usually not addressed given the occurrence of increasing social stratification, issues of people afflicted by poverty should therefore be recognized, to cater for their needs and for a deeper understanding. Minimizing the poverty gap between social classes and combating any form of oppression shall be a must.

As a developing country, the Philippines is not astray from the impacts of poverty in its locality, in other words it is widespread in the country. It is considered to constitute almost two-thirds of the world’s population who experience a severe, chronic and multidimensional poverty, together with its other fellow Asian countries constituting about 515 million Asians. Being considered one, the people inhibiting the country are said to be chronically undernourished, hungry and deprived from their basic needs. The National

Statistics Office estimated 40% of the country’s population constituting for almost 32 million people, were considered to be living under the conditions of poverty. It continues to increase based from the survey last 2001 by Social Weather Stations, Inc., that an increment of 3% from the 56% of the last quarter of 2000. At any rate, the National

Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) has its findings that 27.9 percent of Filipinos may be classified as poor. Now, can we see that poverty is really a threat to country’s development?

Despite the efforts laid out by the government and with all the boasting made by

President Noynoy Aquino with its economic growth and all, a dent to eradicate poverty, in all its forms, has not been made. Based from the results that only a slight change from its original 28.8 percent during the first half of 2006 to 28.6 percent again on the first half of 2009 and 2011, and as of the first half of 2012 a decrease of 0.9 percent happened.

What can we say from all of these is that all the government can do is not “eliminate” but to “minimize” the existence of poverty, and all its forms. (Macabenta, 2013)

Unlike industrialized countries, the prevalence of poverty in developing countries is worst, like the Philippines, a country not uncommon of experiencing poverty, have higher hunger rates, food insecurity, and a snail-paced development. Efforts in comprehending the present situations regarding on how it affects their psychological well-being is minimal. Thus, aspects such as increased population, low-quality of healthcare, and the field of mental health in regards to the socioeconomic problems of the state shall be of high regard.

Poverty in the Eyes of a Child

How a child sees poverty will open up possibilities and challenges on how to address its real issues, recognition of child poverty thus remains to be an issue and is still on the verge of discovery. It was estimated by the United Nations that from the whole population half of the 1.2 billion people residing in developing countries are children living under crucial terms and facing the unbearable consequences of poverty, what is saddening is that from these children, 10 million were estimated to die each year. The innocence of these children is taken away at an early age; denied of the chance to maximize their potentials, deprived of the opportunity to fulfill what they ought to be in the future: healthy living and achieving dreams. Chronic poverty that lingers in the society tends to be intergenerational simply saying that it creates a cycle that transcends from generation to another generation therefore from poor parents come poor child/poor children. It will not cease as long as there are families who remain to be poor who could

10 not break away from these chains and being not able to receive aid from the government’s poverty reduction policies. One has to know the difference between child poverty and adult poverty, likewise with its effects and impacts are distinct as well. Based from UNICEF’s definition of child poverty which is a poverty that is in particular distinguishable from poverty and all its forms, has a comprehensive structure that includes different aspects such as household structure, gender, age and other aspects to name some. Most importantly it is characterized by the lack of economic security accompanies by material deprivation to the primary needs, basic services. Moreover this may lead to social exclusion caused by the discrimination that they may face with such issues causing the child’s self- esteem and psychological development to be affected.

(PIDS, 2009)

Not being astray from the effects of poverty, Philippines is bound to be a country where it is more severe and prevalent, thus children in this country are more susceptible to the issues of mortality, health, education, violence and abuse, and other factors. Child poverty seem to branch out from family deprivation of their basic needs therefor leaving no choice but to be pushed and join the labor force at a young age; exposing them to threats such as exploitation, violence and abuse. In 2006, it was recorded that poverty incidence has increased by 2.5 percent nationwide, with ARMM as the country’s poorest region experiencing the abrupt increment in poverty incidence. Regions VI, IX, X and

CARAGA on the brighter has shown some slight decrease of poverty incidence among families. From the results last 2003, for the past three years we may say that the rest of the country with NCR included, showed that it only continues to worsen. Two words can be described as to how the economy of the Philippines is, poverty is severe and inequality

11 is omnipresent. From the latest findings that 32.9 percent of the country’s population is said poor with ARMM having the highest poverty incidence with the rate of 61.8 percent, with concentration of the country’s poor said to be residing mostly among the rural areas.

Families whose subsistence is farming, fishing and forestry were estimated to have the highest poverty incidence among families living in poverty with a total poverty incidence rate of 61.6 percent; together with these sectors are from mining, transport and construction. (PIDS, 2014)

Table 1: List of regions with the poverty incidence from the years 2003 and 2006; highest is said to be found in Region ARMM and the lowest in NCR.

*Photo taken from the study of PIDS entitled “Child Poverty in the Philippines

From the year 2000 to 2010, a 1.9 percent population growth per year was estimated slower than the previous decade with 2.3 percent. Having this fact, it is said so that the Philippines fertility rate contributes to the cycle of poverty, with a rate of 3.2

12 births per woman. However, although it is seen as a form of blessings, higher fertility rates may result for higher risks and more ideal policies/efforts that should aim for the improvement of family and children welfare. It was recorded last 2010, that around 40 percent of 36.6 million is composed of children aged below 18, ages 16 to 17 are said to be the fastest growing age bracket with a growing rate of 1.9 percent/year. It continues to grow at 1 percent annually during years 2000-2010. On the other hand, those from the age bracket of 12 to 15 have a growth rate of 1.6 percent each year, meanwhile ages 6 to

11 grows by 0.7 and lastly ages 5 below at a rate of 0.6 percent (Reyes, Tabuga, Asis, and

Mondez, 2014)

Poverty incidence is higher within families with more members than those of the smaller ones. Majority of children in families with 7 or more members are living below the poverty line, while on the other hand family with only 3 to 4 members are said to be less poor constituting only 15 percent of children living with poverty. In addition to this, the headcount poverty rate of children coming from larger families is said to be slowly increasing, an increment of 4 percent from 48 percent last 2003. Last 2009, it was estimated that out of 100 children 16 of them were said to be living below the food poverty line that is $245 per person amounting to 11,686 pesos/year. It was said to comprise almost 6 million children. Extreme poverty continues to increase, with children from the rural areas compromising 82 percent of the total. Children living in the urban areas are said to have a lower poverty rate, with only 19 percent, all along with children in the rural areas with an alarming rate of 49 percent of the total. We can imply that based from this, 3 out 4 poor children are residing in the rural areas; and it has been increasing at approximately 2.7 percent each year from 2003-2009. Even though there is quite a

13 difference in terms of the poverty rate between the urban and rural, lesser does not mean efforts and policies should not be improve. Although the urban areas has lesser poverty rate than that of the rural there is always an urgent need to address it, in all cases it is still a malady: POVERTY.

Little do we know that every year, urban population increases by 60 million a year! It was estimated that upon the year 2050, 7 out of 10 people will live in cities.

(UNICEF, 2012) Yes it its possible, all because of migration and rapid population growth which is the scenario for Asia and Africa. Migration has brought people from provinces to set foot in the urban place hoping for a better life. Every year, the world’s urban population increases by about 60 million. By 2050, 7 in 10 people will live in cities and towns. Most urban growth is taking place in Asia and Africa. Migration from the countryside has long driven urban expansion and remains a major factor in some regions.

There are greater opportunities for children living in the urban areas, and access to the basic services is at hand, however even though these services are within their reach much of them are only felt by sight. They are denied of clean water, proper health care and other basic essentials. Therefore pushing them to the limits of working to earn, causing their exposure to threats such as human trafficking instead of being able to have proper education. Their homes are shanties of materials collected from ruins of old houses posing a risk to susceptible diseases and disasters. Their hardships are incomparable for they are given band-aid solutions and programs not entirely targeting the main source of poverty. Because no matter how we look at it, the welfare of others is often hindered and obscured by the upper 1%, only the wealthy becomes richer.

Not only do they lack access to basic services but they themselves are exposed to violation of their rights that is they are being robbed of their childhood. They may experience social exclusion and discrimination, not by poverty alone by gender, ethnicity, or disability. Their condition only worsens due to their lack of security, limited choices and voices for decision-making, and legal protection. Commonly the poor are associated living in slums but not all of them live there. In slum areas they are deprived of proper housing, lack access to social services, when they have no other choice they resort in doing illegal stuffs in order to earn any penny. Overcrowding and being exposed to unsanitary conditions can cause diseases to be passed easily, like pneumonia and diarrhea. Outbreaks of various diseases due to the lack of proper sanitation like measles and skin diseases are more frequent in areas like these, population is dense and high, immunization levels low. Children together with their families face threats of maltreatment and eviction; these may result to the destruction of social systems. Subtlety should be taken in consideration to minimize the fear and disrupting the development of children. Thus a focus on equity which should target and give priority to children who are far disadvantaged than others is a must. Only by cooperation from both the government and the people, at its municipal and national scope with organizational donors and international organizations working hand in hand to look beyond the borders of child poverty because despite all the efforts done to minimize poverty, almost half of the children residing in the urban areas remains to be unheard and neglected.

The roots of child poverty can be classified into three: High population growth rate, low income and underemployment and lastly poor governance and corruption. The first root is based on high fertility rates and was recorded to have a growing rate of 2.04%

15 as for the years 2000-20007. With supporting data and empirical studies showed that the larger a family is, it is more likely for the family to be poor. Studies also showed that children coming from a large family do not do well in school, are suffering from malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency lastly are told to have a slower development physically. As for their parents having low income and being underemployed with an unemployment rate of 7.4%, even though this suggests a low figure the problem of low incomes remains to be unsettled. Despite being employed, the poor are given jobs not sufficient enough to be able to access their basic needs. In line with this and maybe the most prominent cause of child poverty is corruption and lack of good governance.

Corruption in all forms, can reduce economic growth. The budget allocation is distorted and the performance of the government is affected. Proper allocation with wealth not concentrated in the hands of the few, the wealthy, in order to enhance policies and programs that will therefore promote welfare for children and families living under poverty.

The Disparity and Consequences

1. Physical health – with conditions not suited for a growing child such as unsanitary conditions, growing up with poverty has worsen their health condition as well. Poor children together with their mothers are recorded to have a poor health than those who can afford basic services. Economic disadvantage as early as childhood can link to worse health problems when they grow up. Upon reaching the age of 50, individuals who grew up from poverty are more likely to have asthma, diabetes and heart diseases. Diseases become more pronounce as the age increases, that is why child poverty has a big impact

16 on the overall physical health of a child. Adult disparities in chronic health problems by poverty status tend to become more pronounced with age.

2. Behavior – poor children are seen to be more hostile and experience more behavior problems than other children, therefore as early as possible the child should grow up in a friendly environment with the society being able to reach out to these children. But this is not ideal for a child living under poverty; for the effects of poverty has affected their psychological aspects as well such as signs of depression and anxiety, and are more likely to commit criminal acts upon reaching their adolescent age. Due to these threats, a child may experience “psychological poverty”, an untreated psychological trauma and a perpetuating cycle which is not common due to few studies conducted. Much attention shall be given by the policymakers to understand this complex phenomenon. (Brink,

2015) It goes beyond the border that to an extent poverty also reflects to a child’s socio- emotional well-being. Studies has showed that disparities in income may also affect a child’s behavior.

Moreover childhood poverty that is deep and persistent is more likely to increase the chances that a child will grow up poor up to when he/she is an adult. Stress from their surroundings between families can cause a bigger threat to their relationships and therefore may result to disruption of a harmonic environment in their daily lives; may also lead to disrupt in their development, in all aspects. (Magnuson and Vortuba-Drzal,

2009)

What about us? What about their Promises?

With policies implemented to alleviate the poor from poverty, half of the children residing in the urban settings do not feel the aid that is handed out by the government, and despite all these efforts they continue to increase. Urgent action to address their needs should be done by the state, for the promotion of their welfare. (UNICEF, 2012)

1. Public Awareness – improvement of the understanding of the public regarding the real state of child poverty in the Philippines. Data collection should be used to further analyze poverty especially among children; these tools should be honed in order to find out who is marginalized among children and families living in poverty. Solid research backed up by substantial data in order to promote against child violence and abuse, increase their chance of survival, more quality health care, proper sanitation, education, and security.

2. Minimize Social Exclusion – with increased public awareness, this will be of help to further minimize social exclusion. To remove the barriers that inhibits the development of the poor, removing barriers that exacerbates their marginalized state and most importantly, allowing them to enjoy basic services, in line with having the same benefits as of that a regular citizen experiences. Simply saying, that such policies should promote equity, efficiency and exhibit a trickle-down effect.

3. Attending to their Basic Needs – while it is hard to attend the needs of many citizens leaving in poverty, the government shall take a gradual step in doing it so. Prioritizing children, particularly their needs focusing in urban planning, broader efforts of poverty alleviating strategies and infrastructure development.

4. Establishing a stronger support system through the help of international organizations – one of which is the Safe and Friendly Cities for All, joint effort of UN-

Habitat, UN-Women, and UNICEF that allows for a wider scope of protection of women and children reducing gender-based violence. These organizations shall therefore form the backbone of poverty alleviating strategies. Involving children and the masses in forming a well-structured society free from social exclusion and alienation shall be one of its goal. Policymakers should therefore set its foot in maintaining a balance in the system, with the help of international organization. Hoping for a better result in the communities with children and families living under the poverty.

However, efforts are not enough and policies do not entirely address the real problem. The modified CCT’s or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program as the country’s strategy of helping the poor, it aims to break the intergenerational cycle but then all these are short-term poverty alleviating solutions. (Brink, 2015) In responding to their needs, laws shall be made with a first hand-approach. And although these laws are meant to protect children’s rights, due to the poor law enforcement children are not entirely safe from the cruel effects of poverty. Some are forced to work, with parents relying on their children. They do all these to meet ends and to have something to serve on their plates. Thus they are caught in a phenomenon called the “tangle of pathology” as stated by Professor Johannes Haushofer from Princeton University, where in it is a combination of lack parental support, having low educational attainment which may lead to unemployment and at times delinquency. All these have a major impact on a child’s development and propose long-term effects on them, increasing the chances of emotional and behavioral problems therefore there is a greater need for psychological intervention

19 with these children, for the stress that has accumulated will cause them to commit criminal acts. Without intervention, one is more likely to be exposed in trauma and violence, leading to a vicious cycle that poses a greater risk of having mental illnesses.

“No one gets left behind” should not only be words but there should be actions as to what the CCT implies as its motto. To break this cycle, aiming to look beyond the realms of poverty not by just looking at its’ surface, rather breaking down several aspects that it covers, with the proper funding by the government should also be handled. Programs shall be subtle and sensitive to the needs of the children, recovery programs to be exact especially among hard to reach barangays, where majority of street children resides. With this kind of approach, a sense of belongingness and a boost in their self-confidence shall happen, while also receiving equal treatment that the citizenry experiences.

Sampling, Data Gathering and Analysis

From each of the chosen areas by the researcher, survey in the form of participatory approach and as well as through surveys with questions that are well structured to be able to be easily comprehended by the interviewee, a sample of 15 children from each of the selected areas will be interviewed by the researcher.

Hands-on with an ethnographic approach shall be exhibited in performing the research and in gathering the data needed for further realization of how children regard poverty. With which, a drawing activity that will further showcase the thoughts of a child will be conducted by the researcher to provide a more understanding in analyzing the results. From the set of questions, the researcher shall evaluate the results on how the

20 participants affect their psychological state in regards to their experience of poverty.

Results shall be thoroughly scrutinized.

Work Plan and Budget

It will be conducted for 3 months, starting January to March as the beginning of the second semester. The researcher plans that interviews from the participants shall be conducted during her free time, allowing for other school related stuffs and other concerns to be prioritized as well. Data gathering might be crucial hence the researcher thinks out to finish doing it as early as possible in order not to fall same dates with final exams/quizzes. For the budget, the researcher projects an amount of Php 5,000-7,000 to carry out the said tasks efficiently and easily.

BUDGET ALLOCATION

Transportation - Php 3,000.00

Materials for data gathering - Php 1,500.00

Food and pocket money - Php 3,000.00 or more

Conceptual Framework

Poverty in the eyes Of a Child

Psychological The Face of Implications Policies and Programs to Poverty Prevent Poverty

Behavior and Attitudes Governmental or Absolute Poverty NGO’s support Coping Mechanisms Family Stress Model Health Socially Public Education Efficiency Awareness Basic Needs Approach

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Must exhibit a…

“Trickle-Down Effect”

As a child, poverty may be seen differently from their own perspective. Hence

this paper will tackle impacts of poverty amongst children, while also aiming for its

psychological implications. Reforms and policies will be further discussed to protect the

welfare of children and other aspects such as education, health efficiency and most

importantly public awareness. As others say that the face of poverty is a woman, it may

also link that the face of poverty can also be depicted from a child, knowing that poverty

is intergenerational and chronic. The researcher shall develop a set of questions with

22 caution and sensibility, and a friendly approach shall be exhibited. With policies formulated, this paper shall also analyze whether it exhibits a trickle-down effect, to the poorest of the poor.

Theories:

1. Social learning theory – made famous by the Canadian psychologist Albert Bandura, is a theory that learning takes place in a physical place where in people live, constant interaction communication is exhibited. This theory shall be used in order to establish rapport among individuals in the said community, avoiding the uproar of doubts and shyness from the respondents. For learning is a cognitive process, it should have a constant observation and a direct instruction. To interact with the informants shall be taken of high regard by the researcher, employing a first-hand approach, with sensibility and caution

2. Basic Needs Approach – the goal of the researcher is to cognize if poverty has a direct effect among children especially among the urban areas. This approach shall be used by the researcher for further realization whether basic needs are given to them, specifically minimum resources needed for a child’s physical well-being. It will also be of aid to whether policies and programs handed down by the government really benefits to the poorest of the poor, in other words displaying a “trickle-down effect.” For a child shall have all the rights to be one, therefore being able to receive his basic needs on a regular basis.

3. Family Stress Model – as the basic unit of the society, the family acts as the building block of a child, molding him/her to a way that is ideal for the society. As this unit, the

23 family also contributes to a child’s emotional and psychological aspect. Thus stress can also affect how a child is able to cope up with how he/she sees life and its struggles.

Family distress and disputes among child and parents may also lead to complex relationships which may result to – lack of control or supervision over the child, misbehavior together with inconsistency, may exhibit hostility and aggression to other people; all due to the lack of support and guidance from the family.

4. Maslow's hierarchy of needs- a theory by Abraham Maslow that suggests humans are driven to self-actualization and are driven by their innate curiosity. Forming a hierarchy with psychological needs as the lowest tier, next is safety, belongingness, love, esteem, self-actualization and lastly self-transcendence as its highest tier. Since humans are driven to achieve their motivations. This theory shall be used by the researcher in order to have a deeper connection with the respondents, further establishing rapport. With the hierarchy of needs, the researcher shall divulge whether these needs are being able to be experienced by children living with the cruel reality of poverty.

5. Structuralism – in its broadest sense is said to be a thought which emphasizes the various elements of human culture is a vital element in understanding the relationships in a society into looking deeper for a larger, more encompassing structure. Attempts to uncover the structure that comprises all the things that humans do, on how they think, react, and feel. Social interaction is to be seen as a result of the patterned behavior and its nature. For Karl Marx, he identified structures as the material and political assets and on how social relations are formed to bolster inequalities present in the society. In more simple terms, it is how structures in the society affect the relationships of people in to their environment. This will be of help for the researcher for the study will scrutinize the

24 social interactions between the chosen society and to outside intervention; mainly from the government, and on how these structures a.k.a programs or institutions affect the living conditions of children.

CHAPTER III Filipino Children and Poverty

Barefooted, dingy, and stained: Grotty and inhumane conditions of Filipino children living in poverty

We all know that poverty is multi-dimensional, chronic and severe plus the staggering effects which are generational, passing it down from generations. Poverty then is seen to be a social phenomenon where in people are faced with limited set of choices, possibilities, and opportunities, leaving the children with no option but to grow up in a condition that may not seem to be fit for them especially during their development years.

These formative years are said to be the crucial stage for a child's life for not only does this affect at present but more on to the future events that may occur, hence honing and molding a child to preparing them to face the world on their own is mandatory to every parents to accomplish.

One aspect of poverty is correlated to another, for example given the aspect of health; if one does not acquire necessary nutrients as a child develops, which most of them exhibiting a stagnant growth in terms of their height and weight. The concept of malnutrition is not foreign to our country. In fact most children living in the squalor urban areas like the Smokey Mountain and Payatas are more likely to be malnourished.

This is due to certain factors: first the quality of food they eat; in these areas most of them suffice their hunger by scavenging for leftovers in the dumpsites which is called

"pagpag", leftovers are then pre-heated and are served to children as their daily source of food. Interviewees have mentioned that sometimes they experienced stomach pain,

26 vomitting or headaches, causing most children's belly to look bloated. One organization in Smokey Mountain called the Kalayaan Community Ministries who conducts a de- worming program for the children in the area mentioned that most of the children who have been de-wormed showed numerous worms present in a child's stomach. Upon knowing this, their condition leads to stagnant growth, poor health exhibits a slower learning rate, micronutrient deficient and may also cause lower productivity. As they grow, adverse effects will show regarding on how they were raised by their families, leading to incapability in terms of performing tasks, low regards for one-self and at most cases also employ a poor quality of living, for these children are going to be parents someday, these proves how poverty manifests its generational power; without an external force breaking these chain, this might be ceaseless. On how poverty implies with children living in poverty may vary, for even if they are classified as poor, being poor is further subdivided to different classes; but all still boils down to exhibiting poverty and its adverse impacts on one's life. Mostly these implications are said to be negative which have various consequences to their wellbeing, state of mind, development and life chances; as if their cards in life have already been pre-determined. For children they are more exposed to several risks which may affect them inimically on their development; cognitive, emotional and social. As stated earlier, early childhood is crucial for a child because it is a preparation for adulthood, into how they can put to use the skills and abilities they gained during their early years because it will also determine the set of opportunities and chances they may come across. In another way saying that if they are honed to be skillful, with defined capabilities that are detrimental for facing challenges in the future gives them freedom; to determine their path, choices, and possibilities.

On how children experience poverty might be a totally different perspective on how an adult experiences it., for as they may say adults have enough skills and knowledge in order to attend to the changing needs that poverty might throw at them but as for the children, as early as their conception they are already faced with the risks and challenges, affecting one's long-term development which may have an impact on how he/she may be capable of handling things during adulthood, hence an urgent need in counterfeiting the effects of child poverty is a must. Child poverty continues to exacerbate the condition of the children with almost half of the world's children living below the international poverty line. They are able to provide for their daily needs for an amount of $2 a day! Imagine $2 a day, when looking at it realistically is not humane for a person nevertheless people living below the poverty line continue to subsist in tryig to budget that small amount of money in a day. Upon knowing these, more than 8 million cases among children's deaths with half of it are caused by hunger, malnutrition, and lack access to safety infrastructures and safe drinking water. These for a fact can be preventable, but the government neglects to do so. All of these conditions of children around the world are not distant to what children in the country living with poverty experiences. In the country, the main reason as to why child poverty continues to worsen is the galloping number of population, mostly in the urban areas where most of them can be seen living in squalor places, with houses that seem to not breath because there is not enough space in between a house to another, inhumane living conditions with no access to electricity and safe drinking water. All of these boils down to one main reason, corruption. Instead of allocating enough of the appropriation intended of the promulgation of pro-poor strategies, the country's funds usually ends up in the hands of

28 the few. Only if they do so effectively and efficiently provide enough assistance to the poor, there would be an increases in the human capital enabling them to attain formal education, improving the health systems and more importantly enhance child protection from all sort of violence; therefore if all these can be prevented there are chances where in failures in later life be prevented. In one study of the incidence of child poverty in the

Philippines, entitled "A Multidimensional Approach to Child Poverty in the Philippines" in the year 2013 provided dimensional indicators on whether how a child can be classified to be deprived of the following indicators:

1. Health - To know whether a child is deprived in health, the study mentioned that

if it did not receive at least one of the necessary vaccinations upon birth until the

age of five, he/she is classified to be deprived in health. Some of the needed

vaccinations from ages 0-5 are HepA, HepB, Varicella vaccine, MMR for both

measles and mumps and DTaP vaccine to name some.

2. Water - In terms of the access to water, not just water but one that is safe and

potable, to be deprived of such is if the sources of water comes from an open dug

well, man-made developed spring and worst from rainwater.

3. Sanitation - Deprivation from proper sanitation includes an open/communal toilet,

one that is classified as an overhang type or for most cases no access to a latrine

facility at all.

4. Shelter - Mainly, if house are made from patched cardboards, styrofoam, wood

planks, and scraps of metal, it is said that a child is deprived of a decent shelter.

5. Electricity - No access to electricity means a child is deprived of this dimensional

indicator.

* Where in Metro Manila, which constitutes 11.5 million people and considered to be the most, is said to have 1.7 million children living with these conditions; living in slums and shanties.

According to UNICEF, 54 percent of these people living in slums have no access to safe drinking water and almost 51 percent have totally no access to latrine facilities.

But then poor families in the urban areas have far more chances of surviving than those living in the rural areas. With the mortality rates higher in rural areas; 20 deaths per 1,000 births in the urban while 35 per 1,000 births in the rural areas. Reports showing that there has been an economic growth in the country, but according to the Philippine Institute for

Development Studies or PIDS, child poverty and its adverse effects continue to exacerbate. Incidence of child poverty continues to increase, from 13.4 million reported children living in poverty last 2009 the numbers still augments with inhumane living conditions only to worsen. The lead author of the report "Child Poverty in the

Philippines", Dr. Celia Reyes cited that 36 percent of Filipino children below 18 years old lives in poverty. She further stated, “Being poor, they suffer from deprivations of food, shelter, health, and education,”From the report, its key findings found out that around 750,000 children are faced with different kinds of deprivation which is somewhat similar to the findings of the former study mentioned earlier, while 10 million of Filipino children experience at least 2 kinds of these basic amenities deprivation concurrently.

These deprivations include the access to sanitary toilets, where in most of them even if they do so, the facility is not effectively working. Also the access to safe and clean

30 drinking water, these two constitute to be the biggest problems poor children; 4 million

Filipino children are subjected to these 2 kinds of deprivation. In terms of having a decent shelter, 260,000 children lives in shanties. Rat-infested communities with the stench of garbage lingering in the air are the usual setting for families living in the slums. Dr. Celia

Reyes even mentioned, 1.4 million children lives in informal settlements, 6.5 million do not have total access to electricity and 3.4 million does not have the means to access information, particularly access to formal education. Given the status of education among poor children, results tend to be equal; with usual outcomes of low education attainment and poor levels in terms of skills and proficiency. The study also showed the current condition of the children's basic education, which apparently did not improve. Reflection as to how their is not a slight improvement among their educational attainment, is mainly because almost 5.5 million children are rather forced to work, voluntarily or involuntarily, in order to provide assistance to their family, augmenting the family's income to provide better living conditions for their siblings as well. Hence, they are unable to continue their studies, or even if they do so it may result to failing grades which may also be the reason for the increase in drop-outs from school. If they were not able to pursue their education, future effects might be unfavorable for them; because usually they are seen to be inapt, inexperienced, and unskillful. In identifying the main cause of why poverty proliferates, one must look at various scopes as to whether how these interrelate with one another and trickles down to the augmenting cases of poverty. Not only is a family's lack of financial assets the reason why poverty worsens, but also the as to how several economic problems intertwine to cause such phenomenon. These economic problems broaden the chances to lesser job opportunities, lesser choices, and lesser

31 chances of survival. Going beyond as to what implications these problems might bring upon, for example looking things in a microscopic perception that may start from the family itself, like the regulation of population growth. Taking things on a different view might be the start to initiate change. Taking into consideration different aspects such as the impacts of climate change that bring upon natural disasters, escalating population growth and the absence of a trickle-down effect from the so called "economic growth" also causes child poverty to worsen.

While it was said from earlier studies that children in the rural areas tend to experience far worse conditions than those living in the urban, a report entitled The State of the World's Children 2012 identified the rural children living in poverty is no longer seen to be the image of poverty; the face of poverty now is depicted for someone living in urban areas. According to the report, families in the urban areas are worse off than in the rural due to more exposure to from natural disasters, from violence and exploitation and even higher risk of acquiring HIV. Poor urban families in the Philippines tend to live in an environment that is not suitable for child; filthy, foul, and squalid slums. Most of them are being deprived of basic necessities, education and healthcare to name some but what is alarming is the increased risks to disasters, exploitation and discrimination as well.

Knowing that Philippines is vulnerable when it comes to disasters, the security of poor urban families is being threatened; where most of them are situated in places that are prone to disaster, another concern is the type of infrastructure they have as shelter usually residing in low-lying areas, which makes them more susceptible to flooding. Their exposure to different kinds of risks imposes a grave threat especially to the children.

Children living in Smokey Mountain and Payatas are not astray from these perilous conditions..

4Ps: Philippines' Phony Poverty Programs

“No one, especially the poor and the vulnerable, should be left behind.”

– President Benigno Aquino.

Words from the president seemed promising with the real intentions in alleviating poverty. Now let’s take a look on how these so call poverty reduction programs has helped the poor so far. According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development

(DSWD), the emphasis on the two most comprehensive poverty reduction programs namely the 4Ps of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and Kapitbisig Laban sa

Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS).

Secretary Dinky Soliman said that DSWD will further pursue their efforts into targeting poverty and expand the two core programs mentioned earlier. Last 2014, there was a P63 billion budget allocated for the department, which have made changes regarding the implication and content of the program. The program expanded its coverage which now included 14-18 years, which was before only for ages 0-14; each child ages 14 to 18 shall receive an additional P500. The children are given cash grants up until they graduate from high school. From the expansion, it was said that about 2.2 million children received these cash grants and as well as the other 3.9 million families who are also beneficiaries of the 4Ps. For those children ages 14-18, conditions regarding on how they

33 will receive an additional P500 cash grant depends on certain conditions. First, they shall not have an attendance rate lower than 85% and most importantly they should not have any failing grades for any subject. In a way, these serves as a motivation tool for the child to pursue their studies and do well on their academics. Also by getting higher grades, they are then given more chances for employment, with a 42 to 45 percent chance of getting a job. In other words, a beneficiary of 4Ps receives a P300 grants per child ages 3-

14 and who shall have an attendance rate of not less than 85 percent. Another aspect of

CCT’s is about improving the quality of health for the family beneficiaries, which according to studies showed a positive feedback regarding to the health conditions of the beneficiaries. For example, they receive cash grants for health check-ups, pregnant mothers also can now have prenatal check-ups, be able to give birth among established birthing hospitals. After birth, postnatal check-ups are also offered to mothers, children ages 0-5 then are given free check-ups, for children ages 6-14 they undergo “purga” or de-worming; pills are given twice a year for de-worming. Not only do the children receive formal lessons, but parents are also required to attend the programs family development session.

Another core poverty alleviation program of the government is the Kalahi-CIDSS or Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social

Service, an expansion of the initial planned program “KC1”, whose main purpose is to promote a community-driven development (CDD), where in communities together with their respective LGU’s are taught and trained on how to assess the different needs in a community by developing the necessary plan, designs, and further implementations of other projects. Poor municipalities are also taught to facilitate issues regarding

34 environmental degradation and promote social protection. Through the CDD, it had set its objectives. To mention some would be:

1. Increase LGU’s responsiveness into addressing the community needs.

2. Promote a participative environment for the propagation of development projects into communities

3. Make sure that sub-projects are promulgated into a community

4. From the refinements of “KC1”, a “Gender Incentive Grant” is now given and promotes gender emancipation activities.

5. Promote an environment friendly community for sustainability

6. Evaluation of the projects implemented in the country, for the efficient and effective planning of future projects

However, these are not the only programs that were established by the government to reduce poverty. The GAL for the year 2015 apportioned P952.7 billion solely for social services which is 13.2 percent higher from the 2014 budget. This 2015 budget is soon to be the catalyst for achieving the Millennium Development Goal of reducing poverty by up to 16 percent upon the approach of year 2016. And according to

Butch Abad, Secretary of Budget, that if the national government wants to see visible results, there should be enough funding therefore for the different poverty alleviation programs set out by the government itself. Sufficient funding for the maintenance of such programs should be the main concern of the government. Hence the department most responsible for the propagation of the programs, DSWD was set to have received a

35 budget of P108.2 billion which is 29.8 percent higher from the budget last 2014. For the year 2015, a budget of P62.3 billion was allocated for the provision of cash grants to almost 4.3 million family-beneficiaries. Aside from KALAHI-CIDDS and 4P’s, DSWD also funds different programs that are intended for social protection:

1. Sustainable Livelihood Program – a project which will cover families are through with the CCT program, supporting about 265,175 families and 113,647 households for micro- enterprise developments also the implementation of capacity development.

2. There will be social pensions who will be given to poverty-stricken senior citizens.

Senior citizens ages 65 and above will be receiving a monthly allocation if P500 to

P939,609.

3. Supplemental Feeding Program, this is under the Early Childhood Care and

Development program of the national government; a feeding program that gives children hot meals every meal time for 120 days, five days in a week.

4. Lastly, the National Household Targeting System, works by identifying who the poor are and where are they situated through an information management system. Also they rank and classify them into different levels. Started last 2011, it has already determined about 5.2 million impoverished households who were given social protection renewed every four years.

Above all that, a more encompassing approach should be implemented by the government to promote an inclusive growth. Just like what the secretary of DBM Butch

Abad stated, “The budget allocation for social protection is part of the Administration’s investment in the people, who are ultimately the country’s most invaluable resource.

From creating more jobs for our growing population to ensuring the well-being of the poorest and most vulnerable, the National Government is resolved to improve the quality of life of our citizens. More important, however, is ensuring that Filipinos get equal opportunity to benefit from our economic gains, and that the growth we’ve already tracked can be sustained beyond this administration.” From his words we might ask, should there be a pro-poor strategy or an anti-poor strategy? To assess the problems of the poor, empirical data should be established regarding the effectiveness of these poverty alleviation programs, moreover on how it has been affecting human capital. The identification of the extremely poor should be targeted by these programs; which according to reports plurality of the poor are considered to be transient poor or those who are in a transition phase/temporary phase of being a poor, while 47 percent are those who are the most poverty-stricken families. Most of these programs seen poverty to be the general reason not knowing the underlying aspect that further supplement the unfavorable conditions of the poor; gauging every family to be poor is one critic of these programs.

What is essential is to identify the differences and the needs of people that vary from family to family then reviewing such strategies that should be revised or amended. When this happens, efforts won’t be considered waste and prevent further duplications of such amiss. In identifying different aspects that in a way poverty like its relation to education, health, human capital, a more comprehensive program will therefore be implemented.

CCT funds should augment the supply side for social services to meet the increasing demands and needs of the people. Upon its launching last 2008, there were still shortages in funds for providing these social services; one of which is the shortages of classrooms and teachers, also in addressing the problems in the health sector. In 2011, the National Anti-Poverty Commission has reported that upon the implementation of

CCT nationwide together with other poverty alleviation programs was defined to be aimless and overlapping. We then can conclude that the country was no prepared for such programs with reasons such as the weak implementation of these programs added to that is the constrained capital in supporting these programs. Hence, it is crucial for the national government to closely monitor and evaluate these programs, with the systems that run within a programs which when accomplished, it will prohibit wastage of resources, enhance the distribution of scant resources, equally and efficiently, and establish a more conclusive, inclusive growth; curbing intergenerational poverty and providing more stable and secure lives for a family, most especially to their children.

Smokey Mountain and Payatas: Home to the most poverty-stricken

Filipinos in the Philippines

Think of living in a place where garbage is literally everywhere, from stepping outside your house you see scraps, you eat near a pile of garbage; do everything while the stench of garbage lingers in your nose. Can you imagine that? For someone who is not accustomed with this kind of setting will find it hard to cope up and live normally. This is the case of families living in Smokey Mountain and Payatas.

Smokey Mountain is a place 2-jeep away from the Blumentritt station in Tondo,

Manila. At present, Smokey Mountain continues to be one of the famous dumpsites around Metro Manila, with the pile of garbage that can reach up to seven stories high!

Surprisingly people still live within the vicinity of this pile of garbage, not knowing the risks of a potential garbage landslide to happen if a huge storm hits Manila. With 25,000 people consisting of 7,000 families live in the area. Usual scenario of children running naked in the streets, swimming in the disease infested waters of Manila Bay, people covered in soot and the smell of burned tires in the air. Stories that it used to be a place where dead bodies are dumped and even up to now people in here die, without a word by the people, people die unremembered. Even though mishaps seem to be ceaseless in this place, people still hope for the better. As they say, "Kailangan magtrabaho, para may makain." And of course, what would be the common form of livelihood here if not for scavenging. Scavengers ranging from young to adults wait for the daily ration of garbage to be dumped, children together with their parents work side by side to provide a higher income for the family, garbage that has been collected within the city of Metro Manila.

Scavenging for scraps that are recyclable, bringing with them hope of being able to sell enough to merchants in junkshops. Not only do they forage for scraps of wood, plastic, or metal but as well as leftovers, which in their local language can be called as "pagpag" or

"tir-tir". When they are able to sell these waste, they earn few pesos which is usually not higher than 3$/day. Not a day goes by where there will be no fights, fights on the boundary or territory in choosing the best pick to scavenge. Houses that are made from patched cardboards, sacks, plastics and metals craps which usually are the materials used that homes these families. These families who live in make-shift shanties usually came

39 from the provinces; families who desire better lives not knowing that they would end up for worst in the city. They are left with no options but to adjust and cope up with the new locality they have. Adults often end up in two jobs, if it is not scavenging then it is charcoal making. By rummaging for scraps of wood, they turn this then into charcoal; reason why people in here are covered with soot and mud. For more than fifty years, trash has been dumped in this place. And that is what makes up Smokey Mountain, this popular mountain, with the stench of rotten leftovers with families who forage this pile for living remains the traditional image of Smokey Mountain. With that being said,

Tondo has become to be known as the place where the poorest of the poor lives, it remains to be the most prominent slum area in the Metro Manila area. For the record,

Smokey Mountain has been sought to be the country's epitome of poverty. When you hear, the place, the first things that comes to mind is trash which is actually the generalization of everyone regarding the place. People believe that residents in the area are said to be barbaric and immoral. Most misconception is that this community hosts a lot of criminals. Instead of easily judging the people, one must be able to see the plight of families residing in the area. Faces who try to smile even in the murkiest days of their lives, where a place that is said to be filled with despair, crime, and disease, children can be seen happily roaming the streets, with laughter as if nothing is wrong. Families in the

Smokey Mountain lives are inhumane, for everyday is seen to be a struggle; struggle to continue life, to survive. The same conditions exist as well to people living in Payatas.

Payatas got its name from the words "payat sa taas", it was said to be like these because in the upper part of the Tulyahan River the soil is not rich in nutrients that is suited for growing rice. With it originally called as Barangay 8, after being established as the only

40 barangay who was brought about by the rule of the judiciary. It is situated in the northeast part of Quezon City, with at least 20% of land area constituting 15% of the city's total population. Records have indicated that over 500,000 people reside in the area despite the census stating that only 120,000 people live within the vicinity; this is because most families living there were informal settlers who are not to be considered as a member of the population. Up to present, incidents of land disputes regarding as to which barangay has jurisdiction over those lands. One of its eminent features is its dumpsite, which is a

50-acre landfill with a dumpsite of about 13 hectares which is situated in the area of

Payatas B; receiving the title as the "second Smokey Mountain".

Not only does the word "trash" or "garbage" comes to mind when you here

Payatas but as well as the tragedy that killed people who were back then residing near the dumpsite. The Payatas tragedy was caused by a landslide of the pile of junk last July 10,

2000 where in this incident took the lives of 218 people both children and adults, 300 were declared to be missing; according to other reports it has claimed that there are at least 1,000 people who were affected by the tragedy. This could have been prevented only if the authorities have learned from the lesson on how to manage the Smokey

Mountain dumpsite which leads to stop its operations in 1990, and only if they have developed it to be more stable plus the anticipation future events. This has lead to the opening of various dumpsites such as in Payatas, Montalban and in Navotas. The communities within these dumpsite areas are said to be impoverished, with higher chances of risking their lives, and posed with environmental hazards as well. With the everyday dumping of trash collected from the city of Metro Manila, these unsorted bulk

41 of waste stacks up together with the increase in temperature because of global warming, which may cause fires among these areas. Huge amount of solid wastes plus hot temperatures could surely therefore cause massive fires in these areas; posing a risk/threat to all families nearby.

Months after the tragedy, Payatas continued its operations. One reason of its reopening was that people who live in the area requested it mainly because scavenging in the dumpsite was the common form of livelihood for the people. Claiming its title to be the largest open dumpsite in the country it has a reputation to preserve therefore changes in its operations had taken place. There has been a re-sloping of the land from a 70 degree angle to 40 degrees also children below 14 years old are not allowed in the area, and lastly methane from the fresh garbage are being sifted from methane extractors with the extracted methane to be used as electricity allowing for slimmer chances of having hazardous fires. Given these conditions, Payatas is also deemed to be an area for the poor; with most families experiencing the same deprivations like those in Smokey

Mountain. Although a dialogue from the officials in its barangay hall claims that, Payatas is making progress in terms of alleviating the status of their residents, contrary is this to the research. Children are still deprived of decent shelters, eat only once or if they get to be lucky they get to eat twice a day, a communal bathroom, and some still eat pagpag.

Were the officials covering up the people's conditions and try to mask what was really happening in the area? Or they were just oblivious and tend to neglect the people's needs?

Or even if they do so attend to their needs, will the results be for long-term improvements or just another band-aid solution?

These places are filled with despair, may seem hopeless and are the victims of social discrimination, they are bound to a ceaseless chain that is severe, chronic, multidimensional and the worst would be that it is intergenerational. They have limited options, chances, and opportunities, instilling in their minds that if they do not work hard enough, they will die with two eyes wide open..open to the reality that was set to be a burden to them from the time of their conception. Hence they go by the famous saying,

"isang kahig, isang tuka.

CHAPTER IV Data Presentation and Analysis

"Kahirapan ay pagsubok.."

And others would say that a child is oblivious and innocent of the things that is happening around them, but based from these answers we can depict that they are aware of what reality is for them. The term pagsubok is not a common word you would hear from children, since they're vocabulary is not that vast compared to a grown person; but hearing this word kind of send some tingling and awakening effect, not just for the researcher but for everyone who should be responsible for a child's development. The interviewee who mentioned the statement also added, that not everything stays the same; you have to keep going and have a positive perspective in life. Given the externalities they are facing and at a young age they are able to be optimistic..

How come authorities who claim that they are “maka-masa" or say the most famous line “Nanggaling ako sa hirap, kaya ramdam ko po ang mga hinaing niyo” tend to neglect their needs where in fact in the first place these words came out straight from their mouths. For both areas of Smokey Mountain and Payatas, children would often say that they do not receive any financial assistance from their local government. I also asked them if they see any politicians roaming around their area for campaign, all of them have uniform answer: NO. Most likely then is that aid is not entirely felt by the residents; it does not trickle-down to the people. Their innocence puts them to a more vulnerable state, more exposed to the cancers of the society; yet smiles never fade on their faces.

They hope for turning the tables, and think of the possibility that tt is not too late for a

44 change; change that is uniform and equitable; in a sense that living in this world is a merit that one may treasure for the rest of his/her life.

“Kahirapan ay kalbaryo.."

To have burden is something that you cannot fathom, for it gives you mixed emotions of anxiety, stress, sadness and worse may lead to depression. For the case with children this is not a usual thing for them. Burden in its broadest sense is dealing with something that is to difficult where in usually a burden is taken to have a negative note.

Poverty therefore is deemed to be a burden not only to their parents but to them as well. It covers a wide array of assets including financially, physical, social, structural and psychological needs. On the psychological side, they are affected emotionally and sometimes mentally. One of which is the case of bullying. Due to the location of their homes, where garbage and filth is just scattered anywhere, it has became a joke for others and use it to tease these children. They have not only been subjected to psychological bullying but most of the time, others would end up in a fight. These may be one of the reason why the occurrence of an increase drop-outs from school, nevertheless most of the interviewees still see education as a way for escaping the situation they are deemed to now. These children have many dreams that are just waiting for the right time, right chance, and of course opportunity to come to life. If only proper and formal education is given to them, so much to these children has to offer. Fulfilling their dreams and living to what their hearts tell them so is a way of opening a room for possibilities and options, giving them the chance to brush off all the burden and load they have been carrying.

"Kapag hindi ka nagtrabaho, hindi ka aasenso.. Hanggang doon ka na lang, hindi ka mapupunta sa gusto mong marating."

Expecting for the future is an everyday habit for adults. Looking forward to things and planning ahead should be a priority of most adolescents and adults. But what if a child anticipates the future and is now aware of reality does these things even at a young age? To my surprise I was not expecting such answers like this one. Through the years of these children’s lives they have been awakened of what is happening, what will happen, and what should happen in their surroundings, they are mindful of things that should be taken into priority that even at a young age they willingly subject themselves to work.

Two girls from Payatas even mentioned that they would save some from their school allowance and from their savings they would buy some “kakanin” or “mirienda” to sell around their neighborhood. When asked whether they are doing this to save money for themselves, they answered no. The money they would get from selling bananacue or pancakes would also be given to their parents, saving just enough money for them to use as their baon. In this way they are able to ease the expenses of their parents and are able to add to their family’s income.

Child labor in its general form is deemed to be illegal but these children are left with no choice so they opt to work. They see their parents working hard, under the scorching sun just to save money enough for one day. Voluntarily, they work and also help in any possible way that they can. This is true to the statement mentioned, if one does not sow, one will have nothing to reap. These children have their mindset on how

46 they will be of help to their parents at a very young age; at an early age they start to learn that one must work hard to achieve goals, accomplish tasks, and open up to possibilities.

Now this should serve as a lesson for adults, that success is not a wish granted by a genie’s lamp but a lifetime process of honing one’s skill into a better, brighter, and braver person one has to be.

"..minsan po gusto ko na lang mamatay. - "

Death is not to be said as a joke, even though it is still a phase of life we tend to foresee it and sometimes are afraid to be one. Now for a child to say this makes the whole story a lot different. During the interview at Payatas, I came across this group of girls who are about ages 8-13 and one of the girls answer surprised me. When asked why, she mentioned that how come their life is different from others, that why do they experience such hardships while others tend to have a life who can suffice all their needs in an instant. "..yung iba mayayaman, tapos yung iba walang kaya." Children who are bound to these type of living tend to experience a lot stress than children who have sufficient and enough to supply for their needs; the reason why even at an early age they tend to express poverty with words that sometimes not fathomable for a regular child. Stress that can build up in their unconscious not knowing that later on in their life these might affect them on how they perceive themselves or even affect the relationships they have with others. They may have temperament usually exhibiting the qualities of being short- tempered, disruptive, and destructive to the extent that this might lead to depression. In addressing these kinds of problems which is related to a child’s psychological

47 development, authorities need to focus on how to provide a child-rearing environment and provide assistance to them; because even if the family employs a child-friendly culture for a child, external factors like how a state manages the people and its resources efficiently, may impose a more negative feedback for a child.

"..Dahil sa KCM, nagbago ako."

A sense of completion is a need of every person, mentally and most especially spiritually. The statement mentioned is from an interviewee in Helping Hand in Smokey

Mountain, Tondo. He was once a member of a gang known for causing troubles in their locality not only that, but he also abused his body by succumbing to the temptation of his friends into using solvent. For all we know solvent is a substance categorized as a hallucinogen that may disrupt a person's mental being which may lead a user to elicit risky behaviors. He said that inhaling solvent is their past time and it is also seen to be a key to belong in the group. Good thing that upon the establishment of Kalayaan Christian

Communities, a non-profit organization established by Pastor Ron Domingo and his wife

Joanna Domingo in the area of Tondo who helps people build up their lost faith and also by providing them some of their daily needs. He was skeptical at first about religious related things; until one day his life According to him, he had his epiphany during one of their worships. Seated at one corner of the room, the preacher's words seemed to arrow straight to his heard..he began to cry. From then on his outlook in life has changed, he has dedicated his life to render service to the Lord. When KCM was established not only did it strengthen the people's relationship with the Lord but it was able to open the people's minds that some people do care for them. In a way, the children and youth in the

48 area have transformed their lives, to look at things differently and continue to aspire for their dreams.

What does this say about the government's regime in terms of providing assistance to the poor? Prominent answer is that they neglect their needs, remain blind and deaf to their current state lastly are bounded to fulfill their self needs. Just like the

KCM does, in providing assistance to the people they were able to make changes for the betterment of their situations; what more if the government heeds to their calling and becomes present when their needs arise? Only an external factor may break this cycle and that for which is government's role in promoting good governance for the welfare of the people.

"Basta kasama ko pamilya ko, masaya pa rin ako.."

In rearing a child, the family plays its important role. In developing the child into a person equipped with the essential traits that is needed for daily survival, socially, physically and mentally, the family then serves as the unifying force that molds a child to acquire these certain traits. As the basic unit of a society, everything starts from a family but with the given conditions that a family living under poverty faces, factors such as stress, broken relationships, and disruptive upbringing of a child may happen. Poverty plays then a role of unbinding the ties formed within the family, that if not properly handled may cause an array of problems. Some of the children in Payatas, grew up from a non-fostering environment. With others seeing their parents bicker and throw plates at

49 each other, abuse by their own fathers and countless quarrels with their siblings, these children then bring this and store hidden emotions that may lead them to being disruptive or fixated. Nevertheless, this is contrary to these children. We Filipinos are known to be resilient, facing every problem as if they would pass and a rainbow will always come after the storm. These children do not seem to worry that much as long as they have their family with them, because at the end of the day you would want to belong and feel safe, which is inherent to the nature of being in a family, having a family, and what a family is.

B.A.T.A: Bahay, Aklat, Tira-tira, Alunignig

Sa Letrang B – “Bahay”

Raised from the suburbs, we are at home with pleasant surroundings, homes that are decent and well-shaped, clean and safe drinking water, fresh air and all that jazz. Now imagine yourself standing in front of a garbage bin, the stench is unbearable and you might not be able to inhale that foul smell. This is the typical scenario of people living near dumpsites or near garbage. Upon stepping outside your door garbage is within sight, not only that but as well as the odor that will sniff right into your nose. Same is true with the people living in Payatas,Quezon City. A short detail about this area: Payatas covers

220 hectares which is located in the center of District II. As expected from a large area, it is considered to be the most populated city in Quezon. The first thing that comes to mind about Payatas would be the term “dumpsite”, and the most common notion would be

“trash/garbage”, well it all started when it was said to be an open dumpsite during the year 1970. Usually, garbage sent here weighs about 3,000 tons of solid waste and that is

50 per day. Waste from different areas of Metro Manila land here not to mention that

Smokey Mountain in Tondo is all one of the known dumpsites in the area. Although several restraining order from the government about the cessation of activities, like scavenging for metal, wood, plastic and food scraps, people living the area still continue to forage the area; just like the restraining order last 1998.

What the authorities feared most is due to the continuous dumping, garbage accumulates where in the land becomes soggy and elevates from its original platform and on that day of July 10, 2000 it happened. A massive landslide of solid waste about 50 feet high, it clouded nearby houses and demolished most of them, this tragedy claimed 300 innocent lives both adults and children being buried alive from this massive lump of waste children working in the dumpsite. It was heard around the world, and became a national embarrassment. Yet despite this several negative feedbacks from authorities around the world like naming the Philippines to be one of the countries where poverty is endemic or so, operations resumed last 2001. Until the year 2004, where Mayor Feliciano

Belmonte turned the dumpsite into a regulated disposal facility, rules and regulations have been implemented in conformity with the R.A 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste

Management Act of 2000.

Upon arriving, the place seemed normal and fine by saying that I mean there is no trash at sight, air is fresh and clean. Not what I pictured in mind. Dialogues from the barangay officers, claimed that Payatas is totally different from its previous state. Well base from what we’ve seen, the streets are cemented, houses within the vicinity are not shanties plus their barangay hall is perfectly organized and thoroughly structured even their basketball court has complete equipments. They even mentioned that Payatas is now

51 booming, due to the “controlled disposal facility” implementation, the dumpsite has now been regulated. Most of the people previously living in the dumpsite area have now been transferred to relocation sites, like in Montalban, Rizal and Bulacan to name some. Well, this sounds promising, seeing that development is eminent and ongoing in the area. After the barangay courtesy, we were then escorted by Ma’am Alicia to roam around the vicinity and to my surprise, there were still shanties in the place! From a few meters away from the barangay hall, there is a street with a narrow road with houses that are not-quite decent. They are encircled in houses that are well-built and structured. How come they are placed there? From different accounts, that narrow road leading to about 20 houses very close to each other, mentioned that they were from the main dumpsite and were relocated in that place which was a school before. Upon entering you can see the lump of mud, the foul smell, a small canal in the middle of the passageway. Frankly speaking I am not used to these kinds of environment but at the time I entered children came flocking in, they seemed curious and what touched me is that they accommodated me with warm smiles and giggles, and so I forgot the situation where I was. The main goal is to understand their situation given the condition that they are living in. Most of them mentioned that they previously lived in the dumpsite locally known in their area as

“Lupang Pangako”, same as what the authorities mentioned. Also, the officers cited that there are still 2 families living inside the area, these families don’t want to be relocated mainly because their main source of livelihood is scavenging, despite the fact that they know it is dangerous there.

Here and there you can see that the place is very cramped and unsanitary, a place not suited for new-born babies, children, and for the elderly. The children kept on saying

52 that their place will soon be demolished and their families will be relocated. Their stand is that they don’t want to move out, for they grew up there and their parents work as scavengers at the dumpsite. They fear that by them being relocated, they won’t be accustomed to their new surroundings. So I asked them how it is to live in the area, same answer from every child I have interviewed. “Mahirap po”, “Masaya ate” are the most common answers you can hear from them, the answer that living there is enjoyable and fun is an answer to be expected from a child, but children about 13-15 years old said that living there is hard. They do not even know what a mall is when asked if they already went to one. I peeped into one of the houses and to my surprise the mother told me to come in, as they were about to eat their lunch. You can evidently see that the house is confined and crowded, just like an area of a small bedroom and yet for them that is their whole house. Imagine a family with 8 members trying to fit in that small place, it feels like they are not free; they lack space and motility.

Their parents are mostly scavengers, looking for “kalakal” that is sellable to junk shops in exchange for a small amount of money ranging from P43-P150 a day, they budget this money for the family’s basic needs, which you may think is too few in order for a family to survive in spite of this they are able to manage and pull through. After discussing the matters of how it is to live in their place, we moved on to how their family is coping up with these problems.

A family’s home should be the center of development for a growing child, fostering a nurturing environment in order to shape a child’s skills, thoughts, and emotions. Now for children deprived of the basic needs, like not having a decent shelter, a caring and nurturing home might be an unusual sight. Like some of the stories of the

53 children I have interviewed, they mentioned violence. One of them cited that their mother is being beaten by their father, who only indulges himself in the company of alcohol and cigarettes. She said that her father usually gets angry when there is no food present in the table. How this affects the child emotionally is being neglected by their parents, not knowing that they may adopt these behaviors later on when they build a family. Another interviewee mentioned that his father beats him, the reason why he ran away from their home. Violence within the family should not be fostered, which may result to broken relationships, a destructive behavior in a child, or worse may impose a psychological problem. In rearing a child, a friendly and supportive environment should be the foundation of each family.

Moving on to the next area, Smokey Mountain is also one of the prominent dumpsite in Metro Manila, a enormous towering 50-feet high mountain of garbage weighing approximately about 2 million tons, solid waste from different layers of plastics, wood, metal, bottlers and more rubbish. Why the term Smokey Mountain? It was called as such due to the place is in constant fire, the burning of tires and wood clouds the area with smoke, hence the term “smokey”. Knowing that there is daily and constant burning of wood and tires, the air is densely polluted adding to the stench is the mountain of garbage causing the air to smell like rotten meat. How do people live in here you may ask: for subsistence/livelihood. Over 25,000 families live in the area consisting of 7,000 families. It is not surprising to just see children playing with garbage naked, roaming the streets barefooted and as from what the interviewees mentioned, there is sea nearby in another district of Tondo, children there probably swim in the waters without knowing that the water is infectious and disease infested. Not a day goes on without seeing a truck

54 filled with tons of waste, scavengers then are waiting for this to be dumped to pick recyclables and with the hopes of selling these for a good price to junkshops. Garbage is literally everywhere. Likewise with the homes in Payatas, make-shift shanties made up of used ceilings, carboard and tires are usually the houses of people living here. Upon seeing this, you may say that the poorest of the poor live here, among the skirts of Smokey

Mountain.

We arrived there around 2 in the afternoon; fear is what I mostly felt before arriving because the first impression about Smokey Mountain is that people in here do some acts that are illicit, most common of which is stealing. I felt hesitant at first because my co-researchers kept on mentioning that the place is unbearable by that they say that garbage is everywhere, the unpleasant odor lingers and lives off in your nose for quite a time, that I’ll be stepping on diapers, like that. So I told them I was scared and got skeptical at first. But then again, upon entering Helping Hand which is one form the three divisions of the area of District 105, with Aroma and Happy Land being the other two; I was shocked by the sight. Unlike in Payatas where there is a designated area for dumping waste, in Smokey Mountain garbage is literally everywhere, you’ll be stepping on it and to my surprise the air was not that stinky compare to what I pictured in mind. We scanned the area and tried to get in touch with the people first, establishing rapport. The first day was mainly observation while getting some information about the area from the locals.

From their faces you can see the misery and pain, but when they smile it felt that everything is fine, all the suffering was concealed and all you can see are the very warm and touching smiles on their faces. Filipinos indeed are resilient, they can smile their way through any obstacle.

In Helping Hand, some of the families live in buildings. A building is divided into several units, a narrow plat considered to be apartments with about 20 families living in each building. The buildings are named by numbers and letters, just like Building 1 and

Building JK. For those who do not reside in the buildings, their houses are also make- shift shacks made from scraps of wood and tires. Children can be seen playing on a pile of garbage, while others are seen with their parents helping them to segregate plastics and cups. I talked to one who is helping his uncle segregate leftovers from plastic; he’s 8 years old and works for his uncle. When asked why he is not at school, he said that he is not enrolled for this year due to financial problems. Luckily and happily he did mention that he will go to school again next year.

Cramped houses, stepping on garbage and leftovers, children playing naked are a usual sight in this place. As I roamed the area, I was dumbfounded upon seeing “Piso- net” computers in the area. You can see children crowding another child as he/she uses the computer, and yes I was surprised. I was conformed with the stigma that these places are not adept to these. Yet children whom I interviewed kept on asking if I have a

Facebook account and they even asked me to add them. So therefore in some way, children in here have access to information or at least in Helping Hand at most. Within and outside their homes, some of the interviewees have mentioned that they have been also a victim of violence. Most of them mentioned that they are affected emotionally, causing them to think of running away from home. But the virtue of family comes first, so they do not think of it as much, unlike the children I have interviewed in Payatas. One of my interviewee named Melody shared her experience with me regarding her mother who always nag and hit her. Her mother remarried, and she has two siblings from his

56 stepfather. She would cry and also think of leaving home, her reasoning of why her mother always nags on her is that she has a different father; looking at the bigger picture this should not be a home for a child. This affects her emotionally and also familial relationships are not established. Good thing is that a Church was established in the area in the year 2008 and has continue to serve the people by providing medicine, conducting feeding programs and strengthening their faith in God. After the establishment of the

Church, changes in the lives of the people started to happen. And those changes shall be further discussed on the latter part.

To sum up, housing facilities in these places are not suited for child development.

Deprived from access to clean and safe water, sanitary latrine rooms, most of the time no electricity plus the risk of a perilous environment. Establishing social relationships starting from the family and then to the society must be a target of the city’s officials.

Sa Letrang A – “AKLAT”

Children develop themselves through social interactions, they explore new things out of their curiosity and hone themselves to adapt to changing times as they grow up. All these can further be enhanced through the aid of education. Fortunate are those who go to a private/public institution with the hopes of achieving a degree that will enable them to have better job opportunities and an array of choices. As they say education is one of the key to success, which is in reality vividly true. Education in the Philippines is seen as a capital or investment of their child, with parents looking forward to their child’s brighter future. In other words, education in the Philippines is CAPITALIZED. You cannot afford to go to school if you do not have the financial means to. What happened to “public

57 education is for free”; well in concordant with facts this is true but looking it at a bigger picture, public education is not free. You may ask why; first: Even if they do have the chance to go to school, due to the condition of their lives some children are opting to work in order to help their parents to raise money. Together with this, parents cannot provide for other additional expenses because of their financial situation leading to an increase in drop-outs from school. Second: Public education is normally seen to be not as of quality as with those private institutions, basically on the facilities and support system.

Lastly, the environment that the child is exposed to; for instance there are higher rates of bullying in public schools rather than private ones. The bullying may then affect the child emotionally and physically again leading to an escalation of drop-out rates. This ambiance is not peculiar to children living under poverty.

For children living in slums, living near dumpsites or within it education is seen as an escape from their current condition, poverty. Most of the children I have interviewed, about 70% of them are able to afford education and the remaining 30% have been drop-outs or some stopped for quite some time in order to help their parents as well as because of financial problems. Fortunately, other children are able to have catechism classes and informal education through the help of foundations and volunteers.

Just like what the Fairplay For All Foundation or FFA is currently performing in the community of Payatas. According to children I have interviewed that it is being supervised by Coach Roy. Looking it up on the web, it is stated that it is a “non-stock, non-profit, non-government organization”. With football being now an enthusiast in the country because of the Philippine football team “Azkals” Coach Roy Moore saw it as an opportunity for helping out-of-school youths and those who are under the shackles of

58 child labor and it is done by training children in playing football, in short it is a football training program engaging children through interactive activities. It also aims to promote equality despite one’s social status, its vision to obtain what they called in football terms a “level playing field on and off the pitch” hence the name Fairplay for All. Every time I ask them if they go to school most of the children would answer that they are scholars from FFA. They attend classes, play, are taught catechism and feed them. One of the elderly in the community even mentioned that they also promote and boost the hygiene of children since water is scarce and expensive (rationing of water) in their area, the volunteers would bathe the children as well. The children in the area are given basic needs through the help of FFA’s program called the drop-in center, basic nutrition and informal education, reading and writing, also are given the experience of what being a child is by giving them the time to have fun; establishing stronger social relationships with other children.

From one’s perspective the place they live in might not seem suited for a child, because the place is cramped, unsanitary. They have a communal bathroom! And so sometimes when others are using the toilet, children are forced to poop on the street.

Which is an excellent goal of FFA is to promote proper hygiene, because children are seen to be running naked and barefooted with snot on their faces. According to them instead of going to school, they would just attend classes at FFA since it is nearby plus they are being fed and cared there. Good thing that when a child is seen with potential, he/she is given an educational sponsorship by FFA; sponsorship coming from UK and the

Philippines and even from different countries; currently FFA sponsors 47 children. I have

59 terviewed 2 children who are scholars at FFA and they said that this have changed their lives.

There is this group of boys who are locally known in the area as “jumper boys”, they are mostly around the ages 10-15; who climb up dump trucks and segregate

“kalakal”, they will then collect these and sell it to junk shops. When asked if are they aware that what they are doing is dangerous, they would politely say “Sanayan lang po.”

Most of them have been drop-outs while luckily for some they are able to attain acquire education. One of them ran away from home for the reason that his father is beating him.

Upon his arrival at Payatas, he did not know what to do so he asked help from his relatives there and some friends. With no proper educational attainment and skills, he was forced to be a jumper boy. Another jumper boy said that he continues to be one for the sake of his family and I was touched at a young age he is the breadwinner of the family not only that, his grandmother is the only one taking care of him so he doesn’t really have a choice but to work. They would love to go to school but given the conditions they have, they are forced to earn not for themselves but for their family. Not only due to financial problems causes children in Payatas to stop schooling. Others are victims of bully. They are mistreated at school, but the most common answer you would get is that they are shy from their classmates because of incomplete school materials, also for them being known to reside near piles of garbage. Neither do they know that this will affect them as they grow up. Lack of self-esteem, self-confidence and may develop a sense of fear from being judged by their social status. Authorities from the barangay and teachers, most especially parents are said to be the mediators when it comes to such matter. But children

60 in Payatas cited that minimal action has been done, and for the fact that their parents are also busy working, they are given little or no attention at all.

Yes education is a right, but during the developing years of a child, one must be introduced to official learning, primarily to basic educational institutions. This right should not be deprived from anyone, but then again due to social inequality a school for others would be just a place they would know of, not experience of. The same condition is with children living in Helping Hand. Others can afford to be educated while others would prefer to work and help their parents. On the year 2007, married couple Ma’am

Joanna and Sir Ron Martinez who were then on the Philippines to be volunteers of a charity by teaching music to children had discovered the situation of children living in

Smoky Mountain. Their plan was to stay only for 6 months and then get back to U.K, but the plight of the people living there specifically in Helping Hand has moved their hears.

So from then on they plan to establish a Church, who will not only build up their faith in

God but as well as conduct programs like boosting a child’s creative side, feeding programs, and informal lessons too. Listed below are the top 5 objectives of KCMI:

1. Establish churches, strengthening their faith in God through Bible study; they have core groups called as Kalasag

2. Conducting feeding programs: 2 types of feeding; one being the regular feeding program suited for all children(usually done every weekends) and the other is called the

LALAGO feeding program which is a feeding program for malnourished children conducted everyday

3. Leadership trainings; groups from different age brackets like for the fathers it is called

Mano-Mano;

4. Enhancing one’s creativity through music and dancing

5. Lastly, training the residents about disaster risk management and on how to respond to critical needs.

The Church is located in a building that used to be a school, upon entering you can see children from different age groups playing inside the building. At the center of the building was the worship place and where most of the activities are held. From my opinion, not only children but parents as well see this place as an escape from reality, a walk away to have fun; stress free from the daily struggles they are facing. With organizations like these, children are given the chance to be free, a chance to learn. Even though the place that surrounds them can make you cringe, still they find a safe haven. A place where they can be happy, a place where they can be themselves.

Sa Letrang T – “Tira-Tira”

They say who you are, is based on what you eat. We indulge ourselves in delectable dishes from fast food chains to highly star-rated restaurants. The saddest thing is we sometimes take food for granted; leaving leftovers not knowing that others are not blessed to have such delicious meals or worse are not given the chance to have 3-meals a day. You may wonder that these leftovers from restaurant simply go to waste, but neither do we know that people near dumpsites scavenge for remains of food with the hopes of getting something that is still edible. In their native tongue they call this as “pagpag; scraps of food that is re-cooked and served to the family. To them these leftovers are

62 blessings, because even though they are considered as waste these enable them to eat for at least 2 times a day. In helping hand, there is a rationing of leftovers from different fast food chains; for example for one family their supplier is from Jollibee, the other from

Mcdonalds. There are two types of pagpag: one is straight from the garbage the second type comes from excess supply of restaurants, meaning they are not cooked yet. This then is distributed to families by a wholer. They segregate bones with some meat on them, even pancakes and buns from plastic cups, fork, and spoons. Collected plastics are then to be sold to junk shops and for most of the people there this has been their main source of livelihood. There was this instance when they were segregating “pagpag”, and there is this kid who happened to open a carton that is filled with pancakes. He stopped and looked at us, I was shocked because after that he nodded his head and sniffed the pancakes. My block mate Ara and I saw this, I even attempted to take a photo but I got hesitant and decided not to do it. Parents together with their kids can be seen seated in front a pile of garbage segregating, every day setting in the area.

“Tira-tira” as most people would like to call it but families from Helping Hand and Payatas see this as their staple food. Children are the most vulnerable when it comes to eating pagpag; one for they have lower immunity levels compared to older people plus they are exposed to rat-infested areas and the air is densely polluted, second they cannot properly digest these yet because it is bacteria infested which may lead to stomach ailments. From the several accounts gathered, children are often reported to have big stomachs filled with worms; they would complain their stomachs would hurt. An interviewee mentioned that there was this time when he ate one pandesal as his breakfast before going to school, due to that bread he was not able to attend school that day. He

63 complained that his stomach kept on rumbling. Luckily, it was just a minor stomach ache just like what other children would usually grumble about. What if the pain continues?

Do they have a budget allocated for health? Most of them would rely on barangay health centers, but at Payatas mothers I have interviewed cited that the medicine there is not free and sometimes primary health care is not being catered to them. When we all thought that these medicine should be for public use, these may seem ironic right?

Aside from KCM and FFA, in Smokey Mountain another organization is working to aid children and provide basic services for them. This is the Project Pearls. It was dates back from 2008 but established its organization last August 2010 in Ulingan,

Smokey Mountain. They also offer scholarship programs and as of now there are more than 300 scholars of Project Pearls. From a video-documentary shown last Good Friday,

Project Pearls was featured. They chose the word for pearl because as shiny as a pearl, even in the darkest places at the darkest times of one’s life, light can be seen. True to the condition of people living in Smokey Mountain, where families and children are exposed to inhumane conditions through Project Pearls, people are given the chance to hope for a better life. It is registered last 2011 at the Philippine Securities and Exchange

Commission also in the US, as a non-profit organization. Just like any people-oriented organization, Project Pearls help people through outreach programs. Listed below are some of the programs:

1. Scholarship Programs – as stated earlier there are more than 300 scholars, not only that they are scholars but they are given as well monthly groceries for students who have 85% attendance at school. This will be very beneficial for families for not only their burden

64 will be lighter but as soon as their child graduates, there are higher chances that they will be given better job opportunities.

2. Feeding and Brain Booster Program – According to children I have interviewed, when they are not able to attend feeding programs at KCM they would go to Project Pearls.

“We provide a hot and nutritious meal every day to children in Helping Land, and every month in Bulacan.”, as the organization claims. Daily allowance is also given to scholars.

3. After School Program – while outside from school, children tend to work rather than study so every Sundays, children are given the chance to further study and are given creative activities in order to prevent the occurrence of lower grades.

4. Healthcare Program – unlike KCM, Project Pearls provides a more comprehensive healthcare for children. They conduct medical and dental missions supervised by professional doctors, health assistants and volunteers.

5. Birthday Outreach Program – I would commend this program, for it is true that most of the children have not experienced what it feels like to celebrate their birthday, what a cake tastes like, and what a party is all about. With this program kids are given the chance to have fun, and to celebrate life.

After my firsthand observation, I do not just see food as something that fills you when you’re hungry; it is something that should be celebrated every meal. Because lucky you are if you get to eat three nutritious meals a day, not from leftovers, but from something that money can buy.

Sa Letrang A – “Alunignig”

This may sound a lot like my conclusion, or I can rather say that this is a wrap up but in here what will be tackled is the negligence of the authorities to the inhumane conditions that a child living in poverty faces. First is that they are exposed to unhealthy, unsanitary, and a-not-child friendly environment. There are several ways on how these may affect a child. How come authorities know of these places and yet do not exhibit adequate actions? Just like from the accounts gathered at Helping Hand, the children there knew that funds by the barangay given by the state are said to be only those in the pocket of the officials. Yes, at young age they knew that this is one of the reasons why their condition is still like that. I even asked them if there is some aid given by politicians, especially now that elections are coming. Shocking as it may seem but all of them answered that no politician has arrived at their place, or maybe just because they are not aware of such things yet so there is a benefit of the doubt. But children ages 11-18 knew and are fully aware of these issues. One of them even said as I quote, “Sa renta na nga lang po ng basketball, kinukurakot pa nila.” Why are these officials neglecting the people’s needs? Are they satisfied by merely the pleasurable things that surround them?

Aren’t they supposed to be helping those in need, because they are for the record elected at their position if not for the people? Well, certain questions such as these will pop in your mind amidst your interviewee with these children. They seemed happy and fine with how they are living and their present state, because I asked if they would want to live in another place; they answered NO. I asked them this question mainly because of the rumors I heard from the locals about demolishing the place. They reasoned out that they have been used to and grew up in the place, that place which filled their laughter, smiles

66 and memories. They would fight for their land, they added. And just maybe their answers are like these for the fact that they are still young, and being young life is filled with excitement, they are not yet rational with things that should be taken seriously.

As I end my interview, I let them finish the sentence “Ang kahirapan ay _____”, you will not expect heavy and meaningful answers from them but to my surprise most of them answered it very well, which seemed that they meant what they answered. But few of my favorite answers are, “Ito ay Kalbaryo”, “Kung hindi ka po gagalaw, walang mangyayari sayo.””Kahirapan po ay isang pagsubok.”. Honestly speaking, I did not assume answers like these, as I said earlier that they are still a child, innocent and oblivious. Nevertheless, their answers showed me that reality is more real for them. I was slapped in the face. I felt ashamed of myself. For the fact that they are introduced to those conditions upon birth, leaving them no choice but to adapt and adjust to such conditions.

Despite these, they are able to live life to the fullest base from what the sight of their genuine smiles. “Alunignig” means a fading voice, or an echo. Their lives continue to be a blur for most of us, they are trapped in this cycle leading them no choice but to settle for less. A fading voice that we tend to neglect, voices passing from one ear out the other, a fading voice so faint, no one responds to.

CHAPTER V Conclusion and Recommendations

Faint and Unheard Voices

Last Easter Sunday, a review marathon for the teleserye “The Story of Us” which is currently an ongoing show in ABS-CBN showed a scene where Kim Chiu and her stepmother Aiko Melendez having an argument. Kim points out that she want to have a new life, that she is hoping for a brighter future. While on Aiko’s side she reminded Kim that for them, what happens tomorrow is not an option. As I quote “Para sa ating mahihirap, hindi importante ang bukas. Dahil mas importante ang nangyayari sa ngayon, kung ano ang gagawin para makaraos ngayon.” or so, not quite sure of the exact words nevertheless, what she stated have a very deep meaning. For the less fortunate, they might seem to be caught on the dead-end without knowing that they are trapped already in a vicious cycle where most authorities or officials do nothing about. That for the poor what they are anticipating for when a day starts is basically on how to provide for their family same as for what they will exactly do again for the next days. Being poor means you lack opportunities, choices, and freedom where in fact as human beings we should be entitled to have these as our basic rights, ironic it is for them. This is what it feels like for both families living in Payatas and Smokey Mountain. Countless times haS the word “deprived” been mentioned in this paper, mainly because this would be the perfect term that would be able to put in words of how their lives are. Being poor is in some way dehumanizing, first due to the fact that they do not have the access to basic needs. Like a decent shelter with proper facilities, fair and nice clothing, appropriate environment for a developing child, and most importantly stable jobs for parents. It all

68 starts from the parents/elders ability to supply for the family that is it should be given that they should have adequate jobs with wages sufficient to maintiain a family’s subsistence.

Contrary to people living in the slums, they don’t get to experience this lifestyle for they are bounded by the low profile, contractual, and irrational jobs. As much as they would like to provide enough for their children, they cannot afford to do so. When these problems arise, children will be the ones who will suffer the most. Imagine that upon birth they are already faced with these problems, innocent and oblivious that their blank minds are already built or structured to endure with these challenges. In other words, they have no choice but to deal with these problems. In Smokey Mountain, children have higher information access rather than those in Payatas. Why? The presence of piso-net computers, the children whom I have interviewed also kept asking me if I have a facebook account and they know how to access the Internet through the use of their mobile phones, this is opposed to children in Payatas where their past time is mostly playing, surprised to say that they are not even aware of what a mall is! But as a whole their conditions do not vary that much. They are both exposed to inhumane situations, rat-infested communities, densely polluted and foggy surroundings due to continuous burning of tires, to an extent that the environment where they live is barbaric, access to social services is not within their reach, some only receive informal education, lack of guidance and support from their parents, conditions that pose a risk to their health and lastly where violence is endemic.

How do these affect a child internally, psychologically and emotionally remains to be unnoticed from others. When it comes to physical outcomes, it can somewhat be monitored through the help of different programs set out by NGO’s or non-affiliated

69 organizations that uplift the conditions of children and their families. Well it might be a good thing that other programs also serve to cater to a child’s emotional needs, just like what the organization KCM does to the community in Smokey Mountain. Other programs laid out for different age groups, establishing a stronger bond among people and also to outsiders, not only do they tackle these emotional demand of people, but as well as their spiritual realm is being strengthened. This is beneficial not only to children however also to the people around them, mostly their parents. From the different accounts of the children, most of them are not aware of how problems affect them emotionally. Usual answers like, there will be times that they would not do anything but cry considering their underprivileged status in life, another reason is when they happen to see their parents argue due to financial problems where most of them keep their anger to themselves, while others would place out their rage to others. This results to brawls in the community because they are easily annoyed causing them to be more sensitive to what others says. Psychologically, others would just want to run away from home and live outside their present place of abode. The importance of family’s virtue now comes to play its role; when a child grew up from a disruptive family it will also turn out that the child may bring this attitude as he grows as oppose to a child who grew up from a loving, rearing and supportive family the more likely is he to have a positive perspective in life.

While some of the interviewees opted to run away from home, most of them answered that their family comes first. That when the thought of escaping their homes comes to mind, they would internalize first on how this family would affect them.

We may vision them to be impoverished, feeble and frail but upon seeing their current situation, I have come to realize that if only there is help from officials and authorities, their dreams might come to reality. They are filled with wonders and curiosity, their minds are open and excites for opportunities to learn. What a child wants is simple, in Tagalog “Mababaw ang kanilang kaligayahan”, which is very accurate.

From the photos I have taken you can see from their smiles their vibrance, innocence, they genuinely will pose in the camera. Little things that make them smile. Is that even hard to do? Children might seem incapable due to their age but what the society should take note is that as much as possible start building their abilities at a young age and that a child should be entitled with their rights, free from outside fears and stress, and most importantly, a child should be enjoying a life that is suited for one.

Demise of the Forgotten

“Who’s to blame?” Frankly this should not be the question that should not be answered in regards with the impoverished and neglected conditions of the poor in our country rather the discussion on what programs are efficient enough of better yet potent proposals that would later in the long run be able to curb the ceaseless chain of poverty.

Even if so these programs are seen to be beneficial, results are only detectable for quite some time meaning that the programs are more intended for short-term solutions.

Economically known as “band-aid” solutions, remedies like these may seem surreal for the poor and therefore to jut accept the fact that the benefits won’t last long. Let us for example analyze the situation of the poor during the visitation of Pope Francis in our country. How did the government amend the problem of homeless and displaced families? They asked them first if they are willing to go to a resort, catchy as it may seem

71 because for them running into this misleading trap of the government which is being booked at a resort for six days and all for free; a one-hit jackpot for the poor as they might say. Why even it became more trivial is that only did the government held such this kind of activity with “campers” usually coming from the streets of Baclaran, beggars and vendors, concurrently upon the arrival of Pope Francis? Clearly we can see how hypocrite and shameless our government is. The government made sure that no stain or stench of poverty can be emanated for at least 6 days at the time of Pope’s arrival knowing that media from around the world will be covering this very miraculous event of the year for the Philippines; one quick way to hide this is by concealing the real condition of the poor that is by letting them experience a somewhat higher kind of lifestyle different from what they are used to.

Bottom line is the less fortunate re still subjugated by the ruling forces of our society, undermining their status in life together with their abilities and skills. We often see them as frail and incapable of doing things superior to others therefore they instill that in their minds resulting to a thinking that they would reiterate on and on, passing it to their children and so on. “Mahirap lang tayo.” Is a typical statement of the poor when it comes to lecturing their children. Children then might think that they are impotent and useless, where even at a young age a positive outlook in life is prohibited. Everything for them may seem limited: limited actions, limited choices, limited opportunities, and worst of all limited freedom. This stigma is very endemic in our society; a world where limited rules. While the 1% of the society continues to benefit from industrialized and controlled corporations, the remaining 99% persist on settling for less. As what most activist would yell and voice out on the streets “Baliktarin and tatsulok!” for me is a gradual and

72 continuous process, even if that time comes when everything has reached its pinnacle, equilibrium is obtained where equality reigns, the struggle for fighting for the rights of the low and needy should be uninterrupted.

As stated earlier on this paper, “The face of poverty is a mother and a child”, children are already faced with these problems, as I correct what I have said earlier that upon birth the will be facing such difficulties well it is prior to that. It is upon conception that these risks may incur to a child, when a mother is exposed to a defiled and adulterated environment much more is the peril to a child’s health. Consequent to birth is he/she faced with this biggest challenge yet: life that is stripped of from possibilities and opportunities. Forced to make living at an early age, not being able to have formal education, access to basic services is finite, disequilibrium and more susceptible to diseases, most of all bereaved of a life that should be given to a child. Others might seem to be compelled by the doing labor they are in a way being help to them and to their sibling as well. Being able to ease the burden of their parents, where the moral of familial values comes to mind.

Going back to the first question stated; who’s to blame? The structure itself. In our country where structural poverty inhibits in particular it refers how social and market structures in the economy, usually dictated and set out by the government distributes income in a way that is deem to be an equal and cases of distribution that in turn results to the various patterns of bankruptcy and destitute situation of the people. A reconstruction should be done but first before all that addressing the needs of the indigent must be done hence it will further be the stepping stone towards achieving social and economic growth. By electing qualified authorities, by qualified meaning able and

73 capable of rewiring the lives of the people and affecting them in a positive light. When a stable ground by the government has been established, adept legislation that will be beneficial for the needy, implementing laws that protect not only children but as well as women, indigenous people, peasants and all oppressed members of the society, putting yourself in their shoes and understanding their way of living with a more intimate approach, observing and establishing rapport which in a way lessen the stigma between the different classes in our society; exhibiting equality and a fair treatment for all. All of these might all seem not feasible and surreal, but when is actually the right time to address these social issues?

Actions should speak louder than words, and this is what we should from our future leaders. When the government has done its parts in identifying solutions to their struggles, marking and correcting the loopholes that has been keeping such programs and policies to trickle down to the masses, and when the government has done its part, it is now for the citizenry to do its share. Citizens who are well informed and aware of the poor’s condition, who fight in behalf of the oppressed and who with the help of theories will promulgate actions to put them into practice. Everyone should take its role in strengthening the grounds towards equality. Protection in all forms at all costs, is privileged from accessing their basic necessities with proper and no bogus agenda by the state, sufficient funds and services that aid to their needs. In time a child’s dreams will turn to reality, free form judgment and discrimination, free from the merciless and unruly treatment by those who hold the upper hand, free from the enslavement of poverty that has been holding them down to reach their maximum potential and abilities. Someday,

74 somehow. Their hardships will all just be in the past, soon their problems will all cease to an end.

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”

-- Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa

APPENDIX A

Semi-structured interview guide for the children in Smokey Mountain and Payatas:

1. Paano ang mamuhay dito sa Smokey Moutain? Sa Payatas?

2. Ano ang trabaho ng mga magulang? May mga panahong tumutulong kaba sa iyong mga magulang?

3. Nag-aaral ka pa ba? Kung oo, ano ang nais mong marating o gusting maging pagkatapos mong mag-aral?

4. Nakakaramdam ba ng mga emosyon, halimbawa kalungkutan kapag naiisip ang iyong kalagayan?

5. Kapag binigyan ka ng 1 milyon, ano ang una mong gagawin dito?

6. Naka-aapekto ba ang iyong kalagayan sa pakikitungo sa ibang tao? (mga kaklase, ibang taong hindi naninirahan sa mga nasabing lugar)

7. May natatanggap bang ayuda/tulong mula sa iyong barangay? Kung meron, ano angg mga ito?

8. Maliban sa barangay, ano ang kadalasang dumadating na tulong dito?

9. Ano ang kahirapan para sa iyo? Ang kahirapan ay ______.

APPENDIX B

A child helping in segregating different types of plastics that will be sold to a nearby junkshop.

Payatas children posed with vibrant smiles filled with innocence, albeit their present conditions.

Jumper boys of Payatas B in their natural habitat as they scavenge a dump truck for possible waste materials to be sold in a junk shop.

Interview with one of the Jumper boys in Payatas B.

The Lalago feeding program for malnourished children held daily by the Kalayaan Christian Ministries.

Children in Smokey Mountain gather around for a drawing activity.

APPENDIX C

Seen on the next page are the drawings of the children in Payatas held in the building of Kalayaan Christian Ministries. They were asked to draw anything that they would want to have, they dream of, and what they aspire to be. Most of them drawn houses with cars, a place utterly different from the conditions they have as of now.

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