Philippine broadcasters focus on poverty, toxic waste

By Scott Herron, CNN World Report

Manila's bridge people are among a third of the population in the Philippine capital who live below the poverty level

November 22, 1999
Web posted at: 11:54 p.m. EST (0454 GMT)

The World Bank is praising the Philippines' "remarkable resiliency" to the Asian financial crisis, but poverty still holds many Filipinos firmly within its grasp.

Bank officials have earmarked more than a billion U.S. dollars to help alleviate some of the economic degradation that weighs so heavily on the poorest of the poor in the Philippines. But in many cases, poverty is so pervasive, the culture of coping with it is so ingrained, that even those slated for relief won't find it easy to prosper.

The Philippines National Statistic Office says more than a third of the residents in metro Manila live below the poverty level. The degrading depth of their condition was highlighted recently on CNN World Report by a story from GMA-7 News in Manila about homeless people who inhabit a virtual underworld beneath a bridge along the capital's South Luzon Expressway.

"For electricity, they illegally tap into any electric post standing along the highway," reporter Queenie Santos explained. "Their water comes from a pipe that passes through the polluted river running under the bridge."

Santos asked one resident whether he hoped to someday live in a decent house aboveground. He didn't hold out much hope.

Children at an evacuation center in the Philippines face an uncertain future; many suffer diseases attributed to nearby toxic waste

"Some groups come here, giving foreign donors a tour of the place," he said. "But the thing is ... most of those donations never reach us."

Another GMA-7 News submission focused on the poverty-stricken former residents of a town north of Manila who, since the eruption of Mount Pinatubo eight years ago, have lived at an evacuation center on the grounds of a former U.S. Air Force Base.

GMA-7 News told viewers of CNN World Report that a number of children at the evacuation center, and some adults, suffer from birth defects, physical deformities and other diseases.

Reporter Marilen Cawad said: "A study by medical experts revealed water samples collected in the area were contaminated with mercury, nitrate and coliform bacteria." And one source indicated that the source of the contamination may be toxins left behind by the U.S. military.

Said Cawad: "The direct relationship between the toxic waste and the water supply is now being investigated by various government agencies. And while no official report has yet been made, one thing is certain, evacuees must again leave their homes for another temporary resettlement area where there is a clean and safe water supply. Unfortunately, many of them choose to stay. ..."

Chinese fishing fleet returns to port to save fish stock

Too many fishermen are blamed for depleted fishing stocks in the South China Sea

China Central Television recently reported new efforts to preserve the fishing industry in the South China Sea off the coast of Guangdong province. The Chinese government has banned all commercial fishing in the area until the end of July. The director of the South China Sea Fishing Administration, Liu Guojun, told reporter Yang Fuqing that the very success of the fishing industry over the past 20 years, with increasingly bigger boats and more fishermen, has depleted the fishing stocks.

"The fish resources in the South China Sea cannot cope with the unchecked development of the fishing industry," Liu said on camera. "We are eating from the rice bowl of our children."

Another Chinese contributor, Shanghai TV, told viewers of efforts to save the endangered South Chinese tiger, and how those very efforts are fraught with danger for the tigers' survival.

Reporter Yang Yuling explained that with only 53 tigers still living nationwide, and 86 percent of them from the same inbred line, continued inbreeding could doom the tigers to extinction in the next 50 years.

Australian breeding program helps rare numbats thrive

A mammal once on the brink of extinction in Australia, the numbat, is now getting a second chance at survival, thanks to a unique breeding program at Yookamurra sanctuary, northeast of Adelaide.

Australia's Network 10 recently told that story to viewers of CNN World Report Reporter Melody Horrill explained that in addition to the breeding program, the sanctuary offers the ideal environment for the numbats to thrive -- old growth forest, protection from predators and plenty of termites, the numbats' favorite food.

Tender loving care and a successful breeding program are helping Australia's rare numbat make a comeback from near extinction

"We started with 15 a few years ago, and we're up to over 100 now," Dr. John Wamsley said.

Plans now include transplanting some of the numbats to the wilds of a protected area of New South Wales to continue to breed in safety. But Wamsley says the numbats' numbers must increase to 50,000 to 100,000 before he feels the mammal will survive. He thinks it will.

Romanian Television told of environmentalists' efforts to save endangered butterflies, found in highland and mountain areas and favored by collectors in and outside the country. Reporter Nicolae Melinescu says such rare butterflies once commonly found in Romania are at risk from illegal smugglers.

Melinescu outlined the problem of stopping the illegal trade.

"Basically, there are no restrictions to prohibit collecting butterflies," he told viewers. "It's hard to distinguish a college student who works for a school project from the foreign smuggler who travels as a tourist and hunts down the most rare species."

Modern dance takes center stage in Beijing

Modern dance in China is gaining popularity with both dancers and dance audiences

Several CNN World Report contributors recently provided reviews of various performances and spectacles around the world: fashion shows in Beirut and Paris, theater in Moscow, and dance in Beijing and Buenos Aires.

CCTV was the source of our dance coverage in Beijing, examining recent increased interest in modern dance.

Explained reporter Han Bin: "Modern dance was introduced to China in the late 1980s. There are only three professional modern dance companies on the mainland, with no more than 50 performers."

But despite its humble following, modern dance in China is taking on a unique Chinese character.

"Many artists agree that modern dance in some ways resembles traditional Chinese folk dancing," Han told viewers. "They believe their diverse cultural background gives Chinese dancers an advantage in developing modern dance."

NTV in Turkey also had a story to tell about dance. But it had little connection to Turkish folk customs, or even Turkey. Rather it was steeped in the passions and cultural traditions of Argentina.

Reporter Fatih Turkmenoglu, who often travels far afield to provide feature stories for CNN World Report, journeyed this time to Buenos Aires to discover the tango. He found that practically everyone there loves it.

"Sometimes they dance it as a hobby, sometimes as a profession," Turkmenoglu said. "Walking down the streets of Buenos Aires, meeting the pure passion and love of the special dance, is a usual thing."

Turkmenoglu took viewers of CNN World Report on a tour of tango dance clubs and introduced them to both tango dancers and tango music.

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