On Human Suffering

Saturday was a very interesting day.

As promised my Economic Development class conducted our COSCA survey which profiled a barangay (neighborhood unit) near the university.  This particular neighborhood seems to be an almost fair representative of the urban poor in Manila excepting the fact that its proximity to the university allows it to benefit from many programs put on by the university and its students. 

We arrived at school not too long after 8am – and departed for the barangay at 8:45.  There was much hanging about once we arrived.  I’m not entirely certain why.  I think we were waiting for some of the barangay officials.  After some talking which was exceptionally hard to understand because I was in the back and don’t speak particularly good Tagalog anyway we broke into groups of 14 or 15 and followed one of the officials to different parts of the neighborhood.  From there the official smoothed the way for us and introduced us to household heads.  We conducted our interviews in groups of two or three.  I mostly tried to understand as much as possible.

I can’t say I was surprised by anything.  Everyone we surveyed (four families) had water and electricity.  Most had some form of employment.  There was one family who was using a charcoal “stove” outside, but otherwise the stoves were prevalent.  They had access to proper toilettes.  Healthcare was available because of a nearby health center.  Many people were fairly well educated – some even had graduate degrees.  But the labor market in the Philippines is poor so opportunities are slim.  Generally it was a picture of life on the margins - everyday people surviving on the outskirts of society just trying to get by.  Yes there were some people washing clothes in the street, and there was a rooster tied up outside one door.  But given that there are people who live off of the massive steaming trash dump outside of the city – these people are not the worst off. 

Our survey ended kind of early when we ran out of families.  I’m not really sure why.  I feel like there were more people to be interviewed.

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After the survey I was graced with a bit of serendipity.  Perhaps when I tell you what happened you find “serendipity” a strange word to use.  Apparently once a month a classmate of mine goes to the pediatric charity ward or Philippine General Hospital, visits with the patients, and brings their families food.  This weekend he was bringing another classmate of mine and they allowed me to tag along.  We picked up 70 hamburgers from McDonald’s (not the healthiest, I know) and joined two of his other friends at the hospital. 

PGH is the teaching hospital of the University of the Philippines which has the best medical program in the country.  (UP is pretty much THE public university…) The hospital was built just after the second world war as evidenced by the plaque at the front door reading “Built with the aid of the American people during reconstruction”.  In the style of many tropical buildings it is almost entirely outdoors.  Rooms and wards branch off wide semi-enclosed hallways around a central courtyard.  While there was a roof and windows on the ward we were in there was no door off the main hallway – a bird could fly in if it wished.  The walls were painted yellow and had cheery murals of children.  There were probably 30 or 40 beds of children in a room somewhere around 125 square ft.  There was a little girl with leukemia, a boy with lymphoma, a baby with a cleft pallet, and sever children with upper repertory issues.  We spoke with a medical student on the ward.  Doctors and nurses work 36 hour shifts from 7am to 4pm the next day – at which point they go home and come back the next morning at 7am.  The issue for most of the children seemed not to be whether or not the hospital could make them well – but whether or not they would stay well.  Once treated many children would be sent home to the streets where they were sure to become ill again. 

Of course we also heard complaints about insurance and being able to pay.  The Philippines is also struggling with attempts at a universal health care system.

Like my experiences in the morning I can’t say I was surprised.  I think it would take a lot to shock me at this point.  For me the experiences were a reminder of the everyday struggle for the vast numbers of people living in poverty or on the edges of it.  They are not isolated cases, and the situation can not be fixed one person at a time.  Lifting up those at the bottom does not ask for isolated instances of charity or one off donations.  It requires a consciousness of everyone to do their part in helping people.  Giving our business to companies who practice responsible sourcing of goods and responsible hiring practices.  Being aware of how our foreign policy and investment affect the poorest in a society and voting accordingly.  Focusing technology not on bigger, faster, stronger, but on more appropriate, easier to transfer, less expensive, easier to make into a small scale business. 

Overall it was a very hopeful day.  Perhaps I am heartless for seeing hope in the face of dying children, but there was not a feeling of despair in either of the places I visited.  There was an acknowledgement of circumstances and a resilience of people who have no choice but to carry on. 

*I didn’t think it was appropriate to take pictures in either of these situations.