by Bar de Ness

Created on: February 28, 2009   Last Updated: December 07, 2009

"I bought the shoes to aid my people. They were all made in the Philippines!" So said Imelda Marcos in a documentary aired recently on British television.

"Explore" a thought-provoking cultural investigating series, chose on this occasion the country which her late husband had been the former president and dictator. From the endangered rice terraces of Banaue to the suffocating streets of Manila, to unwanted tribes in Palawan and the troubles of Mindanao, it exposed the festering boils of a nation still in the process of healing.

Overall it presented a grim picture of a country with a population out of control, a Catholic church which rejects contraception, and a government which not only appears helpless to address it, but is also accused of complicity to stand up against the rampant destruction of its forests, coral reefs and inability to protect many of the rarest flora and fauna on the planet.

In an oxymoron marriage between state and church, one is impotent and the other celibate. Between them they manage to produce a considerable amount of children.

There really wasn't anything positive which came out of this programme. Even Mrs Marcos, seemingly devoid of hindsight, appeared to be living in a different world as she wallowed in her luxuries, whilst the poor around her starved on the streets!

She says that her incredible wealth was purely generated by her late husband's aptitude of playing the stock market, and clever analysis of commodities. "He was an expert in gold investments" she emphatically proclaimed.

She justified her excess of footwear by implying that the purchases in some way aided the economy. "They were all made in my country" she proudly espoused.

One wonders what the Philippines Tourist Authority was making of this. They sell themselves to most holiday and travel events worldwide. The slogan "Wow Philippines!" is their flagship statement. Their presence in London particularly, is profound. Sadly, this programme was on BBC2 - a terrestrial channel with great gravitas. Any potential visitor viewing it would likely think twice before considering the Philippines as a holiday destination in the future.

One of the most disturbing elements was the portrayal of the North Manila Cemetery, where whole families have been born and raised amongst the tombs, indeed even make a living from them.

A veritable community seems to thrive here. Some are paid to look after the graves by the incumbents relatives, and for those who cannot continue to pay the plot

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