This hard-hitting political series provides an unambiguous counterpoint to the complacency of current political perspectives. The corrosiveness of poverty and the consequences of the violations of human rights at individual, familial and community level are highlighted.
Most of the time, the medium of television is dominated by western perspectives and the voices of people in ‘Third World’ countries are seldom heard. ‘What in the World?’ provides a platform for those voices and bring us face to face with their daily struggles.
The series will be presented by Sean Óg Ó hAlpín.
Episode Six
The yellow-clad figure of Cory Aquino ushered in what was to be the end of the Filipino nightmare under Ferdinard Marcos. 1986 was the year of ‘People’s Power’ and the corruption and cronyism that were the hallmarks of the hated Marcos regime were, at least momentarily, replaced by optimism and hope for a new future with the promise of fundamental change for the impoverished people of the country.
Unhappily for the peasants of the Philippines, that optimism was short-lived. Twenty years later the poor and in particular the peasant class feel betrayed. The promise of land reform never materialised. Not only that the ruling class under Marcos have returned and consolidated their hold on the land. None more so than in the island of Negros, once known as the sugar bowl of The Philippines.