Poverty In The Midst of This Pandemic

The photo above is a heartbreaking scenario way back the olden days when Smokey Mountain still existed in Payatas which caused a great landslide in the area which killed many Filipinos. Relocations and various home projects were built under the leadership of Senator Manny Villar. Sad to say, others still went back to the place because they still need to find other means to augment their financial needs in order to meet both ends.

It is this sad realization that when parents go out to work in some factories and construction works, the children were forced to do their tasks because there is money in garbage so they say. More often than not, the whole family, even worked hand in hand as scavengers despite the risk on health issues.

This is due to lack of education when parents don't have enough sources so as to send their kids in school, or they just didn't care at all, hence poverty has become the yoke of their lifetime endurance in order to survive with all the dangers in the streets even in the wee hours.

This is the irony of it all, when the rich become richer, the poor becomes poorer. Despite the ordeal that we've undergone because of this pandemic, there is a positive result wherein the kids were kept at home and the scavenging of garbages became lesser because minors and elders were already prohibited to go out, setting aside those who still refused to follow the rules imposed by the government.

The above photo is a wake up call to all Filipinos and most of all to the government, to continue with their programs such as the 4 Ps wherein the less fortunate children were sent to school with corresponding monetary assistance to at least hasten the hardship of our fellow brothers and sisters. In so doing, there will be less pictures of these scavengers where others find joy in taking such pitiful photos tantamount to such situation of a poorer than poor.

@Sarimanok