(Image of poverty in the Philippines from Flickr)
I woke up early this morning. While preparing for my tea I switched on the TV. The program on show was a feature news story on organ selling (a replay).
Selling blood for money.
Because of poverty and unemployment, some Filipinos have gone to the extent of “regularly” selling their blood in order to survive. One supposed to be blood donor, frequently follow the line in one of the blood letting centers to sell his blood. He is unemployed and homeless. He was selling his blood to raise funds for the renewal of his documents so he could apply for a job. Others sell their blood basically to buy food and for other needs. The price of selling 500 ml of blood ranges from 250 to 500 Philippine pesos, depending on needs.
Selling their teeth to dental students.
A middle age man lost all his teeth (even good ones) for selling them to a dental student. The dental students also illegally perfomed tooth extraction on him. Similarly a lady on her ealy 40s is also selling her teeth to get some money to buy food. According to her there is nothing wrong with what she is doing, she is helping the student as the student is helping her. The price of a tooth ranges from 100 to 200 pesos.
The Department of Health is against organ selling.
The Department of Health also announce that organ selling is an illegal act in the Philippines. The official interviewed appealed to the people not to sell their body parts as they will be the one who may suffer from it.
Poverty encourages organ selling.
People know that they are the one who will actually suffer from their acts but still insist on doing it because of the desire to get some money for their survival. The man who lost all his teeth now has a problem on how to chew his food. He said, he can no longer eat his favorite food like peanuts and corn. How could he, he had already lost all his teeth.
In a country where there is a very limited opportunity for employment and earning a living, impoverished people could easily fall prey to organ dealers. Analyst describe such act as grasping the sharp edge of the knife in the name of survival (kapit sa patalim). Organ selling, unbelievebable but true.
Magkaano ka? He he he, mahirap mawalan ka ng piyesa sa katawan. Kaunting tiyaga lang at kakain ka nang di mo ibinebenta ang mga piyesa ng iyong katawan.
Doc.bobonyo,
Mabuti at nagtayo ka na ng klinika mo malapit sa kapehan natin.Dito na ako magpaparesita sa iyo at sabihin sa lahat ng suki sa kapihan na kung ma-emergency sila pagsabihan ko na and driver ng ambulancia na dito ang bagsakan ng stretcher sa klinika mo.Bigyan natin sila ng free medical consultation at general check-up.Hehehehe!
Keep it up dahil marami ang nangangailangan ng viagra sa mga suki natin.
Mang Cocoy salamat at bumisita ka sa opening ng ating klinika. Basta may nararamdaman kayo dito lang at reresitahan ko kayo ng pampatawa. Huwag mag-alala ag mga katropa natin diyan, marami tayong viagra dito for men and women, he-he-he. Welcome po kayong lahat.
Doc. ganda pala itong klinika mo na yari sa mga native materials. Mabuti naman at naiisipan mong itayo ito malapit sa kapehan ni Tito Cocoy. Sa totoo lang kailangan talaga doon ng klinika dahil marami sa mga suki ang kinakabag at tumataas ang presyon ng dahil sa kakain ng tsamporado at kaiinom ng barakong kape. Hayaan ninyo tatambay lagi ako dito at kapag may tinutule kang matatanda ay mag-a-assist ako.