Experiencing Raw Life In The Philippines - Provincial Living

Pea pushes back on the viral narrative that all Filipinos eat garbage-can food by visiting a young provincial family and walking viewers through exactly how common rural Filipinos actually live — from the sleeping arrangements and outdoor cooking setup to the mountain-piped water and hole-in-the-ground CR. The tour doubles as a window into Pea's own childhood, since she grew up in nearly identical conditions.

Framing: Are Filipinos really eating out of garbage cans? ​

• Pea addresses the widespread perception driven by videos of Manila slums — particularly Barangay 105, ironically called "Happy Land," a giant trash pile where 12,000 people survive and some eat pagpag (food scavenged and re-cooked from restaurant garbage)
• She notes pagpag also exists in Cebu City and other urban areas
• Government figures: only 15% of Filipino families live below the national poverty line (lacking income for basic food and necessities) — still inexcusably high, but far from universal
• Her analogy: judging all Filipinos by Manila slum videos would be like seeing a video of San Francisco's homeless and assuming it represented life in America
• The majority of Filipinos live in the provinces (rural areas outside cities), and that's what she's here to show

The family: Jane, Joe (Jardo), and their household ​

• A young couple — Jane is still in school, Joe works construction
• They live with Joe's mother (the grandmother) and their one-year-old daughter
• A nephew named Saling comes to play; a woman referred to as "Si Nang" helps watch the baby when the parents are away
• The house requires a significant hike to reach — no proper roads nearby, which is typical since only 1 in 10 Filipinos own a car

The house tour ​

• Built of coco lumber (coconut wood) with a corrugated metal roof
• Walls are tarp — not solid construction
• Pea notes this is nearly identical to the house she grew up in as a kid, which had bamboo floors
• Sleeping: The entire family sleeps together in one area on sheets or banig (woven cogon grass mats), not mattresses. The baby sleeps "tapad" — sandwiched between mom and dad. Pea says this communal sleeping arrangement is standard provincial life and matches her own childhood.
• Baby has a duyan (hammock) made for afternoon naps — Pea recalls her family used to repurpose flour sacks from the bakery as baby hammocks for her brothers
• A small dining area inside, but no cook-top or kitchen equipment visible indoors

Cooking setup ​

• All cooking is done outdoors over firewood — no propane
• Jane collects firewood (kaingin/asot) from the forest, just as Pea did as a child
• When it rains, they cook under a partially covered outdoor area
• For typhoons: they cook enough food early before the storm hits and store it inside
• Main diet: rice and vegetables (utan-utan). Pea jokingly asks "but not cats?" when a stray cat appears at the cooking area

Water ​

• Free mountain water piped via a long hose from a source in the mountains (bukid)
• No water bill — they just had to buy the hose and tap into the mountain source
• The hose run is described as very long

The CR (comfort room/bathroom) ​

• A basic structure with a hole in the ground — no septic system
• Bathing is done at the outdoor water faucet, Filipino style (with clothes on)
• Pea notes that in the mountains, "everywhere is your CR" given the steep terrain and open space

Farming and food ​

• Joe uses the surrounding land to grow beans (3-month growing cycle) — they eat some and sell the rest
• They also grow corn on the other side of the mountain
• Pea emphasizes this is a key advantage of provincial living: they can grow their own food for free

No electricity ​

• The family has zero electrical service
• They use a single solar-powered rechargeable flashlight — charged by day, used at night
• No karaoke (Pea notes the significance since karaoke is a Filipino cultural staple)
• No video games for kids — children play in the dirt, look for bird nests, play in the jungle
• After dinner, the family just talks — Pea quips "communication is the key"

Social life and entertainment ​

• Joe admits he doesn't take Jane on dates anymore — too busy with work
• No mall trips, no going to town for fun
• They go to town about twice a month to buy supplies, traveling via motorbike taxi (habal-habal)
• Jane and Joe met as neighbors in the area
• They have never watched a movie together

Dreams and aspirations ​

• Jane wants to finish her studies and fix up their house
• Joe wants more babies (gets a laugh from Jane)
• Both want to improve the house
• Jane confirms they plan to have more children

Pea's personal connection and closing message ​

• She repeatedly notes throughout the tour that she grew up in nearly identical conditions — the tarp walls, bamboo floors, communal sleeping, firewood collection, outdoor cooking
• Her framing for Western viewers: "For those of you at home, you might think that this is camping, but this is a common living scenario in the provinces"
• Provincial Filipinos consider themselves lucky compared to urban poor in Manila and Cebu — they have free food (they can grow it), free water, clean air, and a home they own
• Both Jane and Joe confirm they are happy — Joe says there's peace in the mountains
• Pea gives the family some money to help fix their house, telling them on camera "I hope this will help you fix the house"

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