It's one of the countries that in my mind I need to be watchful of - when I see a Made in the Philippines tag I start wondering about the conditions in which the clothing might be made.
It's up to responsible brands to ensure that sourcing from countries such as the Philippines treats the people there fairly.
Today I found a blog from a student in Manila - in this post SPIRITUALITY PAGE: Children in poverty Kebelle provides an insight into a world far from the UK, (a world far from his own in Manila even). A comment maker focussed on Kebelle's thought - "What they need is not actually charity but empowerment. They need respect. They need their dignity untouched."
That is why fair trade is important and why I view that we in the West spending a little extra to buy responsibly is at least as good as, and perhaps in the long term far better than, putting the same money into a charity can.
Responsible trade or fair trade helps local communities. I do hope that distributors and traders should be socially aware of what is happening on in other parts of the world.
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