Children of Poverty in the Philippines
A very moving painting of the last supper titled Hapag ng Pag-asa (Table of Hope) with dirty street children of poverty portrayed in a different light by Joey Velasco. A symbolical portrayal instead of the long robed apostles we see haunting images of street children tempered with scavenging in garbage dumps amidst the squalor of their surrounding. These are children of poverty exposed to the harsh and difficult dehumanizing subsistence has managed somehow to show their good nature and innocence.
In their forage for scraps and anything recyclable in the muck of mountain loads of society’s refuse and desperation to survive will pick up anything of “value” such as pagpag (term used in salvaging dead carcasses of dogs, cats or any spoiled meat by wiping off the dirt) for boiling and frying to feed the hungry body.
Each subject has a sad story and sad experience like Ana used by her mom in their begging activities until she was “rescued” for a “better” life….. living and cleaning cemetery tombs as caretaker of the dead. As Joey poignantly narrated in Sa Kambas ng Lipunan (Inside Society's Canvas) you tube video the dead giving her the means to live but what about us who seems to be oblivious of the prevalence of poverty of our people and children.
Life indeed is unfair but what makes it worse is when out of poverty in order to survive the urban jungle Onse the son of a stripper has to deal with humiliation and embarrassing taunting of other kids losing self respect and self worth at a tender age. Emotionally scarred his life gets tougher when he goes hungry most of the times has to deal with an abusive father that pimps her mother every now and then.
These are the stark realities of poverty unfortunately just a numbing statistics to our political leaders’ hell bent on perpetuating themselves in power squandering meager resources at the cost of economic development. Their selfish greed and lust for power where the rules of fairness and honesty do not apply as long as they win in a fraudulent electoral contest.
They are the “lucky” ones who happen to have the opportunity of getting the attention from the painting but what about those that we just see out on the street. The beggars, scavengers, child prostitutes victimized by pedophiles foreign and locals alike pimped at times by their parents, addicts, homeless and worse children in conflict with the law dumped like animals in prison by ignorant authorities. Unlike those who get noticed which are very few what about the rest? Are they just numbers in the numbing impersonal statistics so life goes on in our own compartmentalized reality? Besides if we look at the statistics of world poverty in the UN Millennium Project (commissioned by the UN Secretary General and supported by the UN Development Group) ours seems to be just a drop in the bucket so it gives some sectors to go ahead and “feel good” for themselves that our situation is not as bad compared to the HIPC Nation.
It is sad that while our law enforcers would rather incarcerate these children in conflict with the law (as if throwing them in jail out of sight out of mind will work) the problem gets worse when we see the misplaced priority of an administration that has no problem giving clemency to a convicted pedophile (raping an 11 year old girl) child rapist. Jalosjos a former tongressman is the same person who is reportedly behind the criminal (I suppose some of the adherents hopefully are not pedophiles convicted rapist as well) political party list that run unsuccessfully (thank gawd) in the last May 14, 2007 election.
While Gawad Kalinga has been tirelessly working to alleviate the plight of poverty stricken people and Fr. Shay Cullen with his tireless efforts at Preda (People's Recovery, Empowerment and Development Assistance Foundation, Inc.) and others that support his cause like Greystones Parish in raising funds to rescue children in prison and running after pedophiles it seems our government's priorities are jailing those "pesky street vagrants" and free those that abuse and rape children. Now where is justice.................... or was that "compassion" to an old convicted criminal rapist who happens to support administration candidates over those children in prison that does not belong in jail?
Photo credits:
Hapag ng Pag-asa, Oil on Canvas 48 x 96 in by Joey Velasco.
Children in Prison, Father Shay Cullen of Preda
_______________________________________________________
Announcement to see more of Joey Velasco’s painting go see his one man art exhibition entitled "KALAKBAY: A Journey of Faith in Art". It will run from 26 June to 7 July, 2007 at the Beato Angelico lobby and gallery, College of Fine Arts and Design, University of Santo Tomas.
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Undocumented Children Migrants Casualties of Migration & Poverty
Illegal Filipino Migrant Street Children in Sabah, Malaysia
Pagpag, A disgusting Glimpse on Poverty
Children Casualties of Poverty in the Philippines
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Each subject has a sad story and sad experience like Ana used by her mom in their begging activities until she was “rescued” for a “better” life….. living and cleaning cemetery tombs as caretaker of the dead. As Joey poignantly narrated in Sa Kambas ng Lipunan (Inside Society's Canvas) you tube video the dead giving her the means to live but what about us who seems to be oblivious of the prevalence of poverty of our people and children.
Life indeed is unfair but what makes it worse is when out of poverty in order to survive the urban jungle Onse the son of a stripper has to deal with humiliation and embarrassing taunting of other kids losing self respect and self worth at a tender age. Emotionally scarred his life gets tougher when he goes hungry most of the times has to deal with an abusive father that pimps her mother every now and then.
These are the stark realities of poverty unfortunately just a numbing statistics to our political leaders’ hell bent on perpetuating themselves in power squandering meager resources at the cost of economic development. Their selfish greed and lust for power where the rules of fairness and honesty do not apply as long as they win in a fraudulent electoral contest.
They are the “lucky” ones who happen to have the opportunity of getting the attention from the painting but what about those that we just see out on the street. The beggars, scavengers, child prostitutes victimized by pedophiles foreign and locals alike pimped at times by their parents, addicts, homeless and worse children in conflict with the law dumped like animals in prison by ignorant authorities. Unlike those who get noticed which are very few what about the rest? Are they just numbers in the numbing impersonal statistics so life goes on in our own compartmentalized reality? Besides if we look at the statistics of world poverty in the UN Millennium Project (commissioned by the UN Secretary General and supported by the UN Development Group) ours seems to be just a drop in the bucket so it gives some sectors to go ahead and “feel good” for themselves that our situation is not as bad compared to the HIPC Nation.
It is sad that while our law enforcers would rather incarcerate these children in conflict with the law (as if throwing them in jail out of sight out of mind will work) the problem gets worse when we see the misplaced priority of an administration that has no problem giving clemency to a convicted pedophile (raping an 11 year old girl) child rapist. Jalosjos a former tongressman is the same person who is reportedly behind the criminal (I suppose some of the adherents hopefully are not pedophiles convicted rapist as well) political party list that run unsuccessfully (thank gawd) in the last May 14, 2007 election.
While Gawad Kalinga has been tirelessly working to alleviate the plight of poverty stricken people and Fr. Shay Cullen with his tireless efforts at Preda (People's Recovery, Empowerment and Development Assistance Foundation, Inc.) and others that support his cause like Greystones Parish in raising funds to rescue children in prison and running after pedophiles it seems our government's priorities are jailing those "pesky street vagrants" and free those that abuse and rape children. Now where is justice.................... or was that "compassion" to an old convicted criminal rapist who happens to support administration candidates over those children in prison that does not belong in jail?
Photo credits:
Hapag ng Pag-asa, Oil on Canvas 48 x 96 in by Joey Velasco.
Children in Prison, Father Shay Cullen of Preda
_______________________________________________________
Announcement to see more of Joey Velasco’s painting go see his one man art exhibition entitled "KALAKBAY: A Journey of Faith in Art". It will run from 26 June to 7 July, 2007 at the Beato Angelico lobby and gallery, College of Fine Arts and Design, University of Santo Tomas.
_______________________________________________________
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15 Speak Out:
Its sad that we continue to voice out and fight for children's rights, the sad reality is that the government doesn't really care. The rich would rather blame than help. The few who really help are swamped and overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem.
Una kong nakita ang "Hapag ng Pag-asa" sa GK Village sa Baseco nang minsang dumalaw kami roon. Naikwento na rin ito sa amin ni Tito Jun Valbuena, ang caretaker ng GK site na iyon.
Sa tuwing nakikita ko ito, lalong lumalakas ang aking paniniwalang may pag-asa pa!
Galing. It was my first time seeing that painting. Napakaganda ng concept. Maganda yung kanyang message.
This is also my first time on your blog and I find it very interesting. May epekto din kasi sa akin ang usaping socio-politcal issues.
I'm sure to be back! Happy blogging.
after seeing Minsan lang silang maging bata & Bunso by ms. Ditsi Carolino i thought life has never been so cruel in the eyes of the child as to rob him of the comfort & joys of childhood. The Constitution rests upon the parents the primary role in the rearing of their children
for civic efficiency & development of moral character but this should be properly read in connection to the state's primordial responsibility to protect its people, including the children who will become the future leaders of the country. Whoever is the one responsible for the deterioration of their present state of environment and the banishment of available opportunities, it is we who ignored their rightful existence as part of the state. Whoever bears the grunt of every political/governmental lapses at its worst, they are the children who remain powerless against the harsh realities created partly by those who stay in power yet distort
and abuse its use. Many children are dying physically, emotionally & spiritually, everyday, you can see them scavenging, begging on the streets, carrying on their backs cement bags for a peso, this is their situation decades ago until now, and what have we done. . .A teacher once said that if leaders would always consider the welfare of the child in policy & decision-making, this world would be better. Hopes would be bleak in a government whose primordial inkling is its lust for power. . .
napakusay! ipagpatuloy...nostalgic, hindi ko maipaliwanag...basta. salamat!
mschumey07,
yes, it is so sad that the problem is just so overwhelming that there is no easy solution in sight.
fjordan,
we can only hope against hope
karlo,
glad you appreciate joey velasco's work.
30k fishes,
well said and on target.
wandering commuter,
yes we have no other recourse but continue on pointing this out and hopefully raise peoples awareness on the gravity of our problem.
"Now where is justice.................... or was that "compassion" to an old convicted criminal rapist who happens to support administration candidates over those children in prison that does not belong in jail?"
Fortunately, down south of Mindanao, in General Santos City, an organization takes care of Children in Confilct with the Law. You might want to check out what they are doing...
Good post...
check out http://www.marcellin.org
"Pedestrian Observer said...
yes, it is so sad that the problem is just so overwhelming that there is no easy solution in sight.
we can only hope against hope"
No we can do something about it. we know it rooted in poverty and culture of filipinos.
it is hard to see and even experience that situation in our country. try to be more proactive about it.
we the T'nalak youth group - Pathways to higher education are trying to effect change through educational reform. giving every youth a chance and hope for a better life.
we weave dreams and hopes for a better philippines.
support us.
for more info visit us at
www.pathwaysphilippines.org and www.ahonfoundation.blogspot.com
"it is hard to see and even experience that situation in our country. try to be more proactive about it."
So what makes you say that, based on what.... that you are bigger than what you think you are? Now how exactly or what exactly are you and your org doing in helping children in conflict with the law? GK & Preda while doing a tremendous job does not have the cockiness of lecturing people in telling others with such remark as "try to be pro-active", now tell me why your org should be supported.
Children of Poverty in the Philippines.
I belive in a natural grand design that affects everyone in this universe. Under this grand design, each of us has a role for ourselves and for others. To leave one for the other destroys the balance of what we ought to do and the renders those that we can or what we are doing, short and ineffective in the end.
It is hard and long to explain why this is so but our experience has often times showed this to be a truism.
What is important is that we are made aware of this problem and we consciously commit ourselves to do something about it. Such is the case of this blog. A painting of Velasco was posted showing hungry and poor children dining with Jesus Christ. The painting is pregnant with symbolisms and truly captured our imagination. Now it is up to the beholder how he/she would put to reality the message of this painting to him/her.
If we are burned out from figthing the evil system that brought about the poverty that sired these poor children around us, we should at least keep the issue as current as possible. Let us talk more about it, its why's and wherefores. But those who could do more, must do more. The worst sin is to be apathetic to this issue and to believe that it is less important than others or that it would simply go away the following day.
Fidel,
You have so far offered a very sensible approach which is that of recognizing the problem and keeping it alive.
Unless we recognize the problem and see the same thing, then and only then will a collective solution and concrete action be found in our desire to see a better Philippines.
I am not very familiar with the works of Hapag ng Pag-asa but "Children of Poverty in the Philippines" is an incredibly moving piece of art. Thank you.
I am deleting the old emails in my inbox and I came accross on this particular post in this blog (which I have not read yet). Yes, I am aware of this "Hapag" and also of the children of poverty in the Philippines. This comment might just be very late and obsolete because this is quite an old posting, although the message and the issue is just strikingly omnipresent.
The painting is very beautiful; a real work of art and of a genius. It is also practically relevant because of the issue it wants to attract awareness to.
I agree with Fidel_Umaga; everyone of us has a role to play in this world. On the other hand, we have the power to decide which role to take. But the problem is, it takes a lot of consciousness of oneself and of our life on this world inorder to figure out that we indeed have the power over our existence.
I think, it is very important for us humans to comprehend the relationship and interconnection of spirituality and our life on the material reality. With spirituality here I mean incorporeally; the part of our human existence beyond the material reality, beyond what our usual senses could grasp.
It is a tricky issue to speak about spirituality because a lot of people automatically construe it as relating to religious beliefs or superstitions or plain stupidity.
But it is not. In fact, the knowledge and awareness about spirituality or of our incorporeal faculty is the key to better the misery (e.g. poverty) we experience in our physical existence. Our life on this world is often miserable because we are not very aware of the interconnection between what is happening on the physical reality and how it is being conjured through our mass beliefs, convictions, doubts, thoughts and rants and raves.
We get what we concentrate on, because our thoughts are powerful. Our thoughts is an object from which the physical reality originated.
So, how can we steer our thoughts and mass convictions in a way that it is for the comfort of our lives on the physical reality, is the great challenge.
Millenium Dreamer,
Yes, you are right although the entry is dated it is still relevant and current. I still get quite a number of hits making this entry one of the most popular.
Well thanks for not deleting your email and finding out we have similar interest and yes how we deal with this problem is a big challenge.
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