Junk Food: More Fun in the Philippines?!

CNN's Kyung Lah talks to a local woman seeking for pagpag.

CNN International has been running reports on the Philippines through its Eye On... series. The week-long coverage will cover the best sites of the Philippines, the emerging economy, its governance and current issues like poverty.

Speaking of poverty, the news network broadcasted this report by Kyung Lah about a practice that is happening in the depressed slums of Manila.



Pagpag is a Tagalog term which means "to dust off." But in the context of these poverty-stricken communities, pagpag is food thrown off by restaurants that are being recovered by these poor people and are being re-cooked for their consumption. Dennis Villegas made an excellent write-up on pagpag and how it has been affecting the urban poor community.

This report clearly shocked a lot of Filipinos who could afford to subscribe to cable television and watch CNN. Reactions from social media indicate this is a report that is an ironic and a deliberating blow to the tourism campaign It's More Fun in the Philippines, a campaign that has begun its international debut through CNN's Eye On the Philippines series. Commercials of the tourism campaign are currently being aired back-to-back with the reports. Many are saddened, disgusted, and flabbergasted of this sick condition.

In my opinion, while the series was intended to coincide with the Asian Development Bank Summit 2012 in Manila, and the It's More Fun in the Philippines tourism campaign, CNN had to present the extreme sides of the country's situation to bring more depth to an international view of the country. The news network is being broadcast in 280 million households, hotels, airports and ocean cruises around the world. CNN is a very trusted news organization by business experts, market leaders and consumers. Therefore, bringing this situation around the world makes a clear view on how to invest in the Philippines - by alleviating, or even eliminating the poverty its underprivileged citizens suffer. It's not just about the fun that may attract investors, it's also about the suffering, the sorrows, the pain that can give them a second look on the Philippines. It can start with this situation of hunger of these people looking for scraps.

What are your thoughts on this report? Is this damaging the reputation of the Filipino people? Will you think over on how you consume your Jolibee Chickenjoy, Greenwich Overload, Big Mac or Dunkin' Donuts?  Can this be resolved? Think about it.

KENNETH