Poverty in Jaro Plaza

Our English project for the first quarter was to submit a photo together with a descriptive essay on the photo’s location. The topic was poverty but we had to write about it while concentrating on the good points and avoiding the depressing areas.

I immediately thought of Jaro Plaza. Every time I go out of the dormitory, I pass by several beggars asking for alms at the place or vendors of traditional Filipino finger food. So I got my camera on and I went back to the place. I took some photos and had them edited according to the rules of journalism (you may edit a photo’s sharpness, brightness etc. but preserving the reality of the scene it was taken from).

Here are some photos I got:

A vendor together with his son preparing
the bibingka

Poverty in all ages.
(This image looks posed but trust me, its not)

BEGGING FOR MONETARY MERCY. A young man
begging for change. He did not grow feet and could not walk.
He uses a worn skateboard to travel around.

The plaza is supposed to be the center of the city. A place where children play. Where families could stroll along and parties for the city are held. It was the Spanish-Filipino impression of a park.

The next step in the project completion was making an essay without showing too much strength for the negative. Our teacher challenged us to look at the bright side. It was hard. It really took me some 15 minutes of pure, agonizing, deep thinking. A process I very rarely do.

I came up with an idea. They never complained, they kept quiet about their stature. Contentment. They continued to live. They know they deserve to and they don't lose trust in God and themselves. Faith. They don't have excessive pride and they let people help them. That's humility.

I was amazed with how much I learned from these people. When I don't like the viand and I refuse to eat, my mother would say, "Be thankful for what we have. Many people out there would kill to be in your shoes." Now I understand her.

Life is unfair. It really is.