LIVING ON 15 DOLLARS PER WEEK / A Life In The Clouds

Pea hikes deep into the mountains to visit a family living a completely off-grid provincial life. She tours their bamboo-and-nipa house, their gardens and farm, and documents how they survive on a combined income of roughly 800 pesos ($15 USD) per week with no electricity, no running water, and almost no possessions. The video is a detailed, ground-level portrait of extreme simplicity — and the family's unmistakable contentment.

The family ​

• Ate Marley (the wife), age 50-51, birthday August 26 — Pea says she doesn't look anywhere near 50
• Kuya (the husband), age 54 — also looks much younger; Pea attributes it to organic food and fresh air
• Three daughters: ages 7, 5, and the youngest (toddler)
• All four family members sleep in a single room of a small bamboo house
• Married 22 years

Ate Marley's mini garden ​

• Grows spices, flowers, vegetables, and herbal plants
• Products are a mix of personal consumption, selling, and giving away free to neighbors
• Specific plants shown: sunflowers, spring onions/scallions, bok choy, and a purple "blue ternate" flower used medicinally — soaked in water and drunk for high blood pressure and kidney problems
• She waters everything by hand with a bucket system, carrying water from a nearby river
• Works the garden every day as her full-time job
• Earns 200-300 pesos per week (~$4-6 USD), reduced because she gives produce to neighbors for free

Kuya's corn farm ​

• Farms roughly one hectare of land — which is a substantial plot
• Plants corn that takes four months to grow; doesn't need daily watering, just relies on rain
• His kids help plant the seeds during planting season
• The family eats all the corn themselves — none is sold
• Also has banana trees that bring in about 500 pesos per week (~$10 USD)
• Combined family income: approximately 800 pesos/week ($15 USD)
• They have virtually no other expenses since there's no electricity or water bill

The land ​

• They don't own the land — it's government-owned, and they are tenants
• Under a government program (CLOA), if they farm the land long enough they'll eventually be awarded ownership
• The family has been living here for 30 years

The house tour ​

• Built from bamboo planks and cogon grass (nipa)
• Kitchen ("cocina"): two makeshift burners using firewood; no LPG gas; fire started with dry leaves and kerosene
• Diet: vegetables and corn most of the time; rice only when they have spare money; corn is hand-milled
• Cutlery: one fork, four spoons, no knives — but they have a machete and a scythe (Ate uses these for gardening and, Pea jokes, "if Kuya is misbehaving")
• Living room, dining room, and bedroom are essentially the same room
• Sleeping arrangements: a makeshift mat made from sacks on the floor — no cushion, no mattress
• Lighting: a single kerosene lamp; no electricity at all

The children's life ​

• School is about six kilometers away — they walk there and back every day
• Their playground: a makeshift hammock made from a fishnet; they also climb trees and play hide and seek
• Zero toys — no Barbies, no games, no video games (no electricity)
• Pea notes the playground reminds her of her own childhood

Entertainment and daily life ​

• During siesta time, Kuya plays music and Ate sings — that's their entertainment
• No phone, no electronics
• The detached outdoor bathroom/shower is tiny — Pea jokes she barely fits and could "hit her head"
• Ate also washes clothes at the shower area

Connection to town ​

• No transportation of their own
• They go to town only once every two months via jeepney
• Round trip costs 200 pesos (~$4) — almost a full week's worth of Ate's garden income, which is why they go so infrequently

Relationship dynamics ​

• Pea asks who's the boss: "No boss — 50/50"
• She asks about their intimate life with three kids in one room — they wait until the kids fall asleep (kids sleep early)
• Plans for the future: this is their "forever home" — they plan to stay here permanently

Pea's gift ​

• Before leaving, Pea gives them a large supply of essentials so they won't need to make the expensive trip to town for about four months
• Ate gets emotional and starts crying
• Pea promises the next video in three days (the follow-up where she returns with bigger surprises)

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