I don't doubt that at all Fred, I don't know about any other Brits here, but personally I have never seen that side of Manila as the Pinays I know generally come from slightly better off families living in nice sub divisions and have gone out of their way not to show me that side of the city. Of course, I've seen the way the Badjao's live by the side of the road at Baclaran, but never been into a whole suburb like it. I suppose it's similar to part of British cities in that we know where the really poor people live but we don't go into their areas usually. However, there is a massive gulf between our poor and their poor.