Poverty a fact of life in the Philippines

The extent of the poverty in the Philippines was highlighted to me this morning while walking around Angeles City – a small northern tourist town about an hour’s drive from Manila and renowned for its nightlife.

The contrast between the West and Third-world countries appears even more evident here than it was in Manila the other day.

Beggars are more prevalent and even little kids can be seen holding out their hands for small change as you walk along the rutted, dusty and overcrowded streets.

I have never been to India but my travelling companion said that when compared to that country, the begging in the Philippines was relatively mild.

However I was still quite taken aback at the extent of it, as well as by the solo street sellers who seemed to appear out of nowhere to hawk their goods – from cigarettes to watches, clothes and alcohol.

Yet despite the enormous gap between rich and poor, the vast majority of Philippino people appear reasonably content.

Indeed some of them are almost serenely happy, with a smile for you wherever you go.

Surely there is a lesson here for us in the West that although money is of course an important part of having a happy life, there are many other valuable things to consider.

Things like family, community and a sense of belonging are perhaps the more important gifts – especially when looked at in the context of the Philippino people.