A Japanese undergraduate student wants to research about the homeless in Cebu City. Of interest, while reading some literature, she realized that the term “ homeless” has many meanings.
Homeless can refer to those who literally have no structure, no place to live in. She gave the example of the homeless in Japan who live in blue tents, near rivers. These blue tents have become their “ homes.”
Prior to living in tents, the Japanese who left their homes in the 60s and 70s were called “dekasegi” and many tried to sleep inside train stations and subways.
There were certain areas in Japan which had communities of the so-called “ homeless” in Osaka and Tokyo. Significantly, most of these types of homeless then were Korean migrants. They lived in public parks or spaces and mostly in groups.
She also mentioned that she found in another country, there were homeless who lived inside gutters. She observed that in Cebu, the homeless she saw lived in sidewalks. The sidewalks became the “homes” for children living on their own or with their families. Other families lived in carts parked in the streets.
She realized that homeless can refer to people whose “homes” are not the expected homes for human beings – the structures lack facilities and amenities fit for human beings.
She also observed that the homeless in Japan and other developed countries tend to be alone. Compared to Cebu, which she had visited before, she realized that the homeless can also be classified not only in terms of lack of adequate human dwellings. Homeless can also refer to those who are without adequate shelter and those with or without families.
Shouldn’t the ones without adequate dwellings be called “houseless” and those “houseless” and without families be called “homeless?”
Those who were without adequate shelter in Japan made a choice to live in tents but those in poorer countries have no adequate shelter or no shelter did not choose to live so but were forced by structural factors.
Her research about homeless is now becoming richer in terms of several realizations about the multi-dimensionality of the term, conditions, and attendant factors.
Another classmate is interested to know about the situation of working children in Cebu. She is still reading about the topic but she wants to understand why the children work and she wants to know their situation as working children and as members of “poor” households.
The image of our country and our people as poor with unmet basic needs is very prominent in Japan. Smokey Mountain is a popular image and one that many Filipinos in Japan as well as those back in our county would not wish to be associated with.
The reality, however, still persists. Our people and our country still have to go beyond unmet basic needs. Effective waste management also has to be practiced. Our children still need to be better protected. Until then, the image of our country and our people as poor will continue.
Another Japanese student is interested to know why there are undocumented Filipino children in Sabah. This student went as a volunteer for a Japanese NGO in Malaysia and came across many Filipino children whose health needs were unattended to because their parents were undocumented and, therefore, the children as well were not legally registered. This student is interested to suggest policy and action programs that will assist these children.
Another student wants to visit Brgy. Luz to personally check how the fire victims are managing to move on. She is particularly interested to check if their health needs are attended to. She wants to know as well about the health system throughout the community and, like the others doing their research about our people, whether in the Philippines or abroad, would like to know how their present situation can be improved.
It is heartening to know that these young Japanese students are concerned about our people and our country. We hope our own Filipino youth are also concerned and committed to assist our poor, especially the children.
***
Email: cherry_thefreeman@yahoo.com