Parola

Jun 12

This squatter community is near Divisoria. Like Nevotas it is also situated on the water, but more of the houses that I see, in this case, are situated above the shore line. Consequently I found myself sitting on a narrow walkway, trying awkwardly not to get in the way of the residents going by, watching Noli talking to one of the moms that the ministry works with, and looking out at the water.

The beach does not have shells or sand or rocks as its bed. It has garbage. Literally, the ground is composed of garbage, much of which is also to be seen floating out in the ocean. This doesn't stop children from playing on it or swimming, however. No matter how strong their immunity systems must be from living this long in this kind of environment, there is nothing I can think of that justifies swimming in that.

A woman walks up to me and speaks in english that betrays a likely education (suggesting that perhaps she is too, just a visitor)
"What do you think of this place." The question was surely trying to illicit a response to the immediate seen in the slum, and as there was no right answer to it, I play the aloof visitor and speak generally instead.
"Hot!" I say, (which it was) "mainit!" I add, proud that I know the Tagalog word.
Bullet dodged.
"Many children," she comments, gesturing to the kids playing on the beach. "This place is good at producing children!"
It is said with an air of humor, but I could see the underlying statement.

Family management and planning are hot topics in the Philippines. They are the answers, some would say, to, "why do the children swim in waste?" or "why do families have so many children when they can not afford it"
"Overpopulation" is also an inevitable buzz word. I picked up a book recently which seemed to suggest that it was one of, if not the Philippine's primary problem.
I would be slow to call human life a problem, but there is no doubting that there is a correlation with the amount of people and economic disparity etc. The book looked like it was going to start railing against the catholic church's war on contraceptives. This, is another hot topic.
Just yesterday I saw on the news, a catholic protest against sex education. I guess the idea is the one of schools sex ed classes only causing more sexual curiosity and therefore activity and the promotion of condoms and the idea of "safe sex" at the same time.
On Valentines day an authority handed out condoms to a boatload of people. The result was an uproar. As you can imagine, the government saying that it wasn't their idea, a few liberals saying that it should have been their idea and the Catholics in a state. The action of the individual who pulled the stunt would be called by most, "irresponsible" but by a few, also "shrewd." For it threw the country into an debate forum. A conversation in which also STDs can hardly be avoided as subject manner. Timely since the Philippines has just recently come out with the numbers that show AIDS is no longer "Low and Slow" anymore, but a very serious and immediate problem.

The people at Parola were friendly and once asked Noli if I was alright.
"Oh because I wasn't smiling and looked all serious right?" I said to Noli afterward.
"Yes" he chuckles.
"Darn, that's long been a problem with me. I'm not unhappy or anything. That is just the way I look when I'm thinking."