The Philippines – A state consisting of thousands of islands located in Southeast Asia, characterized by its beautiful sandy white beaches. Cultural uniqueness, phenomenal landscapes, culinary extraordinarily. A nation with very warm hearted citizens and also, so they say, worldwide most talented singers.

However, the so-called paradise is clouded by poverty: the gap to wealth could not be narrower. Child labor and human trafficking are the order of the day. Corruption reigns over the land.

As an island nation located in the western Pacific, the Philippines are frequently hit by natural disasters. Every year, several typhoons reach the Philippines with top speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are also imminent dangers for the Philippines.

One of the most recent examples for natural disasters is the eruption of the Taal volcano, located on the island of Luzon. The consequences were devastating: the event drove tens of thousands of already poor people to flee and deprived them of all their belongings. The following ash cloud reached far beyond the capital, Manila, a hundred kilometers away, and settled over large areas of the country. The damage is still visible. Many people still live in crisis.