Manila, Philippines - February 19, 2006
Manila again. The last pension, Vicoria Mansions, was cheap and close to everything, but they just didn't have anything - towels, soap, curtains, a blanket, etc. So definetely not going there again. So we keep moving around in hotels each time in Manila. This current one is on a corner with a good window view, yet still relatively quiet from the loud noises of Victoria Mansions or Ermita Tourist Inn the other couple of times in Ermita/Malate.
In addition, things are still the same as ever here. I was looking out the window of our hotel and saw a foreigner walk by. Immediately some homeless filipina mother with two naked children in a basket started hounding him. She was really heavy (well-fed) and dirty with two naked children in tow. She just hovered around the windows for ten minutes waiting for the foreigner to come back out. Eventually a filipino couple walked out and gave one of the children a boiled egg to eat. The woman still had her target foreigner though. Lots of other filipinos walked by, but she didn't bother with any of them. Eventually the foreigner left and he placed a bag of food with the children. Then they all proceeded to eat that too. But she didn't stop there. She was still looking all over the place for the next target. Two feedings within ten minutes, but just not enough. Oh well, welcome to Ermita/Malate of Manila.
Its really too bad there isn't some kind of child services department for the city of Manila. Some patrol of social workers who could just come in, take the children away from the incredibly inept parent and give them to decent parents. Those are the same kind of mothers I often see gambling on the corners with their slightly older (i.e. walkable) children hounding the streets gathering gambling money for their parentally inept mother.
Well, a few more days in Manila.. then back to Seoul.
More on the Philippines..
February 20, 2006
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