World's Busiest Maternity Ward This World

The world's population is growing at a rate of 80 million people a year.

Manila, the capital of the Philippines,

is home to one of the world's busiest maternity wards.

How many babies have you delivered? Maybe 200,000.

'In Manila's teeming slums,

it feels like the world can't possibly support even more people.'

Oh, gosh. I'm just trying to take this place in.

It goes on and on.

'But for the first time in living memory,

'here and around the world,

'there's the possibility of a very different future.'

It's contagious when you talk to Filipinos,

being so proud of our own country.

I've followed the lives of three families across Manila

during a time of dramatic change.

How are you? Congratulations, Daddy. I'm very happy.

I will get out of this kind of place. I got a job.

Who knows? Maybe all your dreams will be fulfilled some day.

He's opening his eyes.

It's a future that will see the world's population explosion

finally come to an end.

Hello, ladies. Hello. All these pregnant ladies, hello.

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?

Today? 200.

And what time is it?

It's 10.30 in the morning? It's 11... 11.00.

One in five of central Manila's mums come here to deliver their babies.

The midwives work day and night,

bringing young Filipinos into the world.

Ana Apruebo is the most senior nurse on the ward.

How many babies have you delivered?

I'm sorry, but I can't remember, it's so many.

Give me a ballpark figure. Maybe...

200,000.

Yes, because I am already here since 1986,

been here for almost 28 years.

OK, I think we may have found

the most experienced baby deliverer in the world.

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 the tiny labour room.

How many to a bed? Five. Five in a bed? Five in a bed.

Sometimes we have more.

At the very last minute, the mums are wheeled into the delivery room.

Good luck. Good luck, lady.

How many women are giving birth in here?

Six. Six.

With minimum fuss, the midwives get to work.

There's a little arm!

BABY CRIES

They have what you might call a hands-on approach here.

And despite the relentless pressure, there's no sense of panic or chaos.

A woman has just given birth to a baby.

There's a woman who's about to give birth any second, and...

I can't hear anybody screaming, I can't hear any babies crying,

everyone is so controlled, composed...

I mean, she's obviously in a lot of pain.

I don't know what that says about the Filipino women..

maybe it's something about their psyche,

maybe they are...

ANITA GASPS

Yes, oh!

Just like that, a baby's born. Another one.

BABY CRIES

Is it a boy?

Yep, that's a boy.

Welcome to Manila.

BABY WHIMPERS

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.

Rosaly.

Rosaly. Rosaly.

So, how pregnant are you, Rosaly, when are you due?

July 17th.

This month.

Well, that's in a few days. Amazing.

What number is this? How many children do you have?

Seven. You have seven children already? Yes.

Is this number seven or number eight? Number seven.

Number seven, lucky number seven.

And how old are your children?

16... Uh-huh. ..14,

nine, eight, four and two years old.

And...? And then...

You've been having babies for a long time.

By baby number seven, the final check-up should be routine.

When the patient comes in, you must know, how many kids do you have?

We must know the case, even if you are dealing with this patient.

You've got to know their case histories...

Yes, everybody that comes into the delivery room.

Amazing.

Even if 10 or 15.

And you must recognise women as well.

Oh, I've seen you before. Baby number ten. Yes.

So, I am just checking the head.

Would you like to? Yeah, I would. Could I? What do I do? Just...?

It's the head. That's the head!

Awww, amazing!

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.'

'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.'

OK, Rosaly, let's get you up.

Well done, well done. Thank you.

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%.

Rosaly lives in Tondo, Manila's biggest and poorest slum.

Here we go.

Tondo grew up around the city's huge rubbish dump.

It's now thought to be home to up to half a million people.

The first thing that's really obvious

is that there's children everywhere.

Absolutely everywhere.

Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello.

There's a shack behind you that's made out of bedsprings.

God, this is really intense.

Oh, gosh. I'm just trying to take this place in.

It goes on and on.

This is one of the most densely populated places,

certainly in the Philippines, if not in the world.

There's thousands of families that live here,

in this tiny little space.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people

migrate from the countryside, looking for work in the city.

Are you recycling?

Yeah, I think they're recycling. Emptying all the rubbish.

How much money for one bag?

Six pesos. Six pesos.

Less than a penny.

Hello. Hello, hello. Whoo!

Steady!

Steady, steady.

God, this is where they live, this is where they play.

They live on a rubbish dump.

In the back streets of Tondo, I finally found Rosaly's house.

Hey, Rosaly.

How are you? Lovely to see you again. Thank you.

Is this your husband? Yes, Eduardo.

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?

This one here?

It's pitch black.

Be careful.

Are you being careful? I'm not the one who's nine months pregnant.

How do you get up here in your condition?

A-ha, it opens out.

This is your home. Yeah.

The whole family lives in this one small room.

380? Yes.

Just over ?6 a day, OK.

And you do a bit of embroidery? Yeah, yeah.

And how much do you earn from your embroidery?

So ?4, but it could take you about three to four days to earn ?4.

So, between you, your income is quite low.

Rosaly'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 ten or more are common.

A future with billions more mouths to feed feels very scary.

But things are changing,

in ways we couldn't imagine just a few years ago.

Not far from Manila's biggest slum

is evidence of an economic revolution.

This is Makati...

..Manila's business and financial district.

Just 20 years ago, most of this wasn't here.

These skyscrapers now house more than 60,000 different businesses

including multi-national companies, global banks

and huge shopping malls.

In the last few years, the economy here has grown at breakneck speed.

Along with the posh shops, there's also an exclusive private hospital.

Makati Med is known for its state-of-the-art maternity unit.

Its medical director is Dr Annebelle Aherrera.

OK, "Dr Rani".

I'm ready to deliver a baby.

Wow.

This is where they undergo the caesarean section.

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.

That's about ?2,000.

Who is it? Is it middle class women? Is it wealthy women?

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 population of the young professionals,

the yuppies.

They can earn more and spend more and actually be able to afford

this kind of service.

Now we will enter the operating room theatres. Right.

This is a caesarean section.

Oh, someone is actually having a caesarean. Yes.

This is the anaesthesiologist, the obstetrician,

the assist, two assists,

the husband, then the nurse and two paediatric residents.

Gosh. Lots of people. Yes.

Is that normal? That's normal.

So we have three birthing rooms and this is the biggest of the three. OK.

Oh, this is a birthing room.

This is the birthing room.

You have your own bathroom.

You've got a massive window. A massive window.

You've got a sofa. Yes.

This is amazing.

I want to live here, never mind having my baby here.

Check out this view!

This is awesome.

Welcome to the world, baby!

And as your yuppies grow, as you call them,

then more of them will want to come and have their babies here.

Yes, they are increasing. Although, we do notice

that they would actually limit to about two or three children.

The heart...

the stomach...

and the thigh bone.

Rose and Gino Artillaga are having their second baby at Makati Med.

You see the mouth maturing there? It's a good sign.

I'm so happy. Of course.

As part of Manila's growing middle class,

they can afford the hi-tech facilities here.

BABY'S HEARTBEAT PLAYS THROUGH MONITOR

That's the heartbeat.

OK, we're done.

Hello, Gino. Hello, Rose. Anita. Pleased to meet you.

How are you?

Hello. Who's this?

Hello?

I think he's so engrossed into his iPad.

How are you feeling, Rose?

I feel...heavy.

Heavy? How long have you got? You're nearly there, aren't you?

Just a few days?

Yeah, actually, I have my scheduled CS on Friday.

Scheduled Caesarean. Yes.

Do you know what you're having? Are you having a girl or a boy?

It's a baby girl.

Wonderful, perfect.

One boy, one girl. Done.

It's done.

'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.

We strive very hard to improve our lives

and I think we also try very hard to achieve that.

From very humble beginnings, I think I've started my way up

and then I would like to believe

that I'm still on that path going up.

The opportunities are there,

you just have to grab it and take advantage of it.

More middle class families, like Gino and Rose, means fewer children

and potentially an end to the population explosion here.

It's all about creating new jobs.

For years,

poverty has driven millions of Filipinos to work abroad.

Now, like Gino, more and more are finding work here.

'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 somebody in this building? Yeah.

High possibility that you could be talking

to somebody in the Philippines.

WORKERS CHAT

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, 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 10 to 14%

of those who will get a job offer at the end of the day.

So you could walk in here, apply for the job

and by the end of the day, you could have a job? Job offer.

Patient, polite and well-educated,

Filipinos are great at handling customers on the phone,

even the most difficult clients.

On this floor, they're dealing with Brits.

If someone is really aggro with you on the phone, right,

and a British person, like, "I want some service and I want it now"

and getting angry, how do you deal with them?

I say sorry.

I say, "How is your day doing so far?"

And then eventually, you get along with the short conversation

and then you get along with them

and they say, "Hi, lovey. I believe you can do this, you can do that"

so basically, you're really working in the end, so it's like...

And they're calling you "love" by the end of it.

Yeah, that's the best thing about it.

You know you've won them over when they're calling you "love". Yeah.

"Thanks, love." Then I say, "Thank you for calling, bye."

But getting one of these highly-prized jobs isn't easy.

There's a rigorous selection process, including interviews

and language tests.

Once you're through that, things begin to get serious.

Right, guys, so welcome to day one.

We're going to deal with UK culture right now, OK?

So here's your question.

So which festival involves putting one's head in a horse collar

and making the ugliest face that he can?

What? Maybe...

You have ten seconds left.

No idea. Nine, eight, seven...

Amazingly, one of them actually knew the answer.

I think it's gurning.

Pardon? Gurning?

All right, let's see.

And there we go. Gurning?!

How did he know that? I didn't know that.

OK, so let's go with a few more.

So if I tell you "donkey's years..."

Ah, there you go.

How could we use it and where would it come out during an interaction?

If the customer complains that he already applied for an iPhone,

and it hasn't arrived yet,

he'll probably complain to say, "I've been waiting donkey's years."

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

OK, that's great, that's great.

All right, bloody hell.

All right, no, wait, wait, wait. I'll have her say it.

Could you help us out, please? Say "bloody hell".

Yes. Bloody hell.

Bloody hell.

Flippin' heck, bloody hell.

You could say that to somebody as a greeting...no, I'm kidding.

THEY LAUGH

They're like "OK, OK." No, don't!

So you're only allowed to hear it, not say it. Yeah. Cool?

Once they've successfully grasped the subtleties of our language,

these workers are willing to work long hours for a rate of pay

far lower than in the West.

A job here can be the gateway to a whole new life.

Because of this job,

I was able to actually send three of my siblings to school

and, of course, provide for their needs and put food on our table.

That's seriously impressive.

How old are you? I am 21. You're 21.

And you've paid for three of your siblings to go to school

and you support your whole family. Yeah. That's amazing.

Unbelievable. I am so impressed.

I've spoken to a handful of people.

All of them have got great degrees,

fantastic grasp of the English language.

But also, we're talking about ?300 to ?400 a month.

That's what they are prepared to work for

and that would radically improve the quality of their lives.

Very impressive. You can see why

companies would want to be here in the Philippines.

It feels like business is booming here.

But this is a huge country and in rural areas,

more than a third of people live below the poverty line.

Can you really lift a country of a hundred million people

out of poverty with call centres?

This is the central part of Makati,

which is really the Wall Street of the Philippines.

I went to meet one of the country's most respected businessmen,

Ramon del Rosario.

Is it happening? It feels like it's happening.

It feels like the world's eyes are definitely on the Philippines.

I think it's beginning to happen

and this is not just call centres,

these are things like doing medical,

medical transcription work or work for lawyers

or even doing more sophisticated things like financial analysis.

The whole range of business process outsourcing

has grown in this country tremendously.

And that's really what's happening in our country now.

I think maybe part of it is contagious

when you talk to Filipinos, being so proud of our own country,

but I think a lot of foreigners have also noticed what's happening

and that's why there is so much attention.

I've been here for a little while

and we know that this country is performing well.

You outperformed China in terms of your economy

at the beginning of this year, that's the big headline,

and I've met people working in call centres.

You can see that there's a foreign interest here.

I've also met the poorest of the poor here in Manila.

What are the opportunities

for the people at that end of your social structure?

Well, that's really the big challenge.

While our economy has grown,

I guess there's a lot more work that needs to be done

so that the benefits of this economic growth

will reach the poorest of the poor.

And I think number one there is education.

And the whole idea is to equip our people,

even the poorer kids in our country, with good education

that will allow them to lift not only their own lives

but the lives of their families

and enjoy part of this prosperity

that we're looking forward to in this country.

It's a huge challenge but around the world,

an extraordinary and hardly-noticed change 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.

GIRL SINGS KARAOKE

'I was heading to meet someone fighting to improve her life.'

Hello. Hello, what's he selling?

Fish?

Fish and sausages and eggs.

What's your name? Erlinda Flores.

Erlinda Flores! How long have you lived here, Erlinda?

SHE SPEAKS FILIPINO

Your whole life? Hello. Hello. What's your name?

I am Junalyn. Junalyn, Anita, pleased to meet you.

You've got very good English. Not so good. No, it's excellent!

So you help your mum with the store? Yeah.

I am the one who helps my mum store managing here.

And how old are you, Junalyn? 24. 24 years old.

And what do you want to do?

Now? What's going on in your life these days?

Actually, I am working at CBPS. You're working where?

CBPS. CBPS? CitiGroup Business Practice Solutions. At Citibank.

You're working at Citibank?

Yes. Amazing.

And you live here? Yeah, unfortunately.

I am working 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?

20 years, almost 20 years.

Wow.

This is my sister. Hello, pleased to meet you!

Pleased to meet you. Yes.

And what's your name? Rolinda.

Rolinda, pleased to meet you, Rolinda.

So you're Junalyn's older sister? Older sister, yes.

And what do you do? Well, I am a housewife.

You're a housewife, OK, where do you live?

Here. Here, at home. The same home. The same home.

You must be incredibly proud of your sister?

Yes, I am.

She motivates herself to reach her goals,

which I am not able to do on my own,

because, as you can see, I am a mother of three.

What did you want to be?

Before, I want to be a nurse, but I didn't finish my course.

Because I get...married

and you know, so on...

If you want an example, just look at me,

you see I never get that far.

But you can do it, keep it up.

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.

Yeah, I'll take my boots off.

No, it's OK. No, no, no. No, it's OK!

No, I can't, you've just taken yours off, I'm taking mine off.

Seriously.

I am sorry it's a bit of a mess.

It's not a mess, it's incredibly tidy, you don't have to apologise.

Can I have a look? Yeah, it's OK.

How many people live here?

Seven - my mum, my sisters, my nieces and then my brother.

Who sleeps up here? I sleep here and my mum.

Then my sister and her three kids.

Your sister and your three kids there.

And you sleep here? And my mum. And where do the boys sleep?

Downstairs, in the living room.

Quite right, in the living room, and you get the nice bedroom.

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

and it isn't nearly enough to allow Junalyn to go to college.

When you were young, what did you want to be?

When I was young, actually I want to be...

..a doctor.

But it would be a hard time for me.

And, of course, a financial problem. Mm.

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?

It's not my plan, it's not my plan.

It's not on my mind right now.

I need to pursue my dream first before get marriage...

I know...

Lots of population here in the Philippines

so I don't want to...

To be them, you see, you see it, I know you walk around this.

There's a lot of family problems here -

they cannot feed their children.

So I don't want to be one of them...

In my mind, if I get marriage,

I have my own job, a good job.

I've walked through this area.

I've seen... You live on a rubbish dump?

This is a rubbish dump, right? Yeah.

So how have you managed to...

get yourself to study and get an internship at Citibank?

I grow here and then...

I thought to myself, that some day...

I will get out of this kind of place because...

even though I am not...

Even though I am not that...

College degree...

I know if I get a job...

I can finish my study and pursue my goal

and get out of this, this kind of place

because I didn't have father, my father is died

so before he left...

..he told me that,

"Even though you have not finished your degree,

"finished your study,

"don't forget to look after your family first.

"I believe in you."

So that's why...

I always put in my mind.

Who knows, maybe all your dreams will be fulfilled,

some day I get out of this kind of place.

I am sorry.

Sorry. I'm sorry. No, I think you're incredible.

I'm just, I'm trying to understand

where this comes from within you.

Tell me what kind of life you want to live.

I want a simple life.

I have own house, I'm working at the office.

Finished my... That's my goal.

If I can do...

If I can do that, I am happy

and I know my dad would be happy too...

for me.

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.

And who knew that I'd come

to one of the worst places I've ever visited

and meet someone so utterly inspiring.

With every ounce of her being,

Junalyn wants to get her and her family

the heck out of this place...

..and I really, really hope she does it.

On the other side of Tondo, Rosaly and Eduardo's baby is due any time.

With a seventh child on the way, Rosaly can't afford to stop work.

Eduardo is also working every hour he can before the baby arrives.

The Philippines is a strictly Catholic country.

For women like Rosaly,

contraception isn't readily available

and when it is, it's expensive.

Rosaly and Eduardo have come to the Fabella hospital.

Rosaly's contractions still haven't begun

and the midwife is worried that she's bleeding.

Are you OK? Is everything OK? Yes.

You look a lot more worried today

than the last time I saw you, Eduardo.

This is a public hospital, but you still have to pay for operations.

The cost of a Caesarean would bankrupt the family.

How do you feel?

Eduardo is worried, worried about your health,

worried about the delivery.

I am just giving Eduardo and Rosaly

a bit of time to think...

They're obviously both incredibly worried.

It's just a waiting game, just have to sit and wait.

They just...don't want to have a Caesarean section

at any cost, really.

For tonight, Rosalie and Eduardo are given the all-clear.

Now all they can do is go back home to Tondo and hope for the best.

On the other side of town, Rose has been rushed into hospital.

It's a day ahead of their scheduled Caesarean.

I thought the baby was coming tomorrow! Yeah.

She had other plans.

She wanted to come out earlier. Yes!

I was in the office

when Rose texted me...

..and they said that...

the operation can't wait until tomorrow,

it has to be done tonight.

So what did you do, just pack up, leave, come straight here?

Yeah.

I finished something up in the office before coming here.

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.

We're cleaning up the baby. How are you?

Congratulations, Daddy. Very happy.

How is she? Uh...

How's little Madeleine?

She's OK.

She seems to be very healthy.

She cries very loud.

She cries very loud.

You must be absolutely delighted. Yeah.

How was the operation? How was it in there?

It went well. Were you quite tense?

Oh, yeah, but I tried not to show it.

Yeah, of course, trying to stay strong.

And now, how do you feel? Relieved.

Relieved.

Done, family done? Yes. That's it. That's it.

Gino and Rose have decided that two children is enough.

My name is Junalyn B Flores.

I am taking a bachelor of science degree.

Bachelor of science and business administration.

It would be a four years' course

but unfortunately, I didn't finish it.

It's the morning of Junalyn's interview for the job at Citibank.

Her sister is rehearsing some questions.

So, Junalyn...

..tell me...about your skills.

Do you have any skills?

I have skills.

Of course, all of us have our skills, ma'am.

My skills are more computers

and I am hardworking.

How can you prove yourself that you are hardworking?

I don't have any job experience yet, but I know in myself

that I'd be hardworking

because this would be my first job that I'd get hired,

so I need to prove to myself and my employer-to-be

that I am hardworking.

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

and then have a confidence, that's all I can say.

Eye contact, try my confidence, be myself during my interview.

Yeah, she trembles, she doesn't have enough confidence,

I am very worried for her English.

I do try to brief her, but...

..I don't know how can I help her.

There is lots of competitors,

fresh graduates from well-known universities.

I am really worried, I really don't know what to do.

'There's a lot of mud in Tondo.

'I don't want to get my good shoes dirty.

'I need to wear flip flops

'because my long way...

'..will be muddy.

'I need to walk slowly and watch my step.

'I really need this job.

'My entire family needs it.

'My mum worked hard and she always worried about us,

'so I really...

'want to give her the best while she is still alive.'

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.

For Junalyn, today could be the start of that journey.

'I am so very nervous

'because if I don't get this job, I'm not sure what I am going to do.'

There have always been rich and poor in countries like the Philippines.

What's new is the rise of the middle classes,

and it's their spending power which is transforming the country.

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 TV makeover show - Vicky Belo.

Anita, hello. Pleased to meet you.

I have heard so much about you!

Thank you for visiting Belo Medical Group.

Thank you, Vicky. Can I just say?

Are these gold computers?

Yeah, we're the Gold Clinic.

I'll show you something. I'm so proud of this.

This is what we call - to bring us luck and feng shui -

this is a "mother of pearl wall". Oh, wow.

You know how you buy bags, and they're so expensive?

I know all about mother of pearl.

That is quite something.

Is it real? It is, of course! That must have cost a bit!

Yeah, but it's worth it, it makes me feel rich.

I have to say, I've stepped into a completely different world.

Thank you so much, we appreciate it.

We really wanted to show off and make our clinic "First World."

Vicky 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 have been successful

if there were just so many people

below the poverty line.

In Britain, if you've made a bit of money,

the British way is to be very modest and not to tell anybody. Oh.

What's the Filipino way?

No, the Filipino way is to show off.

The Filipino way is to have only signature stuff - the watches.

It used to be just bags and shoes and now Louboutin,

everybody's wearing Louboutin, those $1,200 shoes,

they all have it.

You know how Imelda Marcos had 3,000 pairs of shoes?

Yeah. I think a lot of my friends have 3,000 pairs of shoes!

Shall we go in? Come on, Anita, let's go and meet a patient.

Hello. Hello, this is Denise.

Hello, Denise, pleased to meet you.

How old are you Denise? I am 18.

Denise, you are so beautiful,

what on earth could you possibly be having done?

Oh, I am going to have my underarm lasered and whitened also.

Underarm whitened? Yes. At 18...

Can I see your underarm? Here.

Why does it need whitening?

I don't know, you know how you get conscious.

They want it all even.

So this colour has to be that colour.

So this one is a bit dark for them.

I talk to the men,

and it's really true, they check it out all the time. Really?

They have an armpit fetish. They have an armpit fetish.

A lot of people have feet fetish and breast things,

in the Philippines, it's armpits. Armpits.

OK, that's it.

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 of the Philippines economy

will drive this economy between now and 2050,

for example, to become one of the, maybe,

top 15 largest economies in the world.

But it's also got very high unemployment rates here,

high levels of poverty,

surely that's going to be a stumbling block?

As the economy grows,

whether it's manufacturing or service,

the middle class will grow,

because between the supply and demand,

it's probably going to be creating a huge domestic consumption economy

as well, just like other economies have experienced.

The lower class, which is still not enjoying middle class status,

will be lifted up and that grows the middle class,

which will be, you know,

the basis of the economic growth of the Philippines.

For Rose and Gino and their new baby daughter Madeleine,

the future could not look brighter.

This looks quite nice, doesn't it?

Gated community.

They've seized the opportunities on offer in the new Manila.

Tight security.

INDISTINCT CONVERSATION

There he is, he's come out to meet us.

Hi, Gino. Hi, Anita.

Good to see you. Yeah, good to see you again.

Yeah, so this is your place?

Yeah. Lovely. Our humble home.

It's very nice.

How long have you lived here?

We've lived here two years.

You can come inside. Thank you.

(Sound asleep.) Yeah, sleep.

She's beautiful, look at her!

You've done very well.

We are so amazed she has two dimples here.

I...am not expecting it

as we don't have any member in the family who has dimples.

So I don't know why she has them.

First of all, I want her to grow healthy...

finish school and then later on,

she can choose whatever she wants -

she can choose the college course she wants,

whatever profession she wants to be.

We will be here to support her

and 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.

It's almost impossible to imagine from the crowded maternity ward

of the Jose Fabella hospital,

but population growth is now slowing dramatically.

The average number of babies per woman here

has dropped from over five to nearer three in just 30 years.

Globally, the figure is much lower.

The era of fast population growth will soon be over.

In another part of Fabella Hospital,

Rosaly had finally gone into labour.

It looked like the natural delivery she wanted,

not the expensive Caesarean they feared.

Hi, Rosaly.

Does she...? Should she push?

Or not yet?

Oh, my gosh.

Wow.

Oh, my God, here it comes.

Here it comes.

I can see the head, it's got a lot of hair.

Come on, Rosaly.

Go on, girl, go on, go on.

You can do this.

OK, Rosaly. Should she be pushing?

Oh, my gosh.

Here he is.

Here he is. Oh.

And he's perfect.

He's opening his eyes.

Hello, sweetheart.

Rosalie's new baby, Matthew, faces an uncertain future -

born into poverty in a tough city with no safety net.

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 want to get stuck in?

No, I'm tired.

Before leaving Manila, there was one last person

I wanted to catch up with.

I am 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.

So I'm going to 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! Hi.

How are you? I'm very well.

How are you? I am good. Tell me, how was your interview?

My interview is doing...

GREAT! Perfect!

Did you get hired? Yeah!

Yes, I have a job! I have a job!

I am so proud of myself.

I am so proud of myself now.

Now I have more confidence, and dreams to achieve.

I know I can do it.

I know I can do it and I am so very excited...

to work here as an employee.

Look at the office, look at the surround.

You see the people who are working here,

they are corporate. So I am so lucky that I get this job.

Ah! Thank you.

Thank you!

Excited to go home! Yes, go float, run home. Bye-bye. See you.

She's got a job at Citibank.

She lives in Tondo, she wants to change her family's life

and she's done it.

My hairs are standing on end.

I'm so thrilled for her. I'm so thrilled.

After decades of stagnation and seemingly hopeless poverty,

it feels like the Philippines is finally on the move.

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.

And as the birth rate falls,

the era of rampant population growth is also set to come to an end.

It's a pattern repeated in many parts of the developing world.

Who knows, there is a chance

that places like Tondo will one day disappear for ever.

Next time, Professor Hans Rosling presents

the amazing population statistics

that overturn many of our assumptions about the world today.

I start the world, here we go.

And you can see that China is getting the big bubble,

is getting to better health, and then they start family planning.

They move along to a smaller family. Then India's following.

'His message is...don't panic.'

What a change we have.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd