I Chose This One: The Dying, Poor People of Manila

I was faced with a dilemma last week wherein I wanted to join Canon's event in Baywalk with my photobuddies or this one that I'm blogging about deemed more meaningful and fulfilling.

I chose to visit the poor, destitute and the dying children of Manila for my company's annual gift giving activity. This is an annual event where we visited Don Bosco, Unang Hakbang and St Francis in Pasig.

Slated to meet at the new Starbucks on Valero St, we proceeded to an unknown orphanage in Belair called Bahay ni Maria where the children, some came from Parola in Tondo, greeted us with song and dance numbers




the crying child

After brief stop, we quickly sped away to Pangarap Foundation on Taft Avenue, Pasay City where street children are being taught various skills like candle making.

these are not real apples but candles made by street children

The next stop of the "tour" is the Missionaries of Charity on Tayuman St in Manila.
If the name of this center who is dedicated to helping the "poorest of the poor" doesn't sound familiar to you, the name of the founder should-- Mother Theresa of Kolkata (Calcutta).

It's actually my 3rd visit to this place though we frequent the center for the destitute and the dying where the sight of sick , dying people is so depressing they don't need to remind me not to take pictures.



since we're caught in heavy traffic going to Tayuman, we changed our itenerary to proceed first to Emerald restaurant, in front of the US Embassy in Manila, where we partook of a sumptious lunch.

last stop was Asilo de San Vicente de Paul (run by the Congregation fo the Mission who also runs my alma mater) on UN Avenue. It's here that we gave away computers, new ones, that they were able to teach children how to use computers.



note that these visits are just courtesy calls since the donations and gifts were already delivered in advanced.

Now, if you feel life to be burdensome always, why not try to visit similar orphanages and centers, of which Manila has lots of, for you to realize how lucky you are for you're not in those poor people's shoes.