Special K Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 As a few of you might know, I'm over here in the Philippines this month working on health care and rural development projects with other students and resident physicians in my Global Health MPH program. This week my group has met with officials from WHO, Philippine Department of Health, as well as officials from non-governmental organizations such as Save the Children and Compassion International. Our site visits have been absolutely heartbreaking, but incredibly informative. The people over here, particularly those living in more rural regions, are plagued with infectious diseases (primarily TB, Dengue Fever, Typhoid, and diarrheal diseases), continual typhoons during the rainy season (it's rainy season here right now and we just got hit by a typhoon last week), and Islamic insurgency in the southern Mindanao Province. I have been fortunate to have extensively travelled through developing countries in Africa and central America and now the Philippines...and each trip reminds me more and more how much I, and every other American citizen, has to be thankful for living in the United States. I'm not trying to preach to anyone, but I thought I'd post some pictures of our site visits that exemplify the immense poverty and disease faced by many Filipinos and billions others who live in developing nations. While we might argue a lot in America about the upcoming elections, health care, the economy, legalizing pot, etc. (and I definitely love to argue about that stuff :laugh: ), sometimes it helps to have a little reality check and see what other people in developing nations have to deal with on a daily basis to remind us how much we truly should be thankful for living in the U.S. Here's a few photos... Photo 1: The little boy I was assigned to during our site visit to Compassion International school activities. Photo 2: WHO site visit to squatter camps in Manila. The camp we visited had just been flooded out by last week's typhoon and many of the homes in the camp were flattened or washed away. As you can see, the water we waded through was extremely dirty, full of trash and feces. Photo 3: Another picture of the camp. Photo 4: Squatter camp Photo 5: Filipino children wading through the water to return home after school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpillian Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Wow, thanks for sharing, Keeastman (both here on ES and abroad!) Visits like that definitiely put things in perspective. Always makes me wonder how long we can maintain our national standard of living. Certainly the "steady state" worldwide is far removed, both presently and historically, from the way we live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special K Posted July 23, 2008 Author Share Posted July 23, 2008 Visits like that definitiely put things in perspective. Very much agree with you on this, it's one of the reasons I love to travel and do stuff overseas...plus, the need is immense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AAARedskin Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Amazing thread...wow. I still remember my father telling me a story years ago of a man who lived with his family in a tree-house in either Thailand or the Phillipines.....and because this man had one of the "better" tree-houses in the area, he bragged about it. This kind of stuff really makes you appreciate how awesome the USA really is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HogNose Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 You are right, it is very sobering and makes me realize that we take so much for granted here in the United States. What you are doing is so important and will have a lasting impression on some of those kids...great work. Thanks for sharing the pictures, it's so sad seeing those kids wading through that water like that. Anyway stay safe and looking forward to hearing more about the trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slacky McSlackAss Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Katie..we've had this discussion many times. And each time we do I gain more and more respect for you. Thank you again for doing what you are. I myself have witnessed the immense poverty in India, and it really shows you what a cushy and rich lifestyle we live over here. As we are here typing on our $1000 computers, childeren over there can BARELY afford pencils and paper. Every year, my parents and myself send school supplies over to India for those underpriveliged childeren. It really does put thing in to perspective, and seeing this have taught me to not take what i have been given for granted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Kudos to you for helping those desperately in need. But that young boy looks scared for his life. Has been reading some of your Tailgate threads? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special K Posted July 23, 2008 Author Share Posted July 23, 2008 Here are some more pictures... (right to left/top to bottom) Photo 1: Exterior of the rural health clinic a few of the members of my group (including me) are working with. Photo 2: School-based feeding program for children of the Batas Elementary School. There is a major malnutrition problem among children in this region, so many of the schools run these school feeding programs to attempt to give children some nutrition at school. Here they are serving nutrient-dense soup with vegetables grown in their school-based garden. Photo 3: This is the adolescent health exam room at a Save the Children supported clinic near Manila. Photo 4: Here I am with one of the girls our group helped last year. She had severe kidney disease and when our group visited last year one of the pediatric resident physicians worked tirelessly to get her the immediate medical care she desperately needed. It was so gratifying to see her thriving when we came back this year!! Photo 5: Here's the boat people use in the flooded squatter camps during the rainy season. Four of us fit on it...little sketch, but we survived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#98QBKiller Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 That is a sobering reminder. Very sad. Thanks for sharding KE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tone_dubbz Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 I actually went to the PI a couple of years back with my family. It was a culture shock, and it definitely had me appreciate what I have now. I've never seen waves of poverty like that before. It was horrible. It made me look at the world from a new perspective and realize how spoiled this country is compared to other places. Now I kind of see why some of my relavtives who were born there view me as kind of pretentious and vain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Powerful photos. I don't know that they make me sad, or that they give me that sobering reminder of how good we have it. It gives me a sobering reminder of the American spirit and what we're really all about, as opposed to the ugly face the world constantly paints on us. More power to you, keeastman. The post above mine characterizes us as spoiled. You and the many who are like you prove we're not. ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Congratulations to you for helping, that's really great. I visited the Phillipines a few times as a child... I'll never forget what I saw. Looks like it hasn't changed much . Thanks for sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 I visited the Phillipines a few times as a child... I'll never forget what I saw. just a quick note on that... not to derail the thread or anything... but the one thing I remember vividly which you pictures reminded me of was the "**** river" that flowed just off the main gate at Subic Bay. Anyone who's been there I'm sure knows what I'm talking about. Picture the filthiest, nastiest, most polluted river you possibly could... trash, open sewage, the whole bit. That's the **** river. (at least thats what we called it). Anyways, as soon as you walk out of the gate you cross a bridge going over the river... and there are entire families of people swimming around in it asking you to throw coins down to them. The human immune system is an amazing thing... it really is. I bet if an American fell in that river you'd probably need to get about 20 shots and be quarantined for a month. These people were swimming around in it like it was club med. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DjTj Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Congratulations to you for helping, that's really great. I visited the Phillipines a few times as a child... I'll never forget what I saw. Looks like it hasn't changed much . Thanks for sharing It is kind of disappointing that the Philippines haven't made much progress over the past few decades. Here's a country that was actually part of the United States for 40 years, and whose neighbors to the north, Taiwan and Japan, have undergone remarkable economic growth. ...and really the only thing that's different is that the Philippines had a terrible government for a while. It's a sobering reminder that independence and democracy doesn't always lead to peace and prosperity. Great pictures, keeastman. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paige3girl Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 wow, thank you for sharing. It is amazing what you are doing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 It is kind of disappointing that the Philippines haven't made much progress over the past few decades. Here's a country that was actually part of the United States for 40 years, and whose neighbors to the north, Taiwan and Japan, have undergone remarkable economic growth....and really the only thing that's different is that the Philippines had a terrible government for a while. It's a sobering reminder that independence and democracy doesn't always lead to peace and prosperity. Great pictures, keeastman. Thanks for sharing. Everyone blamed Marcos... and he certainly deserved it... but nothing really changed with Aquino. So who knows what the problem is, it doesn't make sense. You're right, it is strange. Why haven't global corporations flooded to the Phillipines to take advantage of the cheap labor? :whoknows: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special K Posted July 23, 2008 Author Share Posted July 23, 2008 just a quick note on that... not to derail the thread or anything... but the one thing I remember vividly which you pictures reminded me of was the "**** river" that flowed just off the main gate at Subic Bay. Anyone who's been there I'm sure knows what I'm talking about.Picture the filthiest, nastiest, most polluted river you possibly could... trash, open sewage, the whole bit. That's the **** river. (at least thats what we called it). Anyways, as soon as you walk out of the gate you cross a bridge going over the river... and there are entire families of people swimming around in it asking you to throw coins down to them. The human immune system is an amazing thing... it really is. I bet if an American fell in that river you'd probably need to get about 20 shots and be quarantined for a month. These people were swimming around in it like it was club med. Oh yeah, saw that. It's awful. It's just like the water in the squatter camps where we could see the feces floating around us. We were fortunate to have borrowed boots from some of the locals, but as you can see in some of the pictures, the children and most of them were just walking through the water (and in some parts wading up to their chests in the water) like it was nothing. One of the guys in our group didn't feel like putting on the boots so he got all wet slopping through the water. I told him he was a moron and I would not be sharing my hoard of medication with him should he fall ill! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tastes Like Chicken Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Wow, thanks again for sharing your story and pics. That's great work you're doing, and lots needs to be done to help them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HogNose Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 It is kind of disappointing that the Philippines haven't made much progress over the past few decades. Yeah my brother was stationed at Clark Air Base in 1981 and it seems like people are seeing the same scenes and telling the same stories he told. The lack of progress is sad. Marcos set them back big time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
China Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Thanks for sharing. There are too many people here in the US who don't realize either how good we have it, or what a struggle day to day living is for alot of people in the world. It would do everyone some good if they were to get out in the world and see some of this stuff. ------- Not to hijack the thread, but on a side note I could see instituting mandatory 2 year civil service for all US citizens. It could be military service, or they could set up non-military organizations along the lines of the Peace Corps, or some domestic community service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special K Posted July 23, 2008 Author Share Posted July 23, 2008 It is kind of disappointing that the Philippines haven't made much progress over the past few decades. Here's a country that was actually part of the United States for 40 years, and whose neighbors to the north, Taiwan and Japan, have undergone remarkable economic growth....and really the only thing that's different is that the Philippines had a terrible government for a while. It's a sobering reminder that independence and democracy doesn't always lead to peace and prosperity. Great pictures, keeastman. Thanks for sharing. Interesting insight DjTj. Thing is, they haven't had democracy up and running in their country for too long. And what they do have is riddled with corruption right now. I think that things are starting to change for the better (at least that's what I gathered in our talks with WHO officials and the DOH) but it's a slow, slow process. They are singling out infectious diseases and slowing eradicating them (like malaria, something that used to be rampant but is now essentially eradicated except for the extremely remote tribal regions)...but again, it's a long process. You're right, it is strange. Why haven't global corporations flooded to the Phillipines to take advantage of the cheap labor? :whoknows: Actually more corporations are starting to come in. The big thing here now is call-centers... I was talking with one of the Filipino physicians we are working with and she was saying one of the big problems is lack of drive by the people. Like, they are given free college education in Manila, but upon getting their degrees, they want to work at call centers or mail centers or whatever. That's not a bad thing, they need people to do that, but they also need to people go on further too. Additionally, their health care system is SEVERLY hampered by the high number of physicians and nurses and other health care professionals leaving the country to work in the U.S. and other countries. So, they are experiencing a lot of "brain drain" in regards to health care due to lack of sufficient numbers of health care workers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Great thread. Thanks so much for sharing. It's pretty tough when your president is busted for using millions of dollars to fund a very bad shoe habit. http://www.piercemattie.com/jewelrypr/2006/11/imelda_marcos_jewelry_press_la.html Disgusting. I thought she went to jail? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DjTj Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Everyone blamed Marcos... and he certainly deserved it... but nothing really changed with Aquino. So who knows what the problem is, it doesn't make sense.You're right, it is strange. Why haven't global corporations flooded to the Phillipines to take advantage of the cheap labor? :whoknows: There are no easy answers. (If there were, we would already be finished building democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan).Maybe it really does all go back to the topic of this thread, which is that we are incredibly lucky. Japan and Korea and Taiwan were lucky. China is feeling very lucky right now ... government policies certainly play a big part, but just having the right government in place at the right time seems like very much a matter of luck for these developing countries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tone_dubbz Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Great thread. Thanks so much for sharing.It's pretty tough when your president is busted for using millions of dollars to fund a very bad shoe habit. http://www.piercemattie.com/jewelrypr/2006/11/imelda_marcos_jewelry_press_la.html Disgusting. I thought she went to jail? Whats weird is that Manny Pacquiao is the National Treasurer, because of his celebrity status. I doubt he would ever be corrupt like Marcos though. Seems like he's for the people. There was news that a lot of the crime in the PI came to a hault once Pacquiao became an national icon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busch1724 Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 There are no easy answers. (If there were, we would already be finished building democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan).Maybe it really does all go back to the topic of this thread, which is that we are incredibly lucky. Japan and Korea and Taiwan were lucky. China is feeling very lucky right now ... government policies certainly play a big part, but just having the right government in place at the right time seems like very much a matter of luck for these developing countries. It comes down to education. An uneducated society will never progress. That is something that Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China have put effort into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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