Because of its large national debt and millions of people living in poverty, the Philippines are ranked only 105th in the 2007 UN Human Development Index. Especially in some areas of the capital, Manila, human development is extremely low.

Parola, where we work in education through our Philippine non-profit organisation Puso-sa-Puso, is one of these areas. With a population estimated at 57,000 people, it is one of the biggest slums in the Philippines. Parola lacks the basic amenities that a community with a large population should have. There is no health centre, the streets and roads are very narrow, the drainage system is poor, there is no garbage/waste disposal management and, most importantly, the water supply system and electrical facilities are incomplete. In fact, only around 25% of the households have electricity and 40% have water supply.