if you think the Philippines is poor..

[chua_riwap]

Tama si bad driver maraming mayayamang pinoy ang problema mas nakararami ang walang trabaho (o ayaw magtrabaho), mahihirap na pamilya. Sila yung mga umaasa na lang sa ibibigay ng kapwa nila tao at pamahalaan.

Ang nakakabuwisit pa sa ibang mga pinoy yung mga anak ng anak pero hindi naman kayang supurtahan. Yung ama nanghihimas ng manok sa umaga habang yung ina nakikipagtsismisan sa kapitbahay

Ako nga, minsan naiinggit sa ating mga kababayan. Pag nagbabakasyon ako sa Pinas, naiinggit ako roon sa mga tao sa lugar namin, na walang ginawa kundi tumambay sa kalye, kuwentuhan, inuman sa kanto. Tanong ko nga, "Paano nabubuhay itong mga ito?" Samantalang ako, nagpapakahirap sa M. East para kumita ng maganda.

Pansin ko kasi, pag umaga (around 10AM) andun na sila sa kalye, uuwi sa tanghali, para mag-lunch, tutulog, then pag 4PM, andun na naman sila, ganung gawi ulit! Araw-araw yun.

Sarap ng buhay nila!

[niky]

Okay, the Philippines is poor, relatively. If we're talking about the masa, with over 70% below the poverty line, yes, we are poor. But there are almost 50 million people below the poverty line in the US... lucky for them they've got welfare.

But for those of us feeling sorry for ourselves because of our relatively low income, life is just as easy or as difficult for any other middle class. Like the lower middle class in the US, who are holding two to three jobs each to keep up with the Cost-of-Living.

Here, on the other hand, we may have it tough, but if even the squatters living under the bridge can get a TV and a ref (I hope I'm not the only one who's noticed), it's not unbearably bad.

Many people are leaving for overseas work merely because of a favorable exchange rate. Pennies overseas equals pesos here. I'm not going to say they won't be more prosperous... because some of my friends are doing VERY well for themselves over there, having benefitted from a GOOD and CHEAP education in the Philippines, making them more qualified than some of the Americans they're competing with for jobs... but they could be living an okay life here also.

As for the kind of life our kids will lead in the future here...


well, that's got me worried.

[backbone]

its not poor,,,very very poor!

[Isuzoom]

Malas natin Spain ruled for nearly 300 years ano nakuha natin? Religion lang. If only British ang nag rule sa atin baka naging ok tayo...

[oldblue]

Malas natin Spain ruled for nearly 300 years ano nakuha natin? Religion lang. If only British ang nag rule sa atin baka naging ok tayo...

you're bloody right, mate!

[StraightSix]

Malas natin Spain ruled for nearly 300 years ano nakuha natin? Religion lang. If only British ang nag rule sa atin baka naging ok tayo...

you're bloody right, mate!

That's a big "IF" ... Nigeria was a British colony. Almost one-half of all the African nations were. For better or worse, only we ourselves can chart our destiny.

[Alpha_One]

That's a big "IF" ... Nigeria was a British colony. Almost one-half of all the African nations were. For better or worse, only we ourselves can chart our destiny.

To be honest it doesn't matter much if at all which country colonized you in the past. Sure, Singapore, HK, the US and Australia were all British colonies, but just as likely so as any random country you could think of. Some here could be forgetting that the British literally owned half the world at one point. Performing well and being a former British colony are completely different things and is completely coincidental.

[StraightSix]

To be honest it doesn't matter much if at all which country colonized you in the past. Sure, Singapore, HK, the US and Australia were all British colonies, but just as likely so as any random country you could think of. Some here could be forgetting that the British literally owned half the world at one point. Performing well and being a former British colony are completely different things and is completely coincidental.

Exactly the point of the quotation beforehand.

[woulfe27]

Actually, lahat ng dating colonies ng Spain at Portugal naghihirap (El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Brazil, etc.). tinuruan kase ng mga friars na pag sinampal sa kanang pisngi, ipasampal pa ulit yung kaliwa. kaya pag ninakawan ng pulitiko sa kanang bulsa, ipapanakaw pa yung laman ng kaliwang bulsa.

[StraightSix]

Actually, lahat ng dating colonies ng Spain at Portugal naghihirap (El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Brazil, etc.). tinuruan kase ng mga friars na pag sinampal sa kanang pisngi, ipasampal pa ulit yung kaliwa. kaya pag ninakawan ng pulitiko sa kanang bulsa, ipapanakaw pa yung laman ng kaliwang bulsa.

Sorry, OT

I saw on TV once a feature about the Spanish conquistadors and the subsequent Christianization of the Inca empire. The program ended with the narration "... and the friars told us to close our eyes and we will receive Jesus. When we opened them, we got the cross, and they had our lands."

[woulfe27]

Sorry, OT

I saw on TV once a feature about the Spanish conquistadors and the subsequent Christianization of the Inca empire. The program ended with the narration "... and the friars told us to close our eyes and we will receive Jesus. When we opened them, we got the cross, and they had our lands."

saw that one, too, sa NGC. kawawa yung mga Incas. Mga Spaniards din pala nagdala ng flu sa South America. dati pala walang flu doon. dami tuloy namatay na indigenous people kse wala silang resistance sa flu.

[woulfe27]

but we were ruled briefly by the British in the 1700s (time of Diego Silang yata yun and Spain and Britain were at war). kaso mga 3 years lang yata. And the British soldiers raped a lot of Filipinas.

[oldblue]

but we were ruled briefly by the British in the 1700s (time of Diego Silang yata yun and Spain and Britain were at war). kaso mga 3 years lang yata. And the British soldiers raped a lot of Filipinas.

kala ko dutch yun nakapasok dito.

[mantoy]

well, compared talaga sa nigeria, the philippines is super rich. but...why not try comparing the philippines to thailand and malaysia? heheh. pansin ko kasi parang bumaba benchmark natin eh -- nigeria, bangladesh, pakistan, somalia, etc. c'mon...

i agree wit this:

it just doesn't sound right that in order to feel good about what you have .. you have to look at someone who has less ..

while it's good to be thankful for what you have ('blessings' in religious term), it's no good if what you have is not enough.

[CtrlAltDel]

if you are one of those malnourished, vagrant little kids trudging along the sidewalk looking hopeless and without slippers under the hot sun with a sack of garbage on your back, I wonder how you would answer to the question of whether the Philippines is poor or not.

imo, the country is not wealthy. so many are below the poverty line compared to those who can afford to have thier kids go to a private school, for instance. but even in the squatter's area, they are beginning to show some semblance of discipline. for example: North Harbor Road is now clean. That road adjacent to Pier 2-6 which used to be chaotic is now wide open and free of garbage. The squattes have cooperated by keeping to their portion of the road and keeping it clean.

if we could effectively replicate this on the national bureaucracy and officialdom...

[mrpink]

.. poverty is there even in the richest of countries .. the philippines is a rich country .. but the wealth is distributed very inequitably ..

[niky]

Hmm... what about Indonesia? It's just as bad as us!

Malaysia is doing really well, though. Thailand is just okay. Vietnam and Laos are up-and-coming, but not as rich as the Philippines, yet. But they've been through some hard times, and a population that's known extreme hardships can often bounce back (Korea and Japan for example).

[bad driver]

But hey, atleast we got some semblance of civilization.... kung hindi tayo iniputan ng spain, eh nakabahag pa rin tayo at kumakain ng aso.

We're still lucky... hehe... kasi kapag America ang nagcolonise satin, sana near extinction na ang lahi naten ata na sa reservations nalang. cguro nakaisolate tayo sa isa sa mga isla at may sariling casino.

70% below poverty line.... plus no welfare= very poor country.

[pnay_fickle_minded]

philippines is indeed rich by nature, kaya dami foreigners pumupunta dito... some loves to come back here again, but some regrets... Sayang lang talaga, we are strategically located, halos nasa atin na lahat, but we just dont know how to use them... problem lang ang mga people, esp our government.... marumi na ang government natin, marumi pa ang paligid... living here in japan makes me feel more sorry for philippines,kasi kahit saan ako magpunta, malinis... kanina nga, nagseminar kami about sa cleanliness, sa school ko halos chinese and vietnamese mga schoolmates ko, and sabi ng mga japanese teachers, every day bago umuwi, they have to check pa daw yung mga basura, and paghihiwa-hiwalayin dahil sama-sama daw yung mga basura which is not proper daw.. naalala ko tuloy and pinas,sana kahit sa basura man lang, may discipline tayo... kaya let`s start it with ourselves, and ituro din natin sa mga bata.

[bad driver]

Kaya nga bihira ngayon ang "permanent job" dahil iniiwasan ng mga companies na mapasukan sila ng union. Sinong apektado? Syempre ang kawawang Juan dela Cruz, na walang ginusto kundi ang makapag trabaho lamang. Just my 2 cents.

I thought companies like SM don't give permanent jobs to escape employee benefits and proper labor rights for the employees? para walang overtime pay at paid holidays. 13th month pay. bonuses etc.

keep the poor man down sino pa maglilinis ng kubeta mo kung lahat yumayaman dba?

a good balance should be established. Good labor laws and employee rights with employer protection from scumbag unions.

Fortunately, there are some companies who have good and Christian values.