The Faces of Poverty

The Faces of Poverty

             

             I was engaged in a friendly discussion with my long-time friend E.R. under the shade of a huge acacia tree in front of the Shoe Museum in Marikina City. E.R. was with his Shitzu dog while I had three Chihuahuas, Kelly, Lovely and Clowey, in tow.  It was part of our afternoon walk. We were discussing the issue of poverty triggered by the sight of a vagabond or taong grasa. He started by asking what poverty is and who, hypothetically, is poor. Sino ba ang mahirap? I was taken aback, paused for a while and said: Malalim ka yata. I can't define poverty using economic terms.  I can't even tell you what the poverty line is.  Hindi ko alam. But I do know who is poor when I see one.  I know who is suffering from poverty. Just look around you, just observe with keen eyes and, most likely,  you will get a glimpse of what poverty is all about. There is no need to define. And typical of an old, importunate man like me, I started citing an actual case.

             There is this woman, in her late 40's, who lives in one of the mountain sitios of the vast Sierra Madre Mountain range. She stays in a shanty near the mountain cliff. She was born poor.  She does not know her real name as she has no birth certificate.  Her parents were so poor that her birth was not registered. There was no attempt of a late registration. She lives with an assumed name Aurora. She was deprived of the basic human right to an identity, all because of poverty. She does not know the names of her parents. She was orphaned at two months and has lived most of her life in the care of other persons who  were also poor.  She is illiterate as she had no schooling.  She does not  vote come election time. She knows no relatives. She is unmarried. With her toes appearing swollen, her left eye widely open because of hyperthyroidism  and with skin burnt as a a result of years working in the field which she does not own, she has no property, no nothing.  She has only two sets of tattered clothes and changes clothes by the week. 555 sardines are luxurious items for this woman.

             E.R. countered by citing the case of Sebastian. Sebastian lives in a dilapidated nipa hut by a creek in an eastern town of Rizal.  He has no regular job.  He lives with his wife and two children.  His wife has regular bouts of depression as a result of having nothing to eat most of the time: Nasiraan ng bait dahil madalas walang makain. Pinoposas na lang nila sa bahay pag sinusumpong. Sebastian has a brother who lives in Pasay City. And he visits his brother every month.  He does not take a jeepney or a bus or an FX in going to Pasay.  He walks by his lonesome as he has no money for transportation.  Walang pera lagi. He starts walking early in the morning, taking the pedestrian lane of Marcos Highway on his way to Cubao. From Cubao, he turns left at EDSA, continues walking with speeding buses and other vehicles  passing him by. For his long journey, he has two pieces of Storck candies in his pocket. They are penny candies too expensive to buy. He returns late in the afternoon.

             The church bells were ringing. I bade E.R. goodbye. From the Shoe Museum, I walked a few meters to the church, of course, with the dogs right behind me.  I stayed near the main door, concerned  that the dogs would create disturbances anytime. As I was in the middle of my patented prayer, somebody tapped me lightly from behind.  It was the middle-aged beggar.  He was asking money for food:  Di pa po ako kumakain.  I drew out from my belt bag a slice of a clubhouse sandwich and gave it to the man. Dagdagan po nyo ng pera kahit singkwenta. Mahal na po ang bigas, said the man.  I gave him a ten-peso coin and uttered: Dagdag mo na lang itong sampu.  Sa iba mo naman hingin yung iba. At subukan mo din humanap ng trabaho.  Mas malakas ka pa sa akin.  I made the sign of the cross, stepped out of the church compound and crossed the street leading to the banks of the river.  It was already twilight time. 

- Konted

This is the Manggahan Floodway in Pasig.  It is a man-made waterway designed to divert water from the Marikina River to Laguna de Bay.  It is part of the flood control program of the government. The floodway passes through the towns of Pasig, Cainta and Taytay. Photo taken on Oct 5, 2013.

This is not a big manicured lawn.  This is not bermuda grass or blue grass.  This is the same Manggahan Floodway in Pasig shown in previous photo.  This time it is covered with water lilies.  Photo taken on March 19, 2014.

Shanties are erected along the banks of the floodway. The slums are five rows deep.

These slum dwellers along the banks of the Manggahan Floodway impede the flow of water. They also expose themselves to danger during the rainy season.  The government has approved a relocation program for these dwellers.

As some residents do not have their own C.R.s, this one serves as common toilet.

Extension of a house along the banks made from junked materials.

For the past 3 years, this man has arrogated unto himself the concrete step of a building as his sleeping quarters. He wears the same clothes everyday.  He asks money from jeepney drivers.

Next to the man shown in preceding photo is another vagrant all wrapped in sacks. It is his way of protecting himself from pestering mosquitoes.

This lady is said to be mentally unstable.  She strips naked,  walks through the main road and side streets and  asks P5 from strangers. Once she was picked up by the authorities, only to be released later.

Since the LRT train terminal in Santolan, Pasig became operational, this person with disability has occupied a portion of an overpass to ask for alms. 

At midday, when the sun is at its brightest, this street lad is slumped on the pavement of a bridge at Ongpin Street.

An old woman and a child share Jollibee french fries while begging near the stairs of an overpass leading to Robinson's Mall.

The same old woman and child but this time, she is wearing a hat.

Two youngsters begging along Marcos Highway in Cainta, Rizal.

At Ongpin Bridge

An old dilapidated nipa hut stands at the shoulder of a national road  in Central Luzon.  

These shanties stand on what used to be a small creek in an eastern town of Rizal. 

One of the many slums clustered in what used to be a creek. The creek is gone and the water diverted elsewhere.

These are water meters of countless shanties erected in a small sitio in Rizal.

For a measly prize of P50, kids participate in a parlor game where they try to get hold of a coconut.  They get dirty with mud while grappling with the others for possession of the greased coconut. 

Even young girls join the fun.

A street mendicant rests near a huge Meralco post along Marcos Highway in the province of  Rizal.

Another vagrant rests on the same spot.  He is deep in thought.

A woman sorts out garbage. She does it everyday.

This man sleeps regularly near the banks of the river.  He sleeps early and wakes up early.  

Worker Bunso buys bread shaped like a roasted pig or lechon every New Year's Eve at a bakery in Antipolo, Rizal. He cannot afford to buy the real lechon.

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Street Vendors

Street Vendors

             We see them almost every day.  Some are stationed in selected areas while some are moving from one place to another. From one street to another street.  Some sell their wares on foot while others use bicycles or pedicabs or carts. They sell mostly food items and household wares.

             Since these street vendors continue to multiply, local government units have placed them under control by requiring them to register and pay a small amount.  They are allowed to ply the streets and, at the same time, the municipalities get something in return.

             Street vendors earn as much as factory workers. They can earn more depending on the type of wares they sell.  Most vendors we encounter are those selling food for snacks. From dirty ice cream to squid balls to sweet corn.

              What concerns us is the hygiene observed by the vendors. Ambulant vendors are out there in the streets and when it is time to pee, any place would do.  But how do they wash their hands when there is no water available?  Where do they keep items that are not sold?  Do they have refrigerators?

              But local authorities are doing something.  They are monitoring the activities of vendors and continuously reminding them of what cleanliness is all about. Proper hygiene and minimizing litter on the streets are primordial concerns of these authorities. And most vendors are willing to cooperate. This is good for everyone.

- Konted

You need not go to the market or to Tagaytay for pineapples or watermelons.  The ambulant vendor brings them to you.

The watermelon and pineapple vendor says he always covers his hand with a plastic sheet when touching food.  He claims he is registered with the local  government unit as evidenced by the uniform issued to him.  He pays an annual fee of P700.

She sells fresh buko and buko juice near the tricycle terminal.  That space has been allotted to her by the trike drivers.  Standing at right is a federation member.  Fresh buko sells for P 20 each.

This man sells Binatog and uses a small cart.

Binatog is boiled and peeled corn.

Grated coconut or niyog is added.  It is a favorite Filipino merienda.

She is called  Juday.  She sells bibingkang malagkit or sweetened rice cake.  Juday says she is a single mother.  She joins bingo games. She says:  "Oh eto, kainin mo na. Balikan ko na lang ang bayad mamaya."

He starts pushing his cart late in the afternoon up to past midnight.  He sells two items which he says are both well liked by his customers.

He sells quail eggs or Itlog ng Pugo for P 2.50 each.

Boiled peanuts or nilagang mani are sold by the glass for P20 per glass. 

The lady in yellow uses her son's small bicycle to go around the neighborhood selling merienda in the afternoon.

She sells Okoy and Maruya. Okoy is fried beansprouts in wrapper. Maruya is banana fritter.

Deep-fried fish balls and Kwek-Kwek.  Kwek-Kwek is hard-boiled quail egg.

Another vendor selling Kwek-Kwek, Tokneneng, One-day old Chicks and Dynamite.  Dynamite is sili or pepper in wrapper. 

One-day old Chicks are sold at P8 each.

Tokneneng is hard-boiled duck egg which sells for P10 each.

The man who pushes this cart has a uniform issued by the local government unit.  He has a business permit . His favorite spot is near a corner store. His cart is equipped with lights.

He sells peanuts called Binusang Mani for P5 per small glass.

This cart that sells Lechon Manok is always parked near a big store.  Roasted chicken is sold for P140 only compared to Baliwag and Andok's P210.  The cart has a unique name:  Chicken-nini.

Right beside Chicken-nini is a cart selling Sisig.  Cart owner says he earns at least P1,000 a day.  He pays a daily rental fee of P100 for use of space in front of a variety store.

This cart is positioned near a school.  The vendor sells Isaw, pork barbecue, hot dog.

Vendor also sells Tenga ng Baboy (pig's ear) , Ulo ng Manok (chicken's head) , Isaw ng baboy  (pig's intestines) and Dugo (pig's blood).  He grills it while u wait.

Black gulaman (gelatin) and pineapple juice being sold by a vendor who partly occupies the street.

Sweet corn sold at a sidewalk

The vendor who sells these chestnuts or castanas is ready to run when the police force conducts clean-up operations.  He sells at a busy commercial street.

They taste like doughnuts.

Pomelos from Davao and Ponkan being sold by a vendor near the entrance of a subdivision along Marcos Highway.

Fruits in season sold near a big church.

Suman and Kasoy.  Just as you park your car, vendors approach you and offer their wares. Ang kulit !!!

Aling Emma sells agricultural products from her farm in Tanay, Rizal.

These two young girls sell boiled corn by the side of a national road where speeding buses, trucks and other vehicles pass by. They are exposed to danger.

Live goats for sale at Quirino Highway

Body parts of a goat being sold along Quirino Highway.  Good for Kalderetang Kambing and Papaitan.

The Birdman sells Philippine finches (Maya) and Martines.  He is from San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija.

No need to go to Cartimar to buy African lovebirds.  The ambulant vendor will pass by your house anytime, anyday.

This vendor sells gold fish and artificially colored day-old chicks.  Kids are attracted.

The Ice cream Man.  Price of dirty ice cream is P10 per cone.

Turon or fried bananas and peanuts

This vendor draws attention of the kids.

For P80, you can have a TV remote control gadget.  Just tell the vendor if it is a Toshiba, Sony or Sanyo.

What a brand name - Itlog ni Kuya

The Balut vendor is positioned in front of a bicycle store that has closed for the night.  He stays there till midnight.

Balut (duck eggs)  for P15 each.  

Tinapa and Daing or dried fish are sold by a vendor near a bakery.

The Taho vendor starts early in the morning.

Taho is soya pudding.

It is mixed with brown sugar syrup (arnibal) and tapioca pearls (sago).

Taho is good for your health.

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