The Philippines is a tiny country made up of thousands of Islands located in the western Pacific Ocean of Southeast Asia. The capital city is Manila, and the country is perhaps best known for its despotic ruler Ferdinand Marcos (1965–1986) and his wife Imelda - and for its vulnerability to cyclones and floods.

Today, with a population approaching 87 million people, the Philippines, despite having a growing economy, remains one of the poorest countries in Asia, illustrating how economic development is failing many of the country’s poorest. In 2005 it was estimated that about 30 million people lived on less than $2 per day, with two out of five Filipinos living below the poverty line and the number steadily increasing. Although almost 3 out of 4 of the country’s poor live in rural areas, the urban poor is growing quickly – and many are seeking economic opportunity in the sprawling urban areas.

The plight of the urban poor is outlined in the community of Bagong Silangan, a relocation area for squatter families, which sits on the edge of a festering garbage dump in Quezon City.

In the Philippines, those living in poverty in rural areas often migrate to cities such as Manila, in order to find employment, and have better access to health and education services. Unfortunately for many when they arrive in the cities they are forced to find accommodation wherever they can even though this is often officially prohibited. Often these migrants construct makeshift houses for themselves, forming slum areas. 

The government regularly comes under pressure to clean up these slum areas and squatting families are again relocated to communities such as Bagong Silangan. 

In the overcrowded conditions of Bagong Silangan many families do not have access to proper sanitation facilities, medical care or clean water. Such conditions can lead to the spread of disease. Educational and employment opportunities and income are limited with many families surviving by scavenging from the dump. Inadequate and poor housing and services, combined with little or no social welfare mechanisms, leads to vulnerability. Violence and an unhealthy environment can also contribute to the risk factors associated with living in an urban slum area.

However for some the situation is changing and there is hope.

In Manila, Caritas Australia has chosen to work in partnership with the Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJ) Centre. The FCJ are an international congregation of religious women dedicated to improving the lives of some of the poorest people in the world.

In 2002 the FCJ founded the FCJ Learning and Development Center, as a place where women and families would be supported. Here they are given safety to share their stories and develop their creativity, talents and self-confidence, and in doing so, improve their situation in life. The Center also offers the opportunity to improve employment prospects and income generation, through education and skills training.

One of the beneficiaries of this centre is 16 year old Psyche Mae and her family.

Psyche Mae

Psyche Mae Asencio, 16, and her parents, sister and three brothers, call Bagong Silangan, home. Life for them was extremely difficult before the FCJ centre. “Before we received support, life was a constant struggle to buy food for our family,” Psyche Mae explains.

Her parents made an income collecting scrap materials from the garbage dump which they used to sell at the local market. When school fees needed to be paid or someone got sick, they had to borrow from moneylenders at very high rates of interest.

To read Psyche Mae’s story and to find out how she and her family benefited go to www.caritas.org.au