Children in Baguio & Sagada

Baguio may not be a bustling metropolitan city but it is a relatively busy city with its own standards of living and attractions. In the Philippines, a large majority of its population live in poverty. This is not an exception in Baguio as well. One of the things that stand out is the number of street vendors selling their goods by the roadside. Even more noticeable is the crowd of children asking for money in the streets or some selling goods with their parents.

It is not unusual for parents to bring their children along while they wait patiently by the roadside for someone to buy their items. Many children are seen loitering around the whole day, with nothing to do but to help their parents to gain more business. Some of the parents, mainly women, would be cradling a baby in one hand and guarding the stall while their children wander off to get people to buy their things. A couple of children who were selling plastic bags in the market approached me to buy their bags.


Another common sight would be of the children asking for money with their arms outstretched. They have nothing to sell but sometimes they would exchange your money for services. Personally, I come across some that would sing Christmas carols to you or others that offer to carry your bags or groceries for a donation from you.

Similarly, when we arrived in Sagada, we were also greeted with sights of children on the streets. The only thing different here is that the children are playing among themselves, creating their own activities and basically acting like how children should be. This was unlike in Baguio where the children sometimes take over the mother’s role of selling the goods while she takes care of her baby.

The children here enjoy gathering, just talking or playing. One of the activities that caught my eye is a game of baseball played by an all-girls team. They were all relatively young, probably in their pre-teens. There were not enough members to form a proper team and not even the lack of equipment could deter them from playing. Armed with bats and a pine cone as the ball, they cleverly altered the rules of the game to suit their numbers.

Here, the children seemed much happier and contented although the life is harsh and simple. They have the freedom to follow their parents around or to mingle with the other children. Unlike in Baguio, most of those who take to the streets do not even have that choice in the first place. Probably this is the difference between living in a cold and relatively fast paced city and a quieter, more community based village. Nevertheless, the children from these both places have their own charms and uniqueness.

By Pooi Yarn