Sunday ` brought to you by Mazda. Tonight on Sunday ` so, you need surgery. Well, you also need charity. These people ` they've sort of lost hope. Frustrated with the public system. How bad do you have to be before you're treated? One of our top surgeons... I count it really as a miracle. ...is now changing lives... for free. It's so easy to treat these people. < You've got your life back? < You've got your life back? I've got my life back. So just how big is the problem? This is not being measured at all by anybody. And are they still burying it now? Oh yeah. Very effectively. Hello. All these pregnant ladies. How many babies have you delivered? How many babies have you delivered? 200,000? (LAUGHS) And we go inside the world's busiest maternity ward ` Manila ` maternity on an industrial scale. How many to a bed? How many to a bed? Five. Five in a bed? Five in a bed? Five in a bed. Copyright Able 2014 Kia ora. I'm Miriama Kamo. Now, did you know we have a charity hospital? Well, we do in Christchurch. In fact, it's not the only one, but Canterbury Charity Hospital helps thousands of Kiwis ` those who are turned down by the public hospital, whose pain affects their quality of life and ability to work. Many of them live normal lives thanks to countless hours of unpaid labour from surgeons, nurses, fundraisers, all of them working for free. But why does NZ need a charity hospital? And what does it say about our public health system? Here's Rachel Smalley. QUIRKY MUSIC A state-of-the-art surgery,... a top surgeon. It's about being in touch with the community you live in. The atmosphere is just fantastic. But in suburban Christchurch, Dr Philip Bagshaw is operating for free at the charity hospital. And it's so easy to treat these people and so easy to give them back some hope, and so easy to do simple things that change their lives. It's difficult to grasp why, in this country, with its robust economy, there is a need for a charity hospital. But there is. The Canterbury Charity Hospital performs around 1000 procedures every year on people turned away by our public health system. They're a group of people who feel that they've been neglected by the system, that suddenly are so grateful that somebody's willing to do anything for them. People like Patrick Maloney. I get up ` 1 o'clock in the morning, load the truck up, and away I go. He delivers 5000 loaves of bread every day across Christchurch. I just work hard, and I'm the sole breadwinner. You know you've done a good day's work when you get home. Home to 6-month-old Elise and wife Janelle. It's all dribbling down her chin like normal. But a year ago, Patrick began to notice something was wrong. Just at the end of the day, you know, after working, you know, a hard day's work, and there's a bit of pain there. Pain and discomfort affecting everyday life with a young baby. Careful, Paddy. Careful, Paddy. I can still feel it moving, my hernia. It's quite uncomfortable getting her out, still. And so you went to the doctor? Yep, went to the doctor. And he said that, yeah, it was definitely a` a hernia there, um, in the groin on the left-hand side. And, um, yeah, so he then referred me to the Christchurch public hospital. Here you go. You do it. He had a rupture in the abdomen which could only be fixed by surgery. About a week later, I got a letter to say that they were unable to offer me an appointment with them and that I wasn't a high priority. < When you got that letter, what did you think? I was a bit surprised. I was sort of` We were sort of thinking that, you know` or expecting waiting list or something like that, but to get it and say, 'You're not a priority,' it's, like, 'Well...' < What do you do? < What do you do? What do you do? All the more frustrating when you're a healthy, hard-working Kiwi bloke. Are you usually in good health? Are you usually in good health? Yes, I am. Yeah, always. And you've worked ever since you left school, for the last 20 years? Yep. Yep. Paid your taxes? > Yep. Paid your taxes? > Yes, I have, yep. And now you need surgery, but the hospital says no? And now you need surgery, but the hospital says no? Mm, that's right. It's, like, how bad do you have to be before you're treated in the public health system? Hold on. Are you ready? Go. Nawa cooper is a mother of five, with a similar story. She gave up on getting elective surgery in the public health system. I knew that I was going to have to do something, but the problem was getting the help. She's suffered for years with severe haemorrhoids. It's something that you just don't talk about around the dinner table, and even with close friends. The pain and the discomfort is really been just over the top. Your condition sounded horrendous. Your condition sounded horrendous. And it was horrendous. And, um, yes, I got about, and I did my daily chores, and, you know, I run a family, and I'm a busy mum and wife. Yet on the inside, I wasn't well at all. And then you build up the courage and mention it to a doctor, and` and, uh... But then still nothing's done. I just sort of thought, 'Well, you know, what` what do I do now? 'Do I just live with this hernia for the rest of my life?' Neither Patrick nor Nawa has health insurance. And a private operation would cost Patrick up to $8000 ` unaffordable on a single income. I can actually feel the hernia moving in and out of the tear. And Patrick knows it's a risky condition to ignore. You mean the hernia could strangulate? You mean the hernia could strangulate? Yes, that's right. If you carry on lifting with a hernia, there's a high possibility that it will strangulate. So, yeah, it's somewhere where I don't wanna` I don't want to go there, yeah. When Patrick's GP referred him for surgery, the Canterbury District Health Board wrote back and said, 'Sorry, we can't offer you an appointment.' But it said, 'We encourage you to go back to your GP, because there may be another way to help you.' And that's where the charity hospital comes in. Patrick meets their criteria. He's been turned down for surgery, and he can't afford to go private. So he's become a charity health case. If you operate in a timely way, the incidence of complications of surgery should be very very low. There's also this potential complication of strangulation, where the bowel twists. That impairs its blood supply, and if left long enough, the bowel can die, you can develop septicaemia, and, in fact, you can die. It's not economic sense to wait till then. Much, much better to do a very simple operation on him and get him back into the workforce. And that's what they do at the charity hospital. Nearly 300 health workers volunteer their time to cure and counsel those who've fallen through the cracks. Many of the people who come to see us have been nursing these problems for, you know, years. Hernias, haemorrhoids, cataracts, gynaecological and orthopaedic issues. There's a big dental service. We're starting a colonoscopy service, and we also have a big counselling service that started after the earthquakes. This is a big community effort. There's 285 volunteers, but there's are armies of people doing things ` I mean, men who come and do the garden; there are ladies who come and change the flowers. It might have all been my idea, but, really, it's based upon a generosity of thousands of people and the free time and expertise of many hundreds of people. The charity has become a surgical safety net for Christchurch, but Dr Bagshaw says unmet demand for elective surgery is a national issue, and one that won't go away. Why don't people make a fuss about this? Why do they accept it? After the break ` MAN: In another 10 seconds, you'll just drift off to sleep. what sparked the need for a charity hospital? In the end, I decided the only way to do anything of any use was to attack the problem directly. And those under attack respond. Well, I think the argument that everybody who turns up and wants an operation will necessarily get one is completely unaffordable for NZ. UPBEAT MUSIC When you find your dream home, if there's something you don't like, you change it. Why should your home loan be any different? Revamp your home loan with our great rate, plus get up to $2000 cash on new lending. Conditions apply. Talk to us today. GENTLE MUSIC Since 2007, Dr Philip Bagshaw has treated patients at the Canterbury Charity Hospital ` a free service for those turned away by the public health system. Oh crikey. I mean, it's an enormous buzz here every day. He's a grandad to five, including Emma and Amaia. What colour scooter shall we have? Red? Good idea. And although he could retire, he won't. He says the need for elective surgery in this country is too great. My dad was a very wise man, actually. In fact, he's the man I've had the greatest respect for in my life. And he said to me, 'It doesn't matter what you do, really. 'The most important thing is to leave it better than you found it.' And that's not what was happening, and I had to do something to leave it a bit better. UPBEAT MUSIC Dr Bagshaw grew up in England, studied medicine in London, where he met his wife, Sue. We were on the same dissecting table, so we shared a dead body. (LAUGHS) He moved here in the '80s. He worked at Christchurch Hospital, later becoming the chair of the College of Surgeons and a member of the Canterbury DHB. Tried all sorts of ways to change what I saw as deterioration in the system, but you can't change that system from within. So, disillusioned after years of health reforms, he left, rallied a team and set up the charity hospital. Hey. How are ya? Hey. How are ya? Good. He now volunteers up to four days a week. ...the usual pep talk beforehand. ...the usual pep talk beforehand. Yep. Patrick Maloney ` 34, and a new dad ` has lived with a painful hernia for a year. It's just really amazing what they're doing, you know, helping people out like me that get rejected from the Christchurch public hospital. He had what I call the 'Dear John' letter, which means a letter from the DHB basically saying, 'Go away.' ANAESTHETIST: In about another 10 seconds, you'll just drift off to sleep.. Patrick's getting treatment. But Dr Bagshaw says there are thousands of Kiwis who are missing out. The problem is hidden because this is not being measured at all by anybody. DHBs keep a record of patients approved for elective surgery. But no record is kept of those who are turned away, so people like Patrick simply disappear off the system. Successive groups of politicians succeed in burying this problem, and they did a very good job of it, to the point now where there's just a big unserviced part of our public. And are they still burying it now? Oh yeah. Very effectively. How many people need elective surgery and can't get it? How many people need elective surgery and can't get it? Oh, probably hundreds of thousands. Hello. Hello. Hi, Rachel. How are you doing? How are you doing? Yeah, good. Patrick is one of the lucky ones. Well, I think the argument that everybody who turns up and wants an operation will necessarily get one is completely unaffordable for NZ. The health minister, Tony Ryall, says the Government is boosting funding for elective surgery. We have increased the amount of elective surgery by 35%. It's been a huge effort by doctors and nurses and people up and down the country to provide more operations. The government says from next month, it will start recording the number of patients who are referred to DHBs but who never make it onto a waiting list. But Dr Bagshaw says that won't reveal the true extent of the problem. He says some patients are never referred for surgery because their GPs know they have no chance of getting it. Well, I think it's impossible to measure how many people turn up at a GP and` and whether the GP says, 'Oh you'll get in,' or, 'you won't get in.' 'Oh you'll get in,' or, 'you won't get in.' Why is it impossible? Uh, because I think you've got` you'd have to build a huge reporting system for that. I would rather the focus was on 'are we doing more operations, 'and are we providing more service for patients?' 'and are we providing more service for patients?' As opposed to are we doing enough? Well, I think we're making huge inroads into unmet need. Dr Bagshaw believes anyone who needs elective surgery should get it. If people started thinking in this way ` of health being an investment rather than a cost ` and spending the money early in avoiding complications, I think we'd have plenty of money for what we're doing. The problems don't go away; the problems get bigger. And, also, there's the humane side of it. I mean, these people, they've sort of lost hope. They don't even expect to get treated. I mean, that's terrible. You know, we're supposed to be a caring society, and we could do something about this about this, very simple. It took just minutes to end years of pain for Nawa Cooper. I was in there probably 15 minutes, 20 minutes procedure, and... I was back home within the hour. It's been wonderful. It's been wonderful. Thank you. > It's been wonderful. Thank you. > Yes. The charity hospital treated Nawa's haemorrhoids, and now she's back for a check-up. I count it, really, as a miracle, and, you know, he` he is changing people's lives. How do you feel now? I feel absolutely amazing. I feel like ` and I don't want to be crude here ` but I feel like I've had a facelift. This is just wonderful, because I feel so good within myself. I've just got more energy, and, I mean, that even blows me away after a week, just a week. You've got your life back? You've got your life back? Yeah, that's what it feels like. I've got my life back. How do you want this story to end? Do you hope one day you can shut the door on the charity hospital? We put up a sign saying 'No longer needed. Go to the public hospital. Hooray!' (LAUGHS) < 'I'm retiring.' < 'I'm retiring.' Yeah. The Canterbury DHB tell us they're the biggest provider of elective surgery in NZ, doing more than 20,000 elective operations a year. Their biggest constraint is theatre capacity, which was made worse by the Christchurch earthquakes. And they say all health systems face a level of unmet need and have to prioritise access to surgery. Coming up ` imagine giving birth in a bed next to four other labouring mothers. That's the reality in the world's busiest maternity ward. How many babies have you delivered? How many babies have you delivered? I'm sorry, but I can't remember. It's so many. Give me a ballpark figure. Give me a ballpark figure. Maybe, uh, 200,000? OK, I think we may have found the most experienced baby deliverer in the world. Welcome back. OK, so this is maternity on an industrial scale. You're about to see some incredible images of the world's busiest maternity ward. Up to a hundred babies are born there every day. So, just imagine it ` going into labour with at least four other women on your hospital bed ` no gas, no epidurals. That's the reality for many Filipino women in poverty at Manila's Dr Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital. The numbers are staggering, but could things be about to change? GENTLE MUSIC INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS Hello, ladies. Hello. All these pregnant ladies. Hello, ladies. (GIGGLES) Dr Jose Fabella Public Hospital is in the heart of downtown Manila, one of the most densely populated cities on earth. How many women have registered today? How many women have registered today? Today, 215. And what time is it? Half past 10 in the morning? 11. 11. 11 o'clock. One in five of central Manila's mums come here to deliver their babies. Ana Apruebo is the most senior nurse on the ward. How many babies have you delivered? How many babies have you delivered? I'm sorry, but I can't remember. It's so many. Give me a ballpark figure. Give me a ballpark figure. Maybe... uh, 200,000? OK, I think we may have found the most experienced baby deliverer in the world. CURIOUS MUSIC This is maternity on an industrial scale. With 24,000 babies born a year, Ana has to run a tight ship. When contractions have begun in earnest, the women are packed into a tiny labour room. (SPEAKS FILIPINO) How many to a bed? How many to a bed? Five. Five in a bed? Five in a bed? Five in a bed. Sometimes we have more. (GIGGLES) At the very last minute, the mums are wheeled into the delivery room. MAN SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY, CHUCKLES BABY CRIES How many women are giving birth in here? How many women are giving birth in here? Six. With minimum fuss, the midwives get to work. (CRIES) This is a 24-hour operation. As babies are wheeled out at one end of the hospital, expectant mums are checking in at the other. How are you? Anita. Rosalee. Rosalee. Rosalee. Rosalee. So, how pregnant are you, Rosalie? When are you due? July 17. July 17. Oh my. That's in a few days. (SOFTLY) Amazing. What number is this? How many children do you have? What number is this? How many children do you have? Seven. You have seven children already? Is this number seven or number eight? You have seven children already? Is this number seven or number eight? Number seven. Number seven. Lucky number seven. By baby number seven, the final check-up should be routine. (SPEAKS FILIPINO) So, I'm checking the uterine size. Everything seems normal, but there are always risks around childbirth. One of the most serious is haemorrhaging, especially for women who've had so many babies. (SPEAKS FILIPINO) (SPEAKS FILIPINO) OK. Because of the shortage of blood for transfusions, every mother has to bring friends or relatives who can give blood in case of an emergency. (SPEAKS FILIPINO) URGENT MUSIC The women who give birth in Fabella Hospital come from the poorest parts of the city. Manila is one of the fastest-growing cities on earth, and there are children everywhere. In the next 40 years, the population of the Philippines is expected to grow by 50%. REFLECTIVE MUSIC Rosalee lives in Tondo ` Manila's biggest and poorest slum. In the backstreets, I finally found Rosalee's house. Hey, Rosalee. How are you? Lovely to see you again. Lovely to see you again. Thank you. Are you well? Is this your husband? Are you well? Is this your husband? Yes, my husband, Eduardo. Eduardo. Pleased to meet you. How are you, sir? Eduardo. Pleased to meet you. How are you, sir? Nice to meet you. So, where's your home? Where do you live? Which is your house? There. (SPEAKS FILIPINO) There. (SPEAKS FILIPINO) Up there? This one here? PENSIVE MUSIC The whole family live in this one small room. All right. Well, how much? 380? 380? Yes, ma'am. 380? Yes, ma'am. Just over �6 a day. And you do a bit of embroidery. Yeah. Yeah. And how much do you earn from your embroidery? So between you, your income is quite low. Rosalee's story is replicated around the world. More than a billion people live in extreme poverty, battling malnutrition and disease. And the poorest families have the most children. In Tondo, families of 10 or more are common. But things are changing in ways we couldn't imagine just a few years ago. PENSIVE MUSIC Not far from Manila's biggest slum is evidence of an economic revolution. UPBEAT ELECTRONIC MUSIC This is Makati ` Manila's business and financial district. These skyscrapers now house more than 60,000 different businesses, including multinational companies, global banks... and huge shopping malls. Along with the posh shops, there's also an exclusive private hospital. PRINTER WHIRRS Makati Med is known for its state-of-the art maternity unit. ...the team camaraderie between everybody? Its medical director is Dr Annebelle Aherrera. OK. Dr Rani. DRONING MUSIC Wow. Wow. This is where they undergo the, um, caesarean section. State of the art. State of the art. It's a huge room, isn't it? How much is it to have a caesarean? Roughly, in a small private room, anywhere from about 140,000 to 150,000. That's a lot of money. Cos that's about �2000. Who is it? Is it middle-class women? Is it wealthy women? Um, middle class. Upper middle class. And is that section of society growing? Are you finding your hospital is becoming busier? Yes. There is now a growing, um, population of the young professionals ` the yuppies. The can actually spend more. They can ac` earn more and spend more and actually, um, be able to afford this kind of, um, service. ...the thigh bone. Rose and Gino Arteaga are having their second baby at Makati Med. < You see the mouth chewing there? It's a good sign. I'm so happy. < Of course. As part of Manila's growing middle class, they can afford the high-tech facilities here. HEARTBEAT THUMPS HEARTBEAT THUMPS That's the heartbeat. OK, we're done. Hello, Gino. Hello, Rose. Anita. Pleased to meet you. Anita. Pleased to meet you. Yeah, hi. Anita. Pleased to meet you. Yeah, hi. Hello. Do you`? Do you know what you're having? Are you having a girl or a boy? Um, it's a baby girl. It's a baby girl? Wonderful. Perfect. Wonderful. Perfect. (GIGGLES) One boy, one girl. < Done. < Done. It's done. PENSIVE MUSIC Like Gino and Rose, most wealthier Filipinos have just two children. Gino wasn't born middle class. He's worked his way up to a job in an international bank. < Is there something within the Filipino psyche, do you think, that is driving you? Yeah, I think so. I think Filipinos, by nature, are hard-working people. Um, we... We strive very hard to improve our lives. Mm-hm. The opportunities are there. You just have to grab it and, uh, take advantage of it. So Gino and Rose will have just two children, something the Philippines is seeing more of among the middle class, the hope being, of course, a slowdown in population growth. In the next part of this story, we meet a young girl from the slums, where getting a job could be her gateway to a whole new life. I'm Junalyn. I'm Junalyn. Junalyn. Anita. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. Pleased to meet you, Junalyn You have very good English. (LAUGHS) Thank you. I will be out of this kind of place. I got a job. Who knows? Maybe all your dreams will be fulfilled some day. (LAUGH, CRIES) Welcome back. Manila is one of the fastest growing cities in the world ` a strictly Catholic country where contraception isn't readily available or condoned. But as the population grows, so too does poverty. However, things are changing; an economic revolution is afoot. Where once millions of Filipinos had to leave the country for work, now more and more are finding jobs at home. AMBIENT TRAFFIC NOISE Siva Subramaniam is the national manager of one of the largest outsourcing companies in the Philippines. We are a Swedish company, and we service multinational companies from the US, Canada, the UK, as well as Australia. So when I'm picking up my phone to call some customer-service company for X, Y or Z, I could possibly be speaking to someone in this building? Yeah. High possibility that you could be talking to somebody in the Philippines. The Philippines recently overtook India as the call-centre capital of the world, employing nearly half a million people across the country. Companies like this are on a massive recruitment drive. How many people come in, on average, a day? On a given day, on a good day, 350 to 450. That many people? And how many jobs are you offering at the end of every day? Typically, our hit ratio is anything between is 10% to 14% of those will get a job offer at the end of the day. A job here can be the gateway to a whole new life. Because of this job, I was able to actually send, um, three of my siblings to school and, of course, provide their needs ` put, uh, food as well on our table. That's seriously impressive. And you support your whole family? Yeah. Yeah. < That's amazing. It feels like business is booming here. Around the world, an extraordinary and hardly noticed changed is going on. Despite the growing population, a smaller proportion of people now live in extreme poverty than ever before in the history of the world. And population growth has also begun to slow. As improved healthcare leads to greater child survival, women around the world are now having far fewer babies, even in places like Tondo. There is now real hope of an end to the cycle of large families and extreme poverty. (SINGS FILIPINO POP SONG) I was heading to meet someone fighting to improve her life. Hello. You've got a restaurant. What are you selling? Fish. Fish. Fish? (LAUGHS) (LAUGHS) What's your name? My name is the` I'm the mother of Junalyn Flores. Erlinda Flores. My name is the` I'm the mother of Junalyn Flores. Erlinda Flores. Erlinda Flores. I'm Junalyn. And you are? I'm Junalyn. And you are? Junalyn. Anita. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. Pleased to meet you, Junalyn. You've got very good English. (LAUGHS) Thank you. (LAUGHS) Thank you. And how old are you, Junalyn? (LAUGHS) Thank you. And how old are you, Junalyn? 24. 24 years old. 24 years old. Yes. 24 years old. Yes. And what do you want to do? Now? Right now? Now? Right now? Yes. What's going on in your life these days? Uh, actually, I'm working at CBPS. Uh, actually, I'm working at CBPS. You're working where? Uh, actually, I'm working at CBPS. You're working where? CBPS. CBPS? CBPS? Yes. Citigroup Business Process Solutions. Uh, Citibank. You're working at Citibank? You're working at Citibank? Yes. You're working at Citibank? Yes. Amazing. And you live here? Yeah. Unfortunately. At least I'm working at` for six months over there. Every day, Junalyn travels from her home in Tondo to do work experience in the offices of a global bank. How long have you lived here? How many years? How long have you lived here? How many years? 20 years. Almost 20 years in here. Wow. Junalyn's mother had 11 children. Her sister already has three. But she's determined to break the cycle of poverty and endless childbirth. This is our house. This is our house. Can I have a look? This is our house. Can I have a look? Yeah. It's OK. How many people live here? How many people live here? Seven ` my mom, my sisters, my niece and then my brother. Who sleeps up here? Who sleeps up here? I sleep the` here. And my mom. And then my sister and` and her three kids. And where do the boys sleep? And where do the boys sleep? Downstairs. At the living room. And where do the boys sleep? Downstairs. At the living room. Yeah. Quite right. One of Junalyn's 11 siblings works in Egypt as a maid. She sends home what little she can. But that money is barely enough to keep the household afloat. Finding a job is the only way Junalyn will be able to cover the costs of going to college. What about kids? What about marriage? Uh, it's not my time, actually. It's not my time. It's not on my mind right now. I need to pursue my dream first before get marriage. I told to myself that someday, I will get out of this kind of place, because... even though I'm not that... (GIGGLES) Even though I'm not that... college degree, I know if I got a job, I can finish my study and can pursue my goal to get out of this` this kind of place, because... I don't have father yet. My father is died, so before he left, she told me, 'Even though you're not finish your degree, finish your study, 'don't forget to look up your family first. I believe in you.' So that's why I always put in my mind. Tell me, what kind of life do you want to live? Um, I want a simple life, where I have own house, working at the office, finish my goal. That's my l` That's my goal. If I can... If I can do that, I'm happy. And I know my dad will be happy too... for me. (CHUCKLES, SPEAKS FILIPINO) Junalyn now has the chance to fulfil her dreams. In a few days, she has an interview for a permanent job at the bank. Even a salary of just �200 a month would be enough to change everything. REFLECTIVE MUSIC On the other side of town, Rose has been rushed into hospital. It's a day ahead of their scheduled caesarean. (SPEAKS FILIPINO) I thought the baby was coming tomorrow. I thought the baby was coming tomorrow. Yeah. Uh... She had other plans. She had other plans. (CHUCKLES) She wanted to come out earlier. Yes. Yes. Actually, I was in the office when Rose, uh, texted me. And they said that... the operation can't wait until tomorrow. It has to be done tonight. SOFTLY: Ah! So what did you do? Just pack up, leave, come straight here? SOFTLY: Ah! So what did you do? Just pack up, leave, come straight here? Uh-huh. Yeah. Well, I... I finished something up in the office before coming here. I finished something up in the office before coming here. Oh, Gino. How long did you spend in the office? You got the text. How long did you spend in the office before you left? Three more hours. Three more hours. Gino! (LAUGHS SOFTLY) SUCTION MACHINE HISSES GENTLE MUSIC WOMAN: Baby girl! WOMAN: Baby girl! BABY CRIES SOFTLY BABY'S CRIES LOUDEN BABY CRIES LOUDLY (CONTINUES CRYING) SOFT MUSIC They're cleaning up the baby. They're cleaning up the baby. How are you? Congratulations, Daddy. They're cleaning up the baby. How are you? Congratulations, Daddy. I'm very happy. How is she? How is she? Uh... How's little Madeline? How's little Madeline? Uh, she's OK. Yeah? Yeah? She's... She looks to be very healthy. Cries... Cries very loud. She cries very loud? She cries very loud? BOTH CHUCKLE And now how do you feel? And now how do you feel? Ah, relieved. And now how do you feel? Ah, relieved. Relieved. Done. Family done? Done. Family done? Yeah. Done. Family done? Yeah. That's it. (CRIES) So, for Gino and Rose's new baby daughter, the future looks bright. But what about Junalyn, the young girl who's trying to escape the slums? Will she get the dream job she desperately wants, in fact, needs, and fulfil her dreams? If she gets that job, it could change that girl's life; not just hers, but her entire family's. I am so very nervous because if I don't get this job, I'm not sure what I am going to do. Hello again. So, let's return to Junalyn, the 24-year-old who has 10 siblings and lives in one of the most populated districts in Manila. Now, the Philippines' middle class is growing, and its spending power is transforming the country. But to be one of them, Junalyn needs a full-time job. Right now she's an intern for an international bank, and she has a plan. Her plan is to secure a job, go to college and take her family away from the slums. ELECTRONIC MUSIC My name is Junalyn V Flores. I'm taking up Bachelor of Science degree in` Bachelor of Science in Business Administration... It's the morning of Junalyn's interview for the job at Citibank. Her sister is rehearsing some questions. So, Juna... Junalyn. Tell me about your skills. Do you have any skills? I have skills. Of course, all of us have a skills, ma'am. I` My skills a` are more on computers, and I'm hard-working. Neither of them has ever had a job interview before, so they've researched interview techniques on the internet. When you speak in English and you try to answer, just be yourself. Look at the eyes. Eye contact; try my confidence; be myself during my` my` my interview. OK. GENTLE MUSIC I really need this job. My entire family needs it. My mum work hard, and she always worried about us, so I really want to give her the best while she's still alive. ROOSTER CROWS ANGELIC CHORUS Junalyn's journey from the slums of Tondo to the Makati business district symbolises the challenge facing countries like the Philippines ` how to use this economic boom to lift ordinary people out of extreme poverty. I am so very nervous, because if I don't get this job, I'm not sure what I'm gonna do. There have always been rich and poor in countries like the Philippines. What's new is the rise of the middle classes. But the brashness of this new wealth can still be shocking. Not far from where Junalyn hopes to work, I'd arranged to meet Manila's own celebrity plastic surgeon and host of a popular makeover TV show ` Vicki Belo. Anita. Hello! Anita. Hello! Yes. Pleased to meet you. I've heard so much about you. Thank you for visiting Belo Medical Group. Thank you, Vicki. And can I just say ` are these gold computers here? Yeah, we're the gold clinic. Yeah, we're the gold clinic. I have to say I've stepped into a completely different world. Thank you so much for appreciating it. No, we really wanted to, you know, show off and, uh, make our clinic First World. Vicki has nine clinics across the country and an increasingly younger clientele. We have a lot more patients. It used to be that there was very rich and very poor. Now because a lot of people come here to invest, our middle class is strong, which is really the backbone of any successful country. I don't think we could've been successful if there were just so many people below the poverty line. DOWNBEAT MUSIC It's hard to understand how this western-style consumerism can help the millions of poverty-stricken Filipinos. But many economists believe that this country, like many others in the developing world, have a unique opportunity to move forward. I went to meet Batara Sianturi ` the country CEO of the bank where Junalyn is hoping to get a job. Very exciting time. The huge workforce on the Philippines' economy will drive this economy between now and 2050, for example, to become of the, uh, maybe top 15 largest economy in the world. < But it's also got very high unemployment rates here, high levels of poverty. Surely that's gonna be a stumbling block. As the economy grows, you know, whether it's manufacturing or service, the middle class will grow, because between the supply and demand, there's probably gonna be, uh, creating huge domestic consumption economy as well ` just like other economi` economies, uh, have experienced. For Rose and Gino and their new baby daughter, Madeline, the future could not look brighter. Here we go. This looks quite nice, doesn't it? Gated community. They've seized the opportunities on offer in the new Manila. Tight security. Tight security. (SPEAKS FILIPINO) Hi, Gino. Good to see you. Yeah. Good to see you again. You can come inside. You can come inside. Thank you. SOFTLY: Oh. Sound asleep. SOFTLY: Oh. Sound asleep. Yeah. Asleep. She's beautiful. Look at her. You've done very well. First of all, I want her to grow up healthy, finish school. And then later on she can choose whatever she wants. Whatever profession she wants to be, we` we will be here to support her. And I... We hope` we both hope that she becomes very successful. As her parents, I think we did well, so we were hoping that she would do better than us. And we did it here in the Philippines. We did not have to go out of the country to have it done. BABIES CRY, WOMEN CHATTER It's almost impossible to imagine from the crowded maternity ward of the Jose Fabella Hospital, but population growth is now slowing dramatically. WOMAN SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY The average number of babies per woman here has dropped from over five to near a three in just 30 years. Globally, the figure is much lower. The era of fast population growth will soon be over. ELECTRONIC MUSIC In another part of Fabella Hospital, Rosalee had finally gone into labour. Wow, wow, wow, wow. Wow, wow, wow, wow. The baby's coming out. Wow, wow, wow, wow. The baby's coming out. Oh my God, here it comes! Here it comes! (GRUNTS) (GRUNTS) I can see the head. She's got a lot of hair. (GRUNTS PAINFULLY) (EXCLAIMS) Oh! There he is. There he is. Aw. And he's perfect. Hi, darling. Rosalee's new baby, Matthew, faces an uncertain future ` born into poverty in a tough city, with no safety net. (SPEAKS FILIPINO) And for the first time in decades, there is real hope that kids like these will have a better chance in life than their parents. There's another one over there. Look. Do you wanna get stuck in? Do you wanna get stuck in? No. I'm tired. Do you wanna get stuck in? No. I'm tired. BOTH LAUGH Before leaving Manila, there was one last person I wanted to catch up with. HORNS HONK I'm on my way to Citibank to meet Junalyn. She's had a six-month internship with the bank, but today she had an interview for a job. It's huge. Um, so I'm gonna go and meet her to find out how it went. If she gets this job, it will change that girl's life. Not just hers; her entire family's. Hi, Junalyn. Look at you. How are you? How are you? I'm very well. Mwah! Mwah! How are you? Yeah. I'm good. Yeah. I'm good. Tell me, how was your interview? (GRUNTS) My interview's doing... great and perfect! (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY, SHRIEKS, LAUGHS) Did you get hired? (LAUGHS) Yes. I have a job. Wait. I have a job. I have a job now. I am so proud of myself. I am so proud of myself now. Now I have more confidence and dreams to actually` I know I can do it. I know I can do it, and I am so very excited to work here as an employee. I am so lucky that I got this job. (SHRIEKS, GIGGLES) Thank you. After decades of stagnation and seemingly hopeless poverty, it feels like the Philippines is finally on the move. UPLIFTING MUSIC If current economic trends continue, children born today could, by the time they reach middle age, be as wealthy on average as Westerners are today. UPLIFTING MUSIC CONTINUES Who knows? There is a chance that places like Tondo will one day disappear forever. Did you wanna cry when Junalyn got the job? I did. All right. That's our show for tonight. Thanks for joining us this evening. Do join us again on Facebook ` Sunday TVNZ.