Slums of Manila (6 part Al Jazeera documentary).

[Sander Martin]

Some of you might have seen this 6 part documentary from Al Jazeera, but ill post it here for those that havent. Well worth to watch im my opinion.

I feel sorry for the kids that are born into that. Maybe it would be time to ban Catholic churches policy of no family planing....

Edited June 3, 2016 by Sander Martin

[Jollygoodfellow]

Thats a lot of youtube in one post. Please do not quote the post when adding comments.  Yes I recall watching those or most of them. 

[MikeSwede]

Slums I think we need to blame on something else than the church, as it look the same outside (and near central station) Colombo, Sri Lanka, and they are mostly Buddhist, Hindus or... just people out of luck.

I see something else in the this; people build roofed houses and streets even without a cent on their pocket. A lot of untapped creative energy there.

[mogo51]

I agree there are more factors other than the Catholic Church to blame, but they must shoulder a large responsibility for their continued rigidity over contraception. The Government of the day tried to invoke contraception legislation, the Church had it defeated as I understand what occurred? I find it rather poor that they would do such a thing, when I see the suffering and despair that people in the slums are enduring. This holier than though attitude is undefendable IMO I watched one episode of the Al Jazeera videos, I will watch all of them.

[Sander Martin]

They are big part of the reason why these people wont be able to break awey from the slum. Its hard enough for a person to get out of there if hes alone or with one kid, but now imagine 10. Sure we can say don't have sex, but we are living in the 21st century now with plenty of other ways to minimise risk of getting pregnant. Its just like stray dogs, they multiply and multiply if no1 will help control it. Instead of Catholic Church trying to help control the problem, they say that just make more babys.

I never said its fully Catholic Churches fault, but they play a big role in the Philippines.

 

Edited June 4, 2016 by Sander Martin

[Gas]

9 hours ago, MikeSwede said:

Slums I think we need to blame on something else than the church

Agree.

I would say corruption. The billions of pesos that disappear every year could/should be used to educate the poor.

[Kuya John]

2 hours ago, Sander Martin said:

 Instead of Catholic Church trying to help control the problem, they say that just make more babys.

I never said its fully Catholic Churches fault, but they play a big role in the Philippines.

 

Maybe you just did!

Firstly, this Attitude towards the Catholic Church comes up quite often!

Not all Filipino's are Catholic or for that matter Christians.

Secondly, God gave (to those who believe in God) a brain and a conscience

Thirdly, in the modern world most people don't create babies they can't afford to take great care of.

Even if condoms were given out freely, how many would use them?

Please don't blame the Catholic doctrine for the woe's of the Philippines

As a person brought up in the Catholic faith I have a mind of my own

Prevention is better than cure.....What hasn't been created is better than aborting what has....

Being born into poverty is not a choice, creating a child is.

When you live in poverty about the only pleasure you have for free is sex ( some of us choose to pay for it)

Finally "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone (John 8 verse 7)

Edited June 4, 2016 by Kuya John

[Sander Martin]

1 hour ago, Kuya John said:

Maybe you just did!

Firstly, this Attitude towards the Catholic Church comes up quite often!

Not all Filipino's are Catholic or for that matter Christians.

Secondly, God gave (to those who believe in God) a brain and a conscience

Thirdly, in the modern world most people don't create babies they can't afford to take great care of.

Even if condoms were given out freely, how many would use them?

Please don't blame the Catholic doctrine for the woe's of the Philippines

As a person brought up in the Catholic faith I have a mind of my own

Prevention is better than cure.....What hasn't been created is better than aborting what has....

Being born into poverty is not a choice, creating a child is.

When you live in poverty about the only pleasure you have for free is sex ( some of us choose to pay for it)

Finally "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone (John 8 verse 7)

I do agree with you John and theres alot of successful god fearing people and not god fearing. If you watch those videos, then you will see that majority of those people arent like you - Independent minded Christians with a brain.

Education and the lack of it plays a big role. Why do so meny of the slum kids skip school or drop out early. Philippines has a free school system (atleast i think they do), so its not about the school fees. The biggest reason is that they have to stop school to help support their huge familys. 

I dont dislike Christians or any people of any other religion. People have a right to choose what they want to bealive in. Im just saying that the Catholic Churches crusade againts Family planing is horrible in my mind. I dont bealive anyone should be born into a Slum life just because some clergyman somewhere told their parents that god wants every baby to be born.

PS i am not saying that i am right, but this is how i see it. I respect that you and others might see it differently.

Edited June 4, 2016 by Sander Martin

[MikeSwede]

Warning. Long post...

I always seen the "slums" to be part of the building stones to larger citys, in countries where difference in purchase power of the countryside and the city is a big one.

To better their economy, people are drawn to the citys to find work, but the cost of living is too high. They put together something temporary, with no intention of staying there too long.

As life is a peculiar thing, this temporary solution becomes a habit, other people join in, raise a shack them too, someone happen to meet a girl, family gets created, children grow up and voila! We have a slum city.

Seen from the porch over a tidy lawn in a western minded suburb, it could look like hell on earth. But I don't see that, not at all.

I see a building block of the future, definitly with a huge need in improvements for health and security. But not lack of hope, the very place is built on hope.

Religious policies can be discussed along with administrative policies, but they are not to be blamed singular in the phenomen. We have to "blame" ourselves, us people, who at any cost search for improvements in our life. I could very well imagine myself being one of the dwellers there in another life, given I had the same personality as I do now.

Shocking? No.

Healthy place to live? No

Are everyone unhappy in the slums? No

Can it be beaten? Yes, given time and a more evenly distributed income over the country. Just writing that, I feel how a big change it needs. No smart fast track there, even if some other countries already did; they did it over a long term them too.

[chris49]

Thanks for posting, Sander. Will watch and comment.

I usually lay blame on the Church, directly indirectly, but then cultural factors. The Filipino male has been so dominant across many generations, that having multiple kids out of wedlock is also a badge of honor. And no accountability.

Edited June 4, 2016 by chris49