There’s one thing that’s for certain, I will never have to worry about going hungry here!
That’s ironic isn’t it? Considering 4.5 million Filipinos do not own a home and over 27% of the entire population live below the poverty line (Philippine Statistic Authority). In other words, millions of people are starving everyday. All the neighborhoods I have traveled to thus far have a fair disparity of the wealthy living among those who are poor. Although, every single person regardless of socioeconomic status live in harmony as neighbors- friends even.
Last time I traveled to the Philippines I got to experience Tondo which is the largest, highly dense slum in the Philippines. People that live there not only live in makeshift homes on top of each other but there is little to no access to medical care, education, or even basic necessities like water and food. While I was there, I noticed that so many children had light strands of hair. I asked if it was popular or common to dye your hair, knowing that in the US, lightening hair is a common fashion trend. Although it is popular for some people, most of the time in young children it is a sign of severe malnutrition. The lightning of the hair is due to a lack of protein which causes thinning of the hair and the lightening of the color. This horrible realization is overwhelming once you begin to realize really how many children there are suffering from not eating.
The light hair streaks in children from Tondo 
Some kids we played with in the city of Danuman West
One night, after we concluded surveying the homes in our neighborhood we took a trip to the beach (only minutes away from where we were staying). I managed to gather 25 Filipino children and taught them how to play American games like Tag, Sharks verses Minos, Little Sally Walker and Simon says. This was by far my favorite day. They were infatuated that an American girl (in which most of these people will only see a foreigner once in their entire lifetime) was playing games with them. After running around for an hour we were all exhausted and sweaty so we sat on the beach to catch our breath. One girl was panting and said she was thirsty. I had asked her if she had water she could go get from home. Immediately, she got shy and shook her head no. It pained me to face that horrible reality that many of these children go home hungry and thirsty wondering when they will eat again. However, one would never even know unless you ask due to their deceiving smilies, laughter and passion for life that tend to overshadow those hunger pains.
Some of the kiddos we met on the beach in Bia-O 
Going back to what I said about never going hungry. Since I’ve been here I’ve eaten more than what I would eat in an entire year. It’s 3:00pm and I’ve had 4 full course meals. A full course meal almost always includes rice and some type of meat and fresh veggies. They also love to include Filipino desserts which is some variation of glutenous rice. One of my favorite things about this country is how hospitable the people are. No matter what socioeconomic status one comes from, everyone will greet and serve you with food (including the ones that can barley can afford it). It’s always open arms and full plates if you’re a foreigner in this country. I actually find myself challenged to keep up with how much they eat! Although, when I think about how sick I feel from all the food I’ve consumed, I feel guilty knowing that so many people around me experience the complete opposite issue.
Breakfast made by one of the hosts 
Typical Filipino meal: Meat, Rice, and Veggies,
I’ve realized the Philippines has very little grey area when it comes to living. You either have enough to survive and live in manageable conditions, or you find yourself struggling to make ends meet every day. Although the middle class does exist, it is hard to come by and compared to American standards it’s not the same. I continue to be humbled by the harsh realities I see every single day, but I am also amazed by the joy and love this country has for one another – something I hope to share with others and abide by when I return to the States!