Filipinos join call to end hunger

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Filipinos will join thousands of people around the world in the campaign to end hunger, the United Nations’ World Food Programme announced on 1 June.

The WFP, together with its global humanitarian partners TNT, Unilever and DSM, will hold its yearly campaign, dubbed "End Hunger: Walk the World 2010," this Sunday in ”Bonifacio Global City”, an exclusive, luxury corporate real estate development within  Taguig City. Guards patrol the grounds 24 hours a day.

The theme of the fund-raising activity is "Isang Hakbang! Pilipinas 2010."

The fun run and walk will start 05:00 a.m.

Location of Taguig City, venue for "Walk the World", Sunday, 6 June 2010

 

TNT is a global mail and express delivery company serving more than 200 countries. Since 2002, TNT has been an active partner of WFP and to date has invested over $50 million in the partnership.

 

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong local roots in more than 100 countries across the globe. Unilever joined forces with WFP in January 2007 for a three-year partnership to improve the nutrition and health of poor, school-aged children around the world.

 

DSM Nutritional Products Philippines Inc, based in Makati, Manila, is a subsidiary of Royal DSM N.V., a Dutch transnational corporation.

 

Sources

 

End Hunger: Walk the World: World Food Programme campaign

 

Helen Flores, ”Filipinos join call to end hunger”  (philstar.com), updated June 01, 2010 12:54 p.m.

 

Walk the World — Hakbang Pilipinas 2010

 

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30 Filipino drivers in Saudi accuse firm of overcharging fees

Dammam city: Image by unjoshr via Flickr

A   brief    report    from       Dennis  Carcamo   of  the    Philstar   news service       indicates that Filipinos driving buses in    Saudi Arabia  are financially exploited.

John Monterona, representing the Filipino Imigrant workers' advocacy group Migrante,   disclosed      that   thirty  Filipino bus    drivers  had decried the alleged illegal charging of  fees by   the company  that recruited them and by its tie-up firms in Manila.

The workers were among the  300  bus drivers of the Saudi Public  Transport company based in the city of Dammam. 

"They claimed that their recruiter agency charged them [a] huge placement fee that led them to get an onerous loan from various lending agencies,” Mr Monterona said in a statement. 

The 30 drivers, recruited by PERT-CPM Manpower Exponents Co. Inc, had been on the job nearly four months.

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Hunger and illness stalk families; mother pleads for help

At 10:38 a.m., local time, Tina sent me a text message: Sorry if I give you much [cause to be] worried, I hope you understand my situation, [after] 2 to 3 days without vit[amins] d kids get cough & flue; dat [is] why I need to buy it, pls help me; I don't have allowance here now.

At 2:41 p.m. she texted again: Pls help me, I really felt dizzy & hungry coz till now I didn't eat break[fast] ... *

Nearly four hours later, at 6:34 p.m., Tina emailed me from the CBK Company office where she was undergoing 3 months of unpaid on-the-job training.

Hello Bern,
Bern good p.m., I hope you are in good condition, sorry if I give you so much [cause to be] worried, because you're the only person who can understand my situation and can help me.

Bern, sorry If I mention to you my personal and financial problem, I really don't know what to do. I don't know what I can do tomorrow, when and where I can get my allowance [for] going here in work tomorrow.

Pls help me; on December 30 was holiday, Rizal day, our National Hero day, that [is] why the Cebuana [pawnbroker and remittance agent] possible will be close[d].

Pls help me on my ring**, I don't want to [have] lost it, just only for 1,800 for the interest [I] need to pay, and also vitamins of the kids to avoid flue and cold: when the kids stop taking Vitamins in 2 to 3 days they were sick, it will be more expensive if they were sick; I need 1,200 for Ceelin (Vitamin C) Clusivol (for appetite) supply of the 7 kids, also Bern our allowance for food, I will [need to have] left food at home for little Bern and Josephine and other kids, also my allowance here for transportation and food too, pls.

Help me for 5,000 [pesos] pls, understand my situation, pls kept in touch.

[To] tell you the truth I felt dizzy, and so much hungry because I did not eat breakfast and lunch till this moment; [it's] 4:20pm right now; I'm worried for the food at home too.

Love

[Tina]

* Some text was lost in transmission.

** The ring was awarded to mark Tina's graduation from high school as the Salutatarian and Commander of the Cadet Army Training battalion.

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Sick child taken home from hospital

Money for treatment unavailable

Text messages between 2:25 p.m. and 3:10 p.m., GMT+08

At 2:25 p.m. Tina texted again, apologising but saying her 4-year-old daughter Bernadeth-Joe (B-J or "Little Bern") needed my help.

A paediatrician checked the child and wrote a referral to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist because she had a malodorous discharge of white liquid from her left ear.

The doktora (female doctor) also prescribed Bactroban antibacterial cream and Stafloxin [Flucloxacillin antibiotic] 7.5ml to be used for 10 days.

"The amount of sickness among these children is just amazing", I replied, perhaps too harshly. "As previously explained, I cannot afford to help. I'm sorry."

"OK, we will decide to go home now", Tina said: "she have fever right now; doktora want B-J to [be] OBS[erved in the hospital] but we cannot stay coz we don't have money, we cannot go to ENT in private hospital, doktora just request us [to] buy antibiotic ASAP for every 6 hrs, Tempra [paracetamol] for fever.

"I trust that you will buy the antibiotic ASAP, and the Tempra", I answered, seriously wondering whether that would be possible. I guessed money might be spent on medications instead of income-producing foodstocks for the family eatery, or borrowed from a loan shark.

"I don't have now any money Bern" Tina replied. Bernadeth-Joe had already undergone costly laboratory tests including a complete blood count (CBC) and urinalysis.

Many bacteria had been seen and wounds had spread on B-J's head and face. That was why the doctor prescribed the Bactroban cream.

"Somehow you must really find the money to buy the antibiotic" I said, again perhaps too severely.

"I'm sad, coz she was excited to ride in a ["Nutrition Month" parade] float on Friday" Tina said, but she has so many wounds in d face; I hope it will be cure[d]".

An additional problem was that special clothes would be needed if B-J and her cousin Zedric were to participate.

"I can understand that Tina" was my response. "I regret saying it, but it might have been wiser to tell the kindergarten administrators immediately that you cannot afford that."

"Even now it's probably best to tell the kindergarten head that (a) you cannot afford to enter B-J in the parade; and (b) she has a serious infection."

There was no further interaction.

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Mother takes daughter to hospital; funds unavailable

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Text messages, 10:00 a.m. to 10:13 a.m, GMT + 08

From 10 a.m. onwards, from Kalayaan in the Philippines, Tina sent several text messages requesting help.

She was preparing to go to the Laguna Provincial Hospital in the town of Santa Cruz with her 4-year-old daughter Bernadeth - Joe ("Little Bern") who had a high fever, wounds on the head and face and white fluid exuding from the right ear.

I was really sorry, I replied. "I'm financially and emotionally exhausted."

Tina replied that she understood, but needed to give first aid to Little Bern. Last night the child had hardly slept because of an itch and around 1 a.m. she had become feverish.

The situation was more difficult because Bernadeth's kindergarten had selected her to appear on a float in a parade next Friday celebrating Nutrition Month, together with her cousin Zedric. The float would need to be decorated and the children dressed in traditional Filipino clothes; but money for this was also lacking.

Furthermore, the Philippine Training Authority (TESDA) had requested Tina to have her roadside diner prepared to receive an additional 50 customers for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea today, so at 3 a.m. she had traveled to a market to purchase provisions.

Now she had been notified that the extra trainees would not arrive until tomorrow.

A hospital doctor will almost certainly order pathology tests for Little Bern, for which there is no money available, and if that is achieved he or she will write prescriptions for an antibiotic and other medications, for which, again, money is unavailable.

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Politicians cause of poverty, hunger and insurgency

Image by mtfrazier via Flickr

by Nomadicasian, November 22, 2007

This strong accusation by a nomadic Asian is worth republication and reconsideration.

Yes indeed, Filipino politicians and those who are in government service are the cause of poverty, hunger and insurgency in the Philippines.

Majority of these politicians belongs to the prominent families of the Philippines who ruled the country since after independence from the American colonizer. The neo-politicos who gained prominence after the EDSA Revolution of 1986 are likewise to blame for the unrelenting debacle of the poor Philippines.

The seats of power are divided and passed onto their relatives, to their next of kin, father, mother, brother, sister etc and the cycle continues.

These people practically owned almost the entire Philippines. And holy cow, these politicos are educated in the world renown Universities in America and Europe. They have their Master of Arts and doctoral degrees prominently displayed in their personal information. They send their relatives one after the other to the same schools abroad and return to the Philippines to run for public office only to amass wealth as a reward for a stint abroad as students.

They are well educated alright, but once they’re in power, they accumulate wealth in so short a time, almost triple the money that they spent as students abroad.

They have no regards to the poor masses; all they have in mind is their personal interests on how to remain rich at the expense of the uneducated and poor people of the Philippines.

Also, the men in government who are appointed to run the day to day affairs of the country contribute to the problems by using their positions to manipulate, rigged, influence every contract at their own disposal in exchanged for FAT COMMISSIONS.

They are not taking chances; every available transaction is considered easy money and must go to their pockets by hook or by crook. Both politicos and the men in government have their mansions, flashy cars, acres of lands and buildings around the country.

Their sons and daughters are in private, air conditioned and stately schools and blessed with luxuries.

The poor masses lives in small shacks, in squatters, [with] no lands of their own and work as scavengers, tradesmen, mendicants. Their sons and daughters are poorly educated, roaming around town, clawed by pedophiles and sex predators and oftentimes die in hunger. Others resort to criminality and in the rural areas join rebel movements.

This is SAD - REALLY SAD. How I wish that someday the Philippines will be great again, again because once upon a time the Philippines was second to Japan but now the country is a step ahead of Timbuktu, whatever that means.

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Children hungry; sick restaurateur pleads for help

At 09:33 this morning (GMT+8), from the rural town of Kalayaan in the Philippines, Tina sent me an SMS text: "Bern, how are you? I'm not OK, I lay on bed, have fever tonsilitis, eatery close[d]; don't have capital coz payday [of credit customers] will be Thursday. Kids was hunger. Don't have yet skol [school] supply; please help."

After a 23-minute delay I finally responded: "This is distressing for me also, Tina. I'm greatly stressed financially and emotionally. I'm so sorry I don't have an answer for you now. I really need to think."

The interchange continued until 10:22:

Tina: I just serve noodles for d kids dis morning, they are asking for rice and ulam [meat and vegetables], specially Ken-Ken, Little Bern, Zedric, Kian and Renzed asking for milk. What should I do? I don't have money to buy, I'm so sorry.

Bern: I wrestle with those problems in my head but most regrettably don't have answers now. This is a crisis for me also.

Tina: I'm worried coz I'm sick, I have training tomorrow, I have prescription but I don't have money to buy medicine, d most important to me was d food for d kids and school supply . . .

Bern: I understand. I'm making this crisis known to others but don't really expect help. I don't know what else I can do.

In the afternoon Tina texted me again: "Bern, I'm very sorry to tell you, it's 3 p.m. right now, d kids was crying asking for food, dey just eat noodles in breakfast, not yet lunch, we did not eat since dis a.m., pls help us."

The time was actually 3:48 p.m.; or 5:48 in Brisbane, Australia.

"I'm so sorry, Tina", I replied. "I'm deeply in debt. Even if I had money to send, the money change offices are closed now. This distresses me but I must tell you straight."

The situation is disturbing and distressing not only for the extended family with 7 children, but also for myself. It's probably the first time ever that I've offered them no hope whatsoever.

Plea for help repeated

At 10:50 this morning, Philippine time, Tina sent me several more text messages.

She apologised for giving me a problem, but said:

• The toddler Kian really needs an ECHO test so he can have the exact medicine to take;
• To keep the eatery going, she has purchased food in the market on credit [but this debt will very soon need to be repaid];
• The 5 kids enrolled for school classes starting June 1 don't have the necessary equipment yet. (Presumably the family want to purchase material for uniforms, among other things, and need time to have the uniforms made before school starts).

"I'm sorry, Tina, I've gone beyond all limits and must try to survive myself", I responded. "But please advise Kian's physical condition now. Is he getting enough air?"

"That's what I'm worried about", Tina said. Kian had received oxygen treatment for two days in hospital, but now, at home without it, "his skin color [is] getting back to dark". That is why the doctor had asked for an Echo test result as soon as possible. It really should have been done while Kian was an in-patient last Sunday, but the family didn't have the money for that.

"It sounds as if he improved in hospital but is becoming cyanotic* again", I said, at 11:14 a.m. "I wish some charity would pay the fee. A politician helped a bit once, didn't he?"

There was no further message.

I don't why Tina remains silent. It may be that she has insufficient prepaid mobile credit load to continue sending messages; or that she's in class at the food technology course mandated by governments; or that she's busy trying to keep the roadside cafe going; or looking after children.

* cyanotic: showing cyanosis (bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes due to not enough oxygen in the blood).

Plea for help

At 2:27 this morning, Tina sent me a text from the rural town of Kalayaan in the Philippines.

Tina could not sleep because the extended household in which she lives has many problems.

For the school year about to begin, supplies are needed for 5 children, at a cost 1,000 pesos each, for a total of 5,000 pesos.

A cardiologist has ordered an echocardiographic heart examination for Tina's asthmatic nephew Kian, 18 months old, who has breathing difficulties; but the family has no money to pay the 2,500 peso fee.

Last Tuesday the family removed Kian from the hospital where he had been receiving oxygen treatment. They could no longer afford his upkeep there. Oxygen is unavailable at home.

The roadside diner selling meals which Tina and the family have been striving mightily to maintain needs 2,000 pesos for the immediate purchase of stock to continue.

Tina didn't know what to do and said "Please help."

Tina also enquired how I was and hoped I was OK.

The arriving message roused me from a fitful sleep. It was depressing and I had little chance of sleeping properly afterwards. Not knowing what to do, I took a tablet to help me relax and did nothing.

Finally, at 08:14, Philippine time, I texted Tina: "It was distressing to receive your text in the early hours this morning. I'm in debt. I didn't know about school expenses. I wonder how Kian is now."

There has been no reply.

Tina pleads without success for money to expand business and pay electricity bill

At 7:29 this morning, Philippine time, Tina sent me a cellphone text message saying she did not have to attend vocational training (mandated by governments) today because it's Labor Day. She was staying at her shop-house "to face the problems of the eatery."

According to Tina's sister Liza, a group of 10 or 15 persons had asked, yesterday, to be permanent customers. Tina needed my advice.

I responded with thanks for the news, adding that I'd be at home again about an hour later and able to text her via the Yahoo Messenger program [at much lower cost].

At 8:49 I texted again: "Hi Tina. It's good to hear that 10 or 15 people want to be permanent customers but I fear they'll want credit. That's a real problem, I think."

The message session that ensued, extremely stressful for both of us, was spread over 2 1/2 hours.

The good news was that the new customers would pay cash.

The diner staff would need to have two meals prepared early for them, however, always on time: breakfast at 6 a.m. and lunch at 11. Dinner would need to be ready at 6 p.m.

"The problem is, I don't have enough capital."

Although the lack of finance was predictable, I responded with alarm: "Oh! The problem for me is that I don't have any capital at all, I'm deeply in debt! That's one reason I've been urging people for a long time to register, if at all possible, with www.kiva.org and www.betterplace.org, ASAP."

The prospective customers were construction workers, Tina said, working with cables. They liked the food Liza was cooking and it was cheaper than elsewhere. Tina's "Bernadeth-Joe Eatery" was charging 25 pesos for a serving of food whereas competitors were charging 30. The cablers were waiting for Tina's answer at lunch time, to see if she would agree with their proposal.

The lack of immediate capital was the great problem. I asked: "Have you estimated how much extra you need?"

I also added that a friend had kept insisting to me that Tina should raise her prices. "Considering the very long hours and hard efforts you and your staff expend," I said, "you really need to make a reasonable % profit. Please do try to calculate that."

Instead of responding directly, Tina outlined staffing arrangements: she would need to wake up early, herself, at 3 a.m., then (after she had been shopping in the market) her sister Liza would be in charge of the cooking, with the help of their co-worker Josephine. The other sister, Laurice, would care for the 7 kids, with the help of Tina and Liza's mother.

I said "It's going to be an even longer day for you, with insufficient rest and greater strain on your health."

"No problem, Bern," Tina responded. "I can make it, for the sake of the kids; also I can have time management with the help of my family."

She added that "my problem really is capital"; to which I replied that "I really do worry about capital too."

Tina had been enjoying herself in the business training; it was useful and she was learning a lot.

She had been encouraging her classmates to eat in the Bernadeth-Joe Eatery at lunch time. "But I'm sad coz when we arrive at 12, no leaf food [left]. Coz lack of stock, get already by d [power station security] guards" (who are also customers).

The news that for the second time Tina had been embarrassed upon arrival with her classmates at lunch time to find most of the food already eaten was alarming to me. "Oh, my God!" I replied. "The problems continue! What am I to do? I did so urge you to register for a business loan from kiva.org or help from betterplace. I really do wish my Filipino friends would make strong efforts to do that. I really wonder why they seem reluctant. Are the difficulties too great?"

Instead of responding to this, at 10:23 a.m. Tina came straight to the point: "I need additional 1 sack rice, cost 2K, [plus] 1,500 [for] every meal, so 6,500 total, my problem to my elec[tricity] 2,500, due date May 6, Wed[nesday]. Sorry about this."

The dialogue continued as follows:

Bern (10:26): Oh, my God! Calculations need to be made and money set aside daily for the electricity bill. Your income must cover that. Are you saying you need 6,500 + 2,500? Nightmares!

Tina (10:34): Yes, Bern, you're right: that [is] da total, 9,000, sorry.

Bern (10:40): I just don't know what to say. I am stunned. Will this nightmare never end? You really need to compare total buying prices and selling prices and include labour [in your calculations].

Tina (10:45): I'm starting to make an order of ulam 30 pesos per order, like other eatery did! I'm try[ing] my best to get low price of stock in d market, that [is] why I do [it] early in d morning.

Bern (10:48): I understand. Hard as it may be, I think you need some account records too, including the cost of everything, even jeepney rides, etc, also total income.

Tina (11:04): Bern, sorry to tell you, I need your advice and decision, coz it's 11 a.m. right now, any time dey will be here, asking their request. I will do d record of expenses and income.

Bern (11:06): I'm all too conscious of that. My debt is far too high, I don't know how I'm ever going to get out of it.

Bern (11:09): I'm so sorry Tina, but with great sadness, I really think the answer must be no. As my banker and doctor have been warning me, I should not continue.

Tina (11:10): I'm hoping that if I can support d demands of orders, in cash, we can survive every expenses for d kids, and save some money.

Bern (11:12): What worries me is that in all the time I've been helping, it's never happened yet. And my debt keeps increasing. I must start repaying them.

Tina (11:25): Right now, if 10 to 15 person came I can serve, almost 15 guards already get their foods in credit, I understand your situation, please help me too, I just want to survive coz of d kids. The adult[s] work hard to help me.

Bern (11:26): I'm still wondering how on earth I can survive.

That was the end of our messaging session. Two and a half hours later, however, in a last-ditch effort, Tina sent a text to my mobile phone:

Tina (14:04*): Gud p.m., I understand your situation, but dis is my chance to have cash customer[s]; they will start to eat breakfast tomorrow a.m.; pls help me, for d sake of my family and child.

I did not respond. The situation left me deeply perturbed, however, and still wrestling with the decision.

* Philippine time, GMT+8.

Tina pleads for help

SMS Texts via Yahoo Messenger, 13:25: GMT+08 to 13:55

Bern: Hi Tina. My apologies if I'm interrupting a seminar. I'm sorry life has no doubt been extremely difficult for you today. I wonder how you are.

Tina: Bern I'm now in seminar, we have lecture right now. But tomorrow we will start d formal seminar; my problem [is that I] need to buy personal needs.

Bern: Thank you for that info Tina. To avoid interrupting your seminar again, I'll text you from Yahoo maybe 3 hours from now.

Tina: I'm not sure if I can [come] back tomorrow in seminar, coz I cannot afford to buy uniform, sorry to say this. Please help me.

Tina: Please help me Bern, so I can buy my needs for seminar.

Bern: This is an extreme situation for both of us. I'll contact you later.

Children are eating; adults will re-open eatery and make candies for sale

Bern (16:08:38 GMT+10): Hi Tina! I trust you received my text messages, especially the last one sent at 1:22 p.m. Philippine time, and that you have load and will be able reply soon.

Tina (16:55:31): Bern sorry for delay reply, we got d money, dis moment d kids was so happy, they are now eating at home, later I buy stock for eatery also chocolate, so we can [make candies for sale] tomorrow, thanks again.

Bern (16:58:12): Oh, thank you so much for that happy information! I'm relieved to hear the children are eating! I've some mixed news from Mel, though: he needs money for job training.

Tina (17:03:25): I'm interested to know what will be his job. Don't worry Bern, I know how important your money is. I will spent it wisely.

Bern (17:04:10): I don't know, but he [Mel] said several days ago that he and Michael would be canvassing supermarkets in Quezon City for work as sales clerks.

Benefactor reluctantly agrees to remit money for hungry families

SMS text messages via Yahoo Messenger program
Time: 10:31:32 GMT+08. Duration: 00:43:20

Tina: Bern, try out text if I sent. Pls, help us. D kids [are] crying coz they are hungry, I want to [start] back in making chocolate [candies for sale] again to have extra income and also [re-open] d eatery; pls help us.

Bern: Tina, with great misgivings, I'll try to help a little, but I'm going deeper into debt. I've finally decided to publish this online, hoping others will help.

Tina: Bern, can you help me start partial capital of 3K of making chocolate, 3K for d eatery, pls. All adult[s] [in the household] will help me to making a chocolate again; total 6K.

Bern: Tina, at 9:03 a.m. you said you were sending your last text and had no money to buy load. What happened? I'm deeply shocked by this sudden emergency. 6K is a lot for me.

Tina: I borrow[ed] 15 pesos load to [i.e. from] my friend, near lunch, we're not eat since a.m., if I have 6K, we can start again, to have business, income for d family, so we will not suffer hunger again.

Bern: I guessed you must have borrowed a little. I'm deeply perturbed but will try to help a little. I can't promise that much.

Tina: OK, thanks a lot, thanks for understanding, d kids will wait to your help, they are happy when I said you will help us, just wait for a little hour & we can buy food later.

Hunger and lack of money pervade community

At 7:24 p.m., Filipino time, Tina texted that she had received a message I had sent to her brother-in-law Mel and herself.

Sad to say, Tina advised, Darwin, the live-in partner of her mother-in-law Josie, had not done anything to provide food for Josie or others in Josie's household.

Payday for the Power Station security guards (who owed money to Tina) would be on the forthcoming Thursday night; the problem was how her roadside diner business could survive while she was waiting for the money owing.

One bright aspect was that for Coca-Cola there was "lots of demand" and this would continue until the 15th day of the month.

Scarce resources remitted and allocated with difficulty

Tina (08:41:41 GMT+8): Bern, if you don't mind, if you send money to both of us, Mel and I? Can you send it to my name; I'm d 1 [who will] send it to Mel, coz he felt jealous to me, when he know[s] d amount you [have] given to me.

Bern (12:21:35 GMT+10): Tina, unfortunately the UAE Money Exchange is still not open. The manager altered a sign on the door: it will open at 12:45 p.m. I'll wait.

Bern (12:55:54): Tina, I've sent you 5,745 pesos 49 centavos via MoneyGram 838 . . . 489. Pls ensure Mel gets help ASAP to visit his mother. I worry also about Josie's health and Mel's future.

Tina (14:42:56): Bern, I'm now in Cebuana [pawnshop and remittance agent] to claimed d money. I sent 2,000 [pesos] to Mel, coz I buy 1 sack [of] rice, 1,800, 1 kg [of] meat for dinner, 500 vegetable, 500 groceries, I hope you understand, we will visit Nanay Josie later. Sorry, I try my best to budget wisely.

Storekeeper trades satisfactorily but other families remain in crisis

Bern (11:28:21): Good morning Tina. I haven't heard from you since last Monday so I'd appreciate an update on the family situation, please.

Tina (13:16:48): Bern gud a.m., we're OK, I try to save d sale every day to buy stocks, so d stocks will be continue. I make also list of items coz I make inventory of items and sales.

Bern (13:18:03): Good. I think it really is important to keep stocks as much as possible so you don't disappoint customers, and also keep good business records.

Tina (13:21:13): Yes Bern you're right, dat why I make sure every day sale I can buy stocks.

Bern (13:23:32): Tina, Mel's upset with me again but said his number for selling loads is 0918 . . . 355. I'm wondering if there is any possibility you could load his cellphone.

Bern (13:34:20): I'm sorry if I put more stress on your financial system. I was thinking if you are able to load his cell[phone], that might confirm that he is able to sell loads.

Tina (13:39:26): Its OK Bern, I will try, but I will go first in load center, then I will pay for da load I will send for Mel, for his load wallet.

Bern (13:48:22): Thank you very much for that. If you are able to load Mel's wallet that will help him and confirm what he says. Actually I'm quite anxious about Anagel's family too.

Tina (13:54:57): Don't worry about Anagel family coz der have a sacks of charcoal to sales, I'm going to buy [from] them 5 sacks of charcoal to re-pack, so I can sale it in store.

Bern (13:56:16): Thank you for the reassurance but that's not quite clear to me. Do you mean Anagel's family will sell charcoal, wholesale, to you? I'm glad if it's so.

Tina (13:58:04): Yes, Bern, whole sale of charcoal and I'm going to retail it in store.

Bern (13:59:59): I see. I'm glad of that arrangement. Incidentally, Alice and her husband had a contract, years ago, supplying charcoal to a power station. She hated the soot.

Bern (14:21:15): Tina, I'm sorry to add another request but if it's not too difficult and you could send Ross some small Globe load that would help. He had only [load to the value of] 2.5 pesos [left].

Tina (14:22:05): Bern, what his number?

Bern (14:24:10): +6391 . . . 071. I realize you had problems with Globe load. Annie at Peso Epadala said Globe is very strict and yours wasn't registered properly. I don't know.

Bern (23:36:29): Hello Tina. May I ask: how was your day? I'm still worrying about Mel feeling aggrieved, about Anagel's family wanting help urgently, and also Ross's [problems].

Young man's honesty doubted

Bern (11:20:02): Hi Mel. From Australia I successfully loaded Tina's Smart SIM with 900 pesos worth of load she can sell. Please advise your SIM retail info[rmation] so I can do it for you.

Bern (11:21:00) [to Tina]: COPY: Hi Mel. From Australia I . . . loaded Tina's Smart SIM with 900 pesos worth of load she can sell. Please advise your SIM retail info[rmation] so I can do it for you.

Bern (11:28:50): Hi Jester, how are you? I want to load Mel's SIM with about 900 pesos worth of load so he can sell it but I need Mel's retail SIM number. I'd appreciate your help.

Bern: Hi Jomar, how are you? I want to load Mel's SIM with about 900 pesos worth of load so he can sell it but I need Mel's retail SIM number. I'd appreciate your help.

Bern (11:36:03): Hi Tina. Thanks for your texts and e-mail. I've just texted Mel requesting retail SIM details, then also Jester and Jomar, seeking help to get them.

Tina (11:39:38): Bern, according to Nanay Josie Mel have a old cellphone, which he [is] now using, dat why all of your text was receiving by Mel, just for two of us, according to Nanay Josie.

Bern (11:48:14): I'm just waiting and hoping for responses from Mel, Jomar and Jester, so I can get a better idea of what's happening. I'm not optimistic, however.

Tina (16:44:16): Mel using his old cp number +6392 . . . 321, Jomar using his own, according to Nanay Josie, Mel want I redeem d cel from Jomar and buy a brand new TV set, I'm so sorry about it.

Bern (11:46:50): Tina, if I understand correctly, then, Mel has his old cellphone and Jomar has his new one (which I paid for, about August 2007) and they are both working.

Bern (16:48:14): Hello, +6392 . . . 321 is the number Mel got in August. He was using it until he pawned the phone to Jomar. For a month, at least, Mel has wanted a new TV.

Bern (16:51:11): Evidently Mel was using that phone last Sunday, around 4:40 p.m., while walking to San Isidro to help Jomar campaign. None of them replied to me today.

Tina (16:51:42): According to Nanay Josie yesterday dat number using Mel in old cell, right now, Mel was now in bad mood dat why he [doesn't] want to reply, d celphone with camera was d cell pawn[ed] to Jomar.

Tina (16:57:35): When Nanay Josie was her getting groceries, she text Mel if he has still d SIM to retail Smart, sad to say he did not reply, I ask what Mel using? She told me dat number, maybe Mel just to tell you dat his cell with his SIM pawn to Jomar to force you to help him to redeem d cell right away. I'm so sorry about it.

Micro-businesses greatly handicapped by lack of capital

E-mail from Tina sent at 13:56 GMT+8

Dear Bern,

This is the reply e-mail from Joe, which I mention to you, to invest in my store. As I expected, he give his negative opinion.

What I can I do Bern, the canteen manage[d] by Sol will be close till Oct 25. Tell you the truth, she did not buy any more stock right now, coz she just want to collect for the payment on Oct 25.

The stock I buy last Saturday was almost gone, coz all security guard goes to our store. Bern I don't want to get additional capital from 5/6* just to support the needs of guard, coz I don't want to happen to my store [what] happen to the canteen manage by Sol.

I hope you understand, if you have a chance please help me to explain to Joe the situation.

Tina

-----

*5/6: a short-term monelender who charges high interest.

Ministore proprietor's request for financial help coldly rejected

October 19, 17:56 GMT+8: E-mail from Tina to Joe

Dear Joe,

I have a good news, I have a collection worth 5,337 from the other guard[s], here in NPC [National Power Corporation], it was deducted from their salary, last pay day it's only 3,000, now it's increase[d] depend[ing] on how I can have a stock from the store, like rice, can goods, household needs, cigarettes and groceries.

Joe I scan to you the list the name and my collection to prove that the store you provide for us has improvement.

Joe, Jovs now was with us, he continue his work, and serve as a messenger of order.

Joe, our problem now: it's of them ask[ing us] to provide then 25 kls of rice, and other lots of groceries:

25 kls of rice x 30 persons (8 sacks x 1,200) . . . . . . . 9,600

Cigarettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000

Load to sale from Globe and Smart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,000

Groceries, soft drink etc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,400

Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,000

Joe, can you help us to have this additional capital for the store. It's a big help for us. I hope this is the only way Jovs make busy to help me in managing the store, and he realize to stay with us.

There is no problem in collection, if I can have this capital I can earn 500 to 1,000 pesos cash daily from the store.

I hope you understand.

Tina

October 21, 20:31 GMT+10: E-mail from Joe to Tina

If you do not make enough from the shop to buy new stock and have some profit left-over, you should not have the shop.

You can NOT rely on me to keep paying for stocking up.

Joe

Impoverished young man Mel helps comrade campaign for election

Life goes on despite hunger

Mel (18:27:37): Gud p.m., Bern, it's me, Mel. I'm with Jomar now. I'm with him campaigning in their barangay. Hope you're OK. I'm worried bcoz you're not texting. Love, Mel.
 

Bern (18:29:06): Hi Mel, I'm so glad you replied. I've been worried about you. May I ask: who is the candidate for whom you are campaigning?
 

Mel (18:30:16): Jomar Yaneza for councilor!

Bern (18:32:57): Oh, so Jomar is a candidate! My best wishes to him! Unfortunately I can't vote for him also!

Mel (18:35:07): He said thank you so much, yes, me too, I can't vote for him bcoz we're different barangay: he's from Barangay Uno, San Isidro, and I'm from Magdapio.

Bern (18:37:16): So Jomar lives across the river, somewhere near the cemetery, I think! I wonder how you cross the river to see him - by boat, or via the hanging bridge?

Mel (18:38:47): Of corz by hanging bridge! And I'm just walking to get here in his place.

Bern (18:40:01): No doubt it's cheaper that way. But it's several kilometres to walk! At least the exercise will keep you fit, if you're well enough for it.

Mel (18:42:41): Yes, I don't have to use tricycle, eh! . . .