This is a the title on an Al Jazeera network documentary presenting the problems of beggars in the streets in Metro Manila. The report said that “begging is illegal in the Philippines… but tolerated for survival.” Children beg for at least 7 hours a day. During the APEC conference in Manila, it was a miracle that the streets were cleaned up including street beggars. The report presented that the beggars were actually held up in a center where the children were kept in jail cells. After the APEC conference, Manila was back to normal, beggars roam the streets again.
This is the reality of life in the Philippines. Despite the what the government were saying that the economy improved during the term of PNoy, the irony is, the rich became richer and the poor became poorer.
Election is coming up again, what will the politicians promise to the poor voters just to gain their votes? Do the politician have concrete plans for dealing with poverty?
