A few days back, I got an email from a reader of my site, and a friend on Facebook. I will not give his name, but would like to share his email, and my reply. It might be information that other readers have an interest in.
eMail received
I have slightly edited the email I received in order to remove information that might identify the writer.
Here is the email that I received from this reader:
Hello Bob
I just got back to my home town from my trip to the philippines , but I definitely left my heart in the Philippines , I know it was great traveling around with my wife but it was exhausting I wanted to get your opinion a couple things.
One is how difficult it is there for the locals. I know it’s an amazing country if you can afford to travel and do things, but for the average Filipino it seems to me to be a real struggle, so many requirements to get jobs if they are available.
Going to school to get post secondary education seems almost impossible for them and is only there for those who can afford it. Do you see any change in that ?
Also the other thing that was disturbing was the garbage. It seemed to be everywhere, and not much effort on the locals to clean it up or even thow the refuse into the trash bin, which seemed to be lacking in a lot of areas. I felt so much more could be done to clean it up, do you see any change in that? It would go a long way I think on the tourist image that visit the Philippines if more effort was done to change the mindset of not only the people, but not much effort seems to be on the minds of local governments.
Lastly, by the way , who you like in the election, I know Dueterte is almost walking away with the election, coming from your home town, what do you think of him?
Thanks Bob , always nice to hear your take on your Facebook page , take care always.
My Reply
Nice to hear from you, and I hope you had a great trip! It sounds like you did. No matter where we travel, we will always have a few things that don’t sit well, or that we think require change. Let me see if I can address each point that you are concerned about.
Difficult life for local people.
Yes, life here can be quite difficult for the local people. No doubt there. There is poverty that is very widespread here, and it is not easy to make a difference. For myself, I have done a lot of charity type work here to try to make a dent in my local area. Truth is, no matter how hard an individual would work on this, even with the help of his friends, you can only make a very small dent in it. Just a knick really. Over the years, particularly at Christmas time, I have distributed food and other items to the local population. Most of this work has been done through donations given by my website readers, and each year the amount donated has been pretty substantial. There have been years where I have been given large amounts to spend on food, toys for kids and such to distribute at Christmas. Because of the large sums, I have been able to make a fairly decent difference, but only for a relatively small number of people in the scheme of things.
Also, there have been a couple of times when severe weather caused deaths and hardship in my area, and again, through donations from my readers, I have been able to provide relief. One time we rented a large truck and purchased bottled water (hundreds of cases) to truck up to the affected area. At that time we also brought food and clothing to distribute.
So, I guess what I am saying is that an individual can make a difference, even if only a small difference, if he is resourceful and applies his skills and contacts to make a difference.
As far as education, I have never felt, and still don’t feel that getting a college education here is difficult. In fact, I would say that getting a college education here is relatively easy. In fact, if you are not college educated here, you basically cannot get work. Almost everybody, except the extreme poor, gets a college degree here. I don’t see that as a problem.
Garbage
I do see garbage as a problem in much of the country, and I don’t see it changing much. I will say that about 10 years ago here in Davao where I live, the Mayor went on a campaign to alleviate the litter problem. He purchased thousands of very nice garbage cans (imported from Germany and very costly) and put them into every neighborhood in the city. They also purchased a fleet of first class garbage trucks that go around the city and collect garbage in all of the neighborhoods. The frequency of the garbage pickups varies, I am not sure how they decide on the frequency. However, in the neighborhood where I live they pick up the garbage as often as 5 days per week, but a minimum of 3 days per week. Garbage collection is free, no charge from the City (of course we pay for it through our taxes, there is no such thing as a free lunch!). Since this program was implemented a decade or so ago, I have seen a big improvement in garbage around the city. There are places, though, where garbage cans are hard to find. For example, inside malls and businesses. But in general, I think that the program has been quite effective.
From what I have seen, though, this kind of program is limited, and certainly only in a few (or just one?) cities. Perhaps the program will grow and be done in other parts of the country, or maybe an even better program will come along and help things improve here.
Politics
You asked about our local Mayor and his campaign for President. I will reserve comment on that, as it is not really appropriate for me to support any particular candidate for office here. I will only say that based on my observations of living here for 16 years now, I have always felt like our local leadership here in Davao has been good and effective. They try to make changes here for the better, and I hope that can spread to the rest of the country as well.
Glad you had a good trip! Thanks for writing!
Bob
As always bob, you strive to be fair. But as a fellow Davaoeno, i say that there’s a lot of work to be done for our city (and my country) if we want to improve things.
Hi Gerardo. I never said in the article that Davao is perfect. It is a pretty darn good place, though, for me. No place is perfect. Every place can improve, but I am very happy living in Davao City.
Bob, your answer to this e-mail is a good one. I might add that because your help may seem small or insignificant in the scheme of things here, it is still very worthwhile. Being involved in philanthropic exercises in the Philippines over a long period of time, I’ve received a few negative comments from time to time. “Poverty is so wide spread, how can you possibly make a difference?” or “No matter how much you help, nothing ever changes.”
These views are myopic at best. Everything one does to help does make a difference to someone. It reminds me of the old story about a bus load of tourists who stop to admire a beautiful beach scene. The tide is out and they see tens of thousands of crabs who’ve been stranded on the beach. Then they notice a little girl, picking them up one by one and throwing them back into the sea. Someone shouts to her, “Hey little girl, there are thousands of crabs. You can’t possibly make a difference!” She replies, “Well…it makes a difference to this one!”
In other words, every effort is worthwhile. And besides, it gives you a good feeling.
Garbage is a factor everywhere. The problem is that there isn’t the money or infrastructure to support a country-wide disposal program.
Thanks, Ron. I appreciate your sentiments, and I also agree with what you say.
I agree with the comments above. Yes, there is much widespread poverty and hardship and no one can address all of it. However, we each have different resources and a different circle of contacts. If we do what we can, given our resources, within our circle of contacts, there are needs that would otherwise go unmet.
Regarding the discussion about college. I have watched the family members and it seems that they have a hard time making the jump from general day laborer to any kind of skilled labor.
For example, Ricky helps a builder when he is not able to fish, but is limited to just helper instead of doing roofing or repairs. The guy he works for doesn’t seem to want to move him further. When I had him help me with the new roof on the small house, his skills were very acceptable.
Is this a situation where a vocational/technical type of training would be more valuable than college? Or is it something that might be more along the line of him being hired as a helper and that is where he is likely to stay? I’m using one specific person but it is very similar to what I see others doing.
Hi LeRoy – I wanted to address the part about Ricky, with a couple of suggestions.
Firstly, the Philippines has a system of schools called TESDA, which stands for Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. These are VoTech type schools. They are very inexpensive, and teach courses in the blue collar type skills.
Secondly, if you like Ricky and want to help him, maybe you could help him start his own roofing business. I don’t think it would cost much, just buy some tools and such. A TESDA course or two would also be very inexpensive.
Thank you. I will look into that and see if he has done that or not. I am happy to help someone when I see them willing to do whatever it takes to support his family as good as he can.
He has never asked for a handout, just if there is any work that needs to be done.
Good luck, LeRoy! I hope things work out for Ricky!
There are technical colleges in The Philippines where you can have the best of both of a college education and technical / tradesman type of education. One that I am very familiar with and in a way, became a part of is Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology ( MSU-IIT ). One of the things that attracted my attention to it in the first place was the technical / trade offerings such as Air Con & Refridgeration, Auto Mechanics, Automation , Electronics, Computers etc. Full academic type of education is also available here. I continue to be most impressed with this University of Excellence each time I visit it.
There are other such universities in The Philippines as well. Compared to the cost of a College Education in the USA, those in PH seem a real bargain cost wise.
IIT is one of the most famous technical colleges in Mindanao, nad it is excellent! I have several friends who are graduates of IIT, and they have been well trained.
Bob, you might consider moving from a model of sporatic giving (Christmas, disasters) to one developed by David Wasson of Tagum Food Bank. His model has two parts: 1. Multiple feedings over several weeks/months to get the kids body weight within the normal range. 2. At the same time training mother in sellecting, buying and preparing low-cost, nutritious, yet flavorful food instead of the high-cost, low nutrition, high salt, sugar and fatty food in their usual diets.
Hi Don – Hope you are doing well. I appreciate your suggestion. To be honest, though, I just would not have time to set up and operate an organized shelter and feeding type operation. I barely have enough time to do the things i already do. Also, I like what we are doing now. So, I will stick with what I am doing. Of course, you and others are always free to set up such a program on your own! Go for it!
Hi Bob,
An interesting email and excellent reply.
One of the first things to strike me when I first visited the Philippines in 2002 was how poor most of the people were, yet how happy they were. I saw school children leaving nipa huts with dirt floors, but with uniforms that were immaculately clean and well pressed. The happiness of the people in the face of a difficult life is one of the main things that makes me love the Filipino people.
I really respect your attitude toward helping, and I’m so happy to see that you’re buying what you donate locally.
Something that is not very obvious is that while donated goods from abroad might help some people, they also cause hardship for those locals who usually supply those goods. Several container-loads of used clothing collected by a charity were sent to an African country about fifteen years ago. The clothing was distributed for free among the locals. Sounds wonderful! But it bankrupted more than a dozen businesses (clothing manufacturers, cloth seller, thread sellers etc.) who suddenly had no market for their good. This created quite a bit of unemployment. Who would have thought?
The thing I love to give is training or education. Like love itself,
– there a limitless supply,
– it can’t be taken away from the people you give it to, and
– the recipients can give it away to others, while still retaining 100%.
As you say, one person can only make a small dent. Imagine, though, if many of us did the same thing, each in our own little area, of what impact all those little dents could make.
And very wise on keeping out of discussing politics. It’s a matter only for those who can vote!
Hi Russell – Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I had never considered about those donations that come into the country being a bad thing in terms of hurting local business, and thus causing local jobs to decline. That is quite a profound thought, and I believe it is very true.
You are also right that if many of us expats pitched in and spread the help a lot more than now. The problem is that most people would rather complain than to actually do something. Still, I am sure that enough “doers” could be put together to make a big impact!
Thanks again for sharing.
While it may be true that donations from other countries could affect the local businesses, it is also true that a lot of the people are real poor and would benefit from the donations and what money they didn’t have to spend because of the donations could be spent to help other local businesses and keeping them in business.
Hi PapaDuck,
I’m glad you feel passionately about this. I may have given the wrong impression.
I’m not in any way suggesting that donations from other countries are bad. I am pointing out something I discovered when I was collecting clothing in Australia to send to the Philippines. Donations of goods sent from other countries will cause harm to the local economy.
If people in other countries donate money, it can be spent in the local economy to help the needy while not putting anybody out of business.
Here is a really insightful article on Huffington Post – it includes some facts and figures.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/mariah-griffinangus/africa-charity_b_1623561.html
or CNN
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/12/business/second-hand-clothes-africa/
The money they don’t spend on clothes may help other businesses, but every step along the way, from fibre growers to yarn makers, cloth weavers, right through to clothing retailers do suffer.
I’m not saying ‘don’t help’ – I’m saying be careful HOW you help! What Bob is doing – buying food and water locally, and distributing it for free to the needy – is helping carefully, and not harming anybody’s business.
Cheers,
Russell
It certainly ly is a two way street. Pluses and minuses. For Mr when help is offered it ys a net plus though.
I also just returned from a trip to the Philippines. We were there 18 days. We were there for 17 days about 4 years ago.
We spent most of our time around
Bauang,La Union
While I wasn’t there to make in depth observations,a couple things jumped out at me.
First,it wasn’t as easy to hire a cook for the time were were there,and we paid more than last time. We had a relative look for someone and most she contacted were working.
The family friend that used to be the gardener/caretaker found another job.
This indicated to me that there are more jobs available.
Even cousin Lilly,who is always available to help out family members with just about anything,was busier with work than last time. Lilly is usually around when any of the family from the US is visiting, escorting us to the markets,or sightseeing ,or whatever comes up.
The other thing I noticed was improvement in the garbage problem. Last time was pretty much as your reader describes, but this time I learned there is a scheduled garbage pick up system and a lot of effort is being made to recycle.
One beach we frequented regularly had a lot of garbage on it when we arrived,but it was cleaned up while we were there.
While I did not get involved in the politics,it was painfully obvious there elections coming up. Campaign signe were everywhere. Our place is next to the highway,so all day we listened to jeepneys and trikes driving by with political messages blaring. Most messages were in Tagalog,and I don’t yet speak much, but I did learn that M A R I O Ortega is Number One 🙂
Wife and I were not ready to go back to the US yet,but our employers had different ideas!
Hi Jeff,
Hiring any kind of domestic type help is very difficult now. When we first moved here, it was easy, not is can take months to find that type of help. When you find a good person you really have to take good care of them to keep them around! You are right, these type of people find lots of job offers, and working overseas is one of the big ones.
You are also spot on about recycling. They recycle almost everything here! In fact, recycling is a business that a lot of poor people get involved in, and I know of some who have become wealthy through recycling!
I have never heard of Mario Ortega, he must be a more local candidate, because I have never seen his signs before! 🙂
I hope you enjoyed your trip!
Good article Bob- always
Thanks, Vi! I appreciate that!
Thank you, Vi.
Good article Bob. About the garbage, I suppose the use of plastic plays a major role – the type of soft plastic used for ice, icewater, candies, etc should be cut down as it tends to end up in drains and canals and blocks them, as I’ve seen in Cebu…
Yeah, I also see a lot of that type of plastic in places where it should not be.
I have seen isolated spots of not only litter but piles of garbage bags in vacant lot type of places in an urban area. On the opposite side of the coin though, In the hundreds of pictures I have seen of Iligan City before I went there for my first of many visits, I could not see any litter in the streets and the gutter areas on the side of the streets. On my first visit I noticed businesses and others early in the morning with a kind of broom I never saw before, cleaning up the sidewalk and gutter areas in front of their places. Things may not be perfect as far as litter is concerned at all times but I have seen efforts made on a daily basis to keep things presentable. With so many things being ” disposable ” that have come along in recent decades I think it could be considered that litter, garbage etc. have become almost a worldwide situation in proportions not imagined decades ago.
Can one person make a difference ? I certainly think so as on my own I seem to have become involved in many worthwhile things to affect the lives of many of the locals that I never could have imagined. In dealing Direct ( not going through agencies etc. ) To me, donation dollars ( or what ever your home currency is ) can go a long way in The Philippines. When I am approached for donations I am usually somewhat reluctant out of my own personal choice. I prefer to find or discover things on my own, make a few considerations, do some research and then make a decision of how to go about doing something that will benefit others. Here are a couple of examples which I wrote about right here on ” LIP ” from visits a few years ago. There have been more since then.
http://liveinthephilippines.com/my-donation-to-iligan-city/
http://liveinthephilippines.com/hey-joe-got-soap/
Hi Bob – You are right, I see those piles of litter in vacant lots as well. But, it is not so common, at least where I live.
I know for sure that you have made a difference in Iligan. I have seen some of your work, through things you have told me, and you may not know this, but others have told me as well. It is a good feeling to be a positive change, and I know that you have experienced that feeling!
Hi Bob,
Great article! The reader who e-mailed you seem to be a kind-hearted compassionate person, but ill-informed. You are completely spot on on education. My wife’s family is poor, but many of them have college degrees. My wife had two associate degrees and was working on a 3rd when I met her. “Everyone” knows that average (poor) Filipinos are dirty, desperate, depressed, devious and above all dangerous people. The problem is what “everyone” knows to be true about average (poor) Filipinos is not true.
To be fair to the reader who e-mailed he did not say all the things I said in what everyone knows, but I guess I am still reacting to how some commenters thought that Jason must live in a dirty dangerous place, because his rent is 5,000 pesos. That does seem low for a foreigner, but is more than most if not all my Filipino family can afford. If my wife’s mom’s house was for rent the rent would surely be lower than 5,000 pesos and I feel safe there and Mama keeps her house clean. A person could live in a mansion, but be a hoarder and live in filth. It happens.
Anyway great article!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Jay. I especially liked reading your thinking about education.
In the area of Cebu where I’ve chosen to live, collage is nothing but a dream for most. Foreigners think that PhP5,000 is low rent? All is relative. For most of the families in my neighborhood, that doesn’t even reach their monthly income when the can find work.
The few who can send a child to collage, borrow from loan sharks to the hilt and have at least a half dozen family members contributing to the costs of one. Middle of the road collages in Cebu City run from about PhP18,000 and up for just their tuition each semester. Nearly all of their students have to find rooms because they can’t commute and they run from PhP1,200 and up. Tuition alone isn’t the total school cost. Books and supplies are added, as are the student’s costs of living. Twenty years ago I could keep a student in collage in the City for about the equivalent of US$1,200 per year. Today that amount has more than doubled, almost tripled in some cases.
I have found some cost cutting measures. Some of my students have qualified for scholarships and that saves part of their tuition costs. A satelite branch of CIT has opened near our community and my students there on scholarships cost about PhP1,200 per semester and from my community they can live at home. Yet their total costs per year can add up to PhP55,000 or more (their scholarships are PhP7,000 per semester).
The bottom line here is that most families CAN NOT afford to sent their children to school.
Some students in the City try to work to supplement their expenses, but that doesn’t seem to work very well. Jobs are hard to find and they pay very little. More costly is the loss of time to spend on their studies. And some drift from school and into drugs and alcohol.
Yet I firmly believe that their best route is education and is one of the reasons I’ve emphasised it where I live.
Hi Ronald – It is a viscous cycle. Hopefully when that young person is able to make it through college they will help the family rise up a bit.
Quite true Bob. Not all, but some graduates return home to find no jobs. Many others have had to move away, but do send money home to help their families and siblings. It’s like dropping a stone in a pool, it’s ripple effect spreads out continuously.
Hi Ron – Being an entrepreneur myself, it is something that I strongly believe in for Filipino youth. I believe that if somebody is able to make it through college, the should not need to wait around for somebody to give them a job. Go out and create income yourself with the skills that you have learned, and some new (entrepreneurial) skills that you will have to learn yourself.
There are so many young Filipinos doing freelance work now, and earning good wages! It is something that can really help improve the country.
I put one of my nieces through college over the past 5 years. She graduated last year and does a combination of working for me, and I am trying to push her toward developing her own client base. I see a lot of potential. I feel that going to school and studying HRM or something like that is a losing proposition.
Where’s the best cheeseburgers in Davao
Check Holllywood Burgers in GMall, Backyard Burgers has locations in several parts of town.
I agree Bob. In my view, education can be the golden key. There are poorer schools and curriculums, but I have HRM graduates who are doing quite well today. We have a couple of HRMs on cruise ships as a matter of fact, helping their siblings who are still in school. One thing for certain, one size doesn’t fit all! It does pay to follow these kids and make sure that they’ve picked the right schools and with a little effort it isn’t difficult to find them.
Hi Ron – HRM on a cruise ship is not a bad path, but many graduate HRM and go work as a waiter at some local BBQ stand or restaurant. I don’t believe there is much value in that. 🙂
Hi Bob, no argument there! The point being the quality of the school on the one hand and the quality of character and determination of your student to pursue their educatons and find good job paths on the other.
Hopefully I pick the right mind set of the students at the start. There have been failures of course, but they don’t deter and are just part of the learning curve. If only one succeeds it would be enough, but many more have succeeded over the years and I’m satisfied for that.
I know that makes you feel great, Ron. I have done this kind of thing, and can attest that it is a great feeling!
Nice article, Bob!
And as is often the case, the comments are just as informative as the article itself. The comment about container loads of charity goods having a negative impact on the local economy is a very good, though complicated point. I can see a load of stuff like that arriving in a poor, but functioning place having a negative impact.
But in a situation like the recent typhoon Yolanda, some places had their entire infrastructure washed away. Businesses and even government facilities were simply gone. Those folks needed basic necessities immediately.
I think that most of us who give, do it on a much smaller scale, though most local businesses operate on a very small scale as well. My wife and I have joined the ranks of folks who are giving less “stuff”, and are concentrating on helping with education and opportunity. Our requirements are that the student must maintain a high GPA, not become or make someone pregnant, and stay in contact with us. So far, we’ve had more dropouts than successes. But with a track record of withdrawing support from those who do not meet the standard, we’re beginning to see applicants with more grit and determination to succeed.
Take care,
Pete
Hi Pete – It’s a shame that somebody who is getting a free ride would drop out. That is pretty short sighted. I do congratulate you on offering an opportunity like that, though.
Hi Pete,
Yes, relief efforts are an entirely different matter, and donations of goods, even on a large scale, are definitely needed. I was talking about systematic donations of goods which have an adverse effect on local economies. An individual who sends some clothing to a family isn’t having a negative impact.
And I take the point that Ronald makes about money being diverted too. I guess the chances of money being diverted/stolen/misused are high in the Philippines.
Cheers,
Russell
Pete, your efforts to help students continue their educations is a good thing and in my opinion gives one of the biggest bangs for the buck. You should be proud of your student’s achievements. With experience your student picks will improve. I get to know each candidate as well as I can by talking to their teachers, neighbors, friends and family members before I make the commitment.
I must disagree with the notion that individual contributions of clothing has a detrimental effect upon local economy. The theory may sound valid, but with your boots on the ground you’re not going to be able to substantiate the theory.
Any help in goods will have a positive effect. Over the years I’ve been involved in starting families in dry good businesses in public markets and donated goods are a godsend to them! There are importers who collect used clothing abroad and resell them in the Philippines at wholesale prices. They help give family dry goods businesses an edge. It would take a huge amount of Balikbayan boxes going to individuals to make any dent whatsoever in the market. On the other hand, contributed money can be more easily diverted to places not intended.
Agreed that helping with education gives us the most bang for the buck. So far, we’ve only sent folks to traditional or trade type schools. Culinary arts and accounting, off the top of my head. But I’m leaning towards the advice being advocated for here in LIP. That is not to go looking for a job, but to create your own living.
With my interest in agriculture, I’m tempted to sponsor a local person and send them here.
http://gk1world.com/gk-enchanted-farm
But I won’t do that until I see for myself what their facility and goals are. I wonder if anyone here has had any experience with them?
Take care,
Pete
Pete,
Off the top, I have no experience with Gawad Kalinga. I am naturally sceptical of any enterprise that emphasizes room rentals, tours and products for sale who also pose as the country’s solution to poverty.
Looking over the website you referenced and maybe I didn’t look hard enough, I didn’t find any information about their curriculum, teaching staff, prices or degrees. If I were contemplating this institution for any reason (which is unlikely), I’d want to do a full investigation of their charter and operation including a review of any academic recommendations in the field.
There are quite a few other accredited collages in agriculture to chose from. I’ve never met a graduate in agriculture who is actually working in agriculture however. I’m not opposed to it, but none of my picks would have been suitable candidates for that line of study.
Good luck.
Hi Ronald,
A question, rather than a comment. I’m still new to living here (coming up for a year), so I’m curious about where you say, “I’ve never met a graduate in agriculture who is actually working in agriculture…”
I’ve met quite a few people who have University Degrees or College qualifications, and none are working in that field. This reminds me of whn I lived in Ukraine, where any degree will get you almost any job (medicine, engineering, teaching and a few others excepted). I met a young lady who was studying ‘Sugar Production Engineering’ so she could get a degree and then become a travel agent! It seems that her chosen degree was the cheapest and easiest to complete!
Is it the same here in the Philippines, where any degree is good enough to get most jobs, whether it’s in a related field or not?
Thanks,
Russell
Russell,
It depends. It would seem that for many menial jobs it’s just the diploma that makes the difference…field of study not so much so.
The more professional jobs such as teaching, nursing, computer programming or even HRM qualify more upon the reputation of the school attended. This also applies to the technical trades as well.
There’s no hard and fast rule, but appears to be the case based upon my experiences.
Thanks Ronald,
That’s why I wanted to go there and see for myself. They claim to have launched some successful businesses, among them Golden Egg poultry products and also a stuffed toy business located where a textile plant went out of business. Their farm seems to be a commune type arrangement, but I want to see what has become of people who have been through their program.
One of our neighbors has a degree in agriculture. But it did not result in any advantage to him other than his English skills. He works his family farm and does agricultural day labor along with the uneducated neighbors.
Take care,
Pete
Thanks Ronald. It was starting to look like that to me, but I wasn’t sure if it was just around Calamba City or the Philippines overall.
Cheers,
Russell