The Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office is part of the Local Government Unit of Carigara. The staff of 5 is headed by Aida and has the job of helping the community. They conduct mandatory pre-marriage counseling, distribute medicines for indigent families, supervise day care centers of 49 barangays, handle differently-abled (disabled), elderly and youth programs and provide counseling for marital disputes and child abuse cases. It is a big workload for the staff, but they do the best they can. I am learning about what it is to be a social worker, its a difficult job.   
May 12, 2003 - Schooling is has high value for any Filipino. Sometimes, due to financial circumstances, High School (7-10) is not possible for some children. The Local Government Unit sposors a scholarship for 15 indigent (does not own property or have resources) students to attend high school. They must have a 85% average (like a B avg) and be needy. Its the MSWDO's responsibility to screen the applicants. Here is some information:

Poverty as defined in the Philippines means less than 7000 pesos ($134 USD) per person, per year. It is estimated that between 30-40% of familes live below poverty here. In the barangays of Carigara, many meet this criteria. Farming families with 4-6 childern (or as many as 10) live on as little as 12000 pesos (230 USD) per year.

The LGU sponsors scholarships to attend one of the 3 high schools - Holy Cross Academy (private and costing 4800 pesos a year), Carigara National High School (300 pesos/yr), and Carigara School of Fisheries (300 pesos/yr). They pay the same amount for each scholarship, students that choose  the cheaper schools can use the money for books or to help their family. I have been lucky enough to meet many of these  students as they turn in their forms. We are  required to make field visits to their homes to certify they are indigent. It is a shock for me to see the homes they live in. I have much to learn about poverty and what it really means.

I am a "middle class" Filipino with my PC salary - 6,600 pesos per month ($126 USD) (it is more with our travel allowance of 24 USD per month). I spend 3000 pesos on rent and food to my host family. The rest is for soap, toothpaste and clothing. I now know that I make much more than many familes here, that is humbling.

There are 4.2 million Filipino overseas workers throughout the world. There are 75 million Filipinos in the Philippines. Each year overseas workers send 8 billion USD back to their families. That is huge, 3 times the amount received in foreign aid. Teachers in the Philippines can make 8000 pesos (150 USD) per month. A worker in another country (Japan, Taiwan, HK) can make 500 USD per month. The overseas workers of the Philippines are rightfully called the "heroes" of the Philippines economy.
May 20, 2003 - The interview process for the LGU high school scholarships are complete and 55 students will have the opportunity to test for the scholarship. Visiting the barangays of Carigara was very informative, I learned that for many families, the costs of high school - such as uniforms and "transportation" (tricycle rides or having to stay at school for lunch (most Filipinos go home to eat lunch everyday)) are prohibitive. One girl's older sister said to an applicant during the interview, if you do not get a scholarship "it would be better if you just died."
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