26th Heartbeat

THE STORY OF tWO eXTREMES

The First Extreme:

According to statistics, 30.6 million Filipinos or 6.12 million families are suffering from poverty. In a nation composed of 78 provinces, 84 cities and 41,940 barangays, 40 percent of people live below the poverty line. There are about 77 million Filipinos today, and this number is growing by 2.05 percent annually. This means that some 1.5 million Filipinos are born every year, 600,000 of whom to poor parents. Some 32.5 million Filipinos, comprising 66.3 percent of the population, are considered matured enough to work. But 3.3 million of these people, or 10.1 percent of the workforce, cannot find jobs while 5.2 million others, or 17.7 percent, have no regular source of income. According to the World Bank, the Philippines had a per capita GNP of US$1,050 in 1999, compared to China’s US$780, Indonesia’s US$600, Vietnam’s US$370, Lao’s US$290 or Cambodia’s US$280. Yet, the Philippines’ poverty incidence rate of 40 percent is higher than China’s 3 percent, Indonesia’s 23 percent, Vietnam’s 37 percent, Lao’s 38 percent or Cambodia’s 36 percent. Among Southeast Asian countries, poverty incidence is most extreme in the Philippines where some 15.3 million Filipinos (half of the poor population) wake up every morning without food on the table. These people are called subsistence individuals or whose income cannot provide for basic food requirements. Popcom’s data is even conservative because in its interpretation, a family of six earning a total of P72,000 a year is not considered poor. In contrast, a study conducted by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) pegged the minimum income that a family of six must earn annually at P191,874 in order to live decently in Metro Manila. [i]

I am overwhelmed by the figures. I never thought that our economic condition would be this bad even if the data I have stated above was published eight years ago. Now, it’s 2009 and I don’t think that there was really a significant change that took place over the years. I do not want to appear cynical but the social status and living conditions of our Filipino brothers and sisters would testify to this sad plight of our country.

The Second Extreme:

The Philippines is proud to display her sprawling shopping malls, with three being included in the listing of the World’s Largest Shopping Malls. It’s ironic for a tiny country in the South Pacific to come up with such gigantic structures where one can indulge himself to luxury and give in to the concupiscence of his eyes. Based on the figures, there are more than 200 shopping malls scattered in the three major islands of the country. In 2008, a shopping mall giant boasts its 7 percent increase in profits with a consolidated net income of 6. 4 billion pesos (in comparison with the 6 billion pesos net profit in 2007). Even with the occurring global financial crisis, the mall giant achieved its goals and sustained its expansion in 2008. The company performed fairly well and was able to deliver on its targets and objectives due mainly to the unwavering support of its loyal customers, tenants, suppliers, shareholders and employees. [ii]

I am again overwhelmed by the figures. It’s not that I am totally dismayed about this expeditious upsurge of shopping malls in our country. In fact, it is good news because despite the poverty information that left us grumbling and spiteful of our economic situation, we have to face the fact that they are signs of progress. Even if the statistics would put us to shame; some of us could still afford to buy their own little luxuries or even go beyond the limits of spending. In a country disparaged by scarcity and destitution, extravagance is still very much included in our daily vocabulary. And mind you, I don’t excuse myself for this reality.

I am sharing this because I had a poignant experience last week when I had my short break in Metro Manila. I had the chance to stroll around the newly built San Miguel by the Bay, located at the back of SM Mall of Asia. It is actually a long chain of restaurants, coffee shops, and bars where you just have to walk comfortably and choose what will possibly tickle your fancy. I was surprised to see a lot of people coming from different places, barging into the doors of their favorite “hang outs”, meeting their folks, friends and colleagues—eating, drinking, and cheering till wee hours in the morning. I just wondered if these people were really experiencing this so called “pangs of abject poverty” when they could spend so much on food and liquor, while the rest are suffering from hunger, homelessness and distress. While looking at them, I kept on saying to myself: “Amo gid man ini kaimol ang Pilipinas?” It was really mind-boggling for me since I was caught between being conventional to the figures because statistics basically don’t lie! or simply become a disbeliever for the reason that I didn’t feel this vagrant attitude from the crowd that surrounded me.

This is indeed a story of two extremes. Nevertheless, I learned so much from this experience because as I furthered along the extensive boulevard, I saw groups of people who were just sitting by the concrete wall facing the calm and unruffled Manila Bay, gazing at the stars with just few packs of local chips or crackers, and a liter of soft drinks they bought from a nearby convenience shop. They seemed happy too and they were also enjoying every moment they spent on that area despite the fact that they decided to choose frugality over extravagance. Oddly enough, I could not tell whether they were really underprivileged since they looked decent. I don’t know if it was an intended dissension to those who were spoiling themselves in posh restaurants, coffee shops, and bars, but turning their backs from lavishness was evocative of the things they truly appreciated and valued in life.

Based on these two extremes, two realizations surfaced:

1.)Happiness is a choice even in the face of poverty and;

2.)There are certain things in life that money can’t buy.

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