News from a poor job seeker is a very mixed blessing

Mel (14:18:58 GMT+10): Bern I have a job training [session] on Monday; I need allowance - that's a 2 weeks training [period] - I hope you will receive this message; I need your opinion and approval; I need your help for my job.

Bern (17:40:56): Mel, I'm glad you're eligible to receive training for a job but extremely worried about the cost and whether it will lead to work with a decent salary. If you receive this message and plan to be online again, please request Michael to allow you a text message (to +634 . . . 686) to say when: or even to send a miscall, free of charge. Communication is so difficult.*

Bern (17:43:08): Mike, Mel says he has an offer of job training. I'd be grateful if you'd share this message [above] with him. . . . Kind regards, Bern.*

Bern (20:40:32): Hi Michael, how are you? Mel needs money for job training Monday: I'm glad he has a chance but the cost worries me greatly. Hope to hear from you & him v soon. Bern. [Text to a cellphone.]

* Yahoo Messenger: "[This person] appears to be offline and will receive your messages after signing in."

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.

Family with 7 children indebted, hungry and penniless

Bern (10:37:33 GMT+10): Good morning Tina. Yesterday afternoon Jason texted me, giving thanks for helping Mae-Mae. I'm wondering how you, Kert and all the Kalayaan household are now. [Yahoo Messenger: "Tina will receive your messages on a mobile device."]

Tina (10:46:58): Did you received my text last nite? I did not slept whole nite, coz our food cook all credit, only 100 [pesos] cash, no 1 allow me get stock to cook today. We don't have food today, kids hungry.

Bern (10:48:50): No, I didn't receive it. Most regrettably my phone was inadvertently turned off and it has just arrived now. This is a deep shock to me.

Bern (10:52:22): On closer examination, the text just received was one you sent at 07:32 this morning. I received no other warning about this extreme situation.

Bern (10:55:18): Most regrettably, also, because of a large price increase, my Optus cell phone credit load is already exhausted. To ring you I must use a public call box.

Tina (11:03:43): Dis [is] my last text. I don't [have] money to buy load; just only I cry for d kids [who are] hungry coz I'm so tired since last nite till dis a.m. [I tried] to find some 1 to give capital to cook for today; not lucky.

Last desperate plea for hungry children not received

At 7:32 a.m., Philippines time, Tina sent me a text from the rural town of Kalayaan, Laguna, requesting immediate financial help:

"Bern, dis [is] my last text, pls help us; we can't have food to cook for today, I'm worried for d 7 kids I have here [who] start now asking for food; no 1 can help me. Pls help me for sake of kids."

Regrettably my cellular phone had been inadvertently switched off and it was only an hour later when I enquired about the family welfare that I become aware of the crisis.

Wealth and poverty in the Philippines

Excerpt from the Global Education website initiated and funded by AusAID, the Australian Government overseas aid program

There is great unevenness in the distribution of wealth in the Philippines. A small percentage of the population is very wealthy while the majority of the people are very poor. The richest 10% of the population share over one third of the wealth while the poorest 10% share only 2.3% with 40% living below the poverty line. In rural areas, most farmers do not own the land that they work and are required to give a percentage of their crop to the landowner as rent. Nearly 10% of GDP is from Filipinos working overseas.

Retrenched father returns to work

School vacation starts

This morning Ross advised that he had been recalled to his usual printing work; that the summer school vacation had started for his children, and that his 13-year-old son Kristofer was due to graduate ceremonially from primary school on April 2.

Politician sponsors genital mutilation campaign

Ross also advised that an advertisement at the Better Living subdivision near the family home was publicising a free mass circumcision session in the area, sponsored by a politician. Ross wished he had a camera to take photographs.

It remains to be seen what effect the genital mutilation campaign will have on Ross's family and especially on Kristofer.

In the Philippines, dorsal incision of boys' prepuces - an alteration known as tuli - has long been customary. Uncut high school boys are frequently subjected to severe social pressure until they conform.

Traditionally the mutilation has been performed by men without medical training but over recent decades it has also been performed by medical and paramedical practitioners.

Over the last decade, some medical authorities in the Philippines have been opposing the routine cutting. The most notable of these is Dr Reynaldo Joson, a surgeon at the Ospital Ng Maynila.

Image via Wikipedia

Several years ago, Ross visited the hospital. He was unable to meet Dr Joson, but reported later, with some excitement, that there were signs posted prominently around the hospital saying tuli is painful and unnecessary.

Research by a psychology graduate among 3,500 high school boys in the province of Batangas revealed that 70% of boys cut by non-medical operators and 50% of those done in medical settings showed definite signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

* * *

Details of text messages exchanged with Ross , 08:17-08:27 a.m. GMT+08, are shown below.

Ross: Gud morning Bern. I'm back to work; kids [are] on summer vacation, just at home. Kristofer['s] graduation [will be on] April 2. He only wish[es for] ice cream.

I saw political ads at Better Living [subdivision] near our place: it says free "TULI" painless handog pasasalamat Mula Kay: name of politician. I hope I have d camera to take picture.

Bern: Hello Ross! It's lucky you caught me online! Thank God you're back to work! Life is very difficult for me. Tina went to PGH yesterday and is still waiting there today.

I wish so much I could help your family to celebrate your children's school success but my financial situation is extremely difficult now.

Ross: Yes, Bern, I understand you. I hope I [will be] able to help you; texted you to let you know what's happening. Just wanna say hi. We're OK. I wish my job will continue. Thanks, Ross.

Bern: Thanks for that Ross. I hope I'm not interrupting your work right now. Thanks for the information about the Tuli campaign. The surgery is painful and unnecessary.