The slow traffic means Manila's street vendors don't have to limit themselves to traffic light junctions like in Managua and yet I would say I have seen far fewer vendors or beggars. About a week ago a child came up to the car windows to ask for money and our driver told him to go away. He told us you shouldn't give to children, I asked why and he said they will use money for drugs or glue, he went on to explain that he might offer them food if he has but mostly they reject it or he may give to the blind or disabled or the old.
On the way home on Friday night I watched a blind man being led from car to car by an emaciated female guide and what struck me was how absolutely no-one in any of the vehicles gave them anything, if I had seen the same scenario in Managua I know without a doubt someone would have given a coin or two. I gave nothing either although as we drove away I wished I had.
On the same day on the front page of the newspaper The Philippine Star it read:
The number of Filipino families that experienced hunger grew from about 3 million households in June to about 4.3 million in September, according to a survey released yesterday by the Social Weather Station (SWS). The SWS poll...found that one in five families or 21.5% experienced having nothing to eat in the last three months.
Moderate and severe hunger increased by nearly 5 point to 18% and 1.5 points to 3.5%. 'Moderate hunger' refers to experiencing having nothing to eat 'only once' or 'a few times' in the last three months, while 'severe hunger' involves going hungry 'often' or 'always'.When you see poverty daily it is too easy to become blind, cynical or feel helpless. God help me to really see.
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