Welcome to my blog - over the next few months I'll be steering you through life in the Philippines, doing my best to share my observations and experiences whilst working in Hagonoy (a city about 50 miles away from the capital Manila). I'm going to be supervising a group of young volunteers, from both the UK and the Philippines. The volunteers will be working on a variety of health and waste management projects, it promises to be an interesting few weeks...
I arrived in the bustling place that is Metro Manila (whilst "Manila" is strictly speaking the capital, the "Metro Manila" region seems to be what people identify as being the area of the capital - much like "Inner London" and "Greater London"). Arriving off the plane, I was whisked off to my hotel and then was met by some of the local Filipino staff members I'll be working with. I was treated to some lovely Filipino food, and the customary smiles that most Filipinos seem to have on their faces most of the time (perhaps the stereotype I have of Filipinos all being nice people won't last long, but it hasn't been dispelled during the last 48 hours!). After the meal I then had a much deserved sleep, only to wake up at 1pm the next day. Yes, I am affected by jet lag!
After sheepishly leaving my room (feeling guilty for getting up late is something instilled in me from childhood), I got the courage to explore the local area around me. Manila really is a fast and busy city, full of noise and cars. In fact, pollution is a big problem here - Manila is supposed to be one of the top five most polluted cities in the world. To find out more about this, and to see an ingenious solution to the problem of pollution in the city, check out a little video from the BBC.
I've had bit of a strange view of Manila so far, as I'm based in quite a nice area and am next to an absolutely huge shopping mall. I have never seen such a big shopping complex! It's full of restaurants, shops and boutiques, and seems to go on for miles and miles. This show of modernity and wealth might, at first glance, give someone the impression that the Philippines is a rich country.
However, the sight of the huge multitude of employees working around a single desk (the shoe department in a store seemed to have about one staff member to every 15 pairs of shoes) hints at some of the underlying poverty - I don't imagine that such a high number of staff can be employed on high wages, nor do I imagine that many of them can afford to regularly buy the shoes they sell...
However, the sight of the huge multitude of employees working around a single desk (the shoe department in a store seemed to have about one staff member to every 15 pairs of shoes) hints at some of the underlying poverty - I don't imagine that such a high number of staff can be employed on high wages, nor do I imagine that many of them can afford to regularly buy the shoes they sell...
After my first full day "recovering" from the jet lag, I've gradually been introduced to my future work colleagues and have been finding out more about what I'll actually be doing. The volunteers I'll be working with don't arrive until Monday, so I've got a couple more days of planning and preparation before the crazy period begins. Wish me luck!
Many best wishes to all of you from a sunny and hot Manila. I hope all is well, many best wishes,
Robert
P.S. To get an idea of what this blog will be like, feel free to have a look at my previous blogs from Mongolia, Ethiopia and The Gambia.
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