Selling vital organs and blood to survive

Philippines
July 21, 2009 11:05pm CST
Its been an ongoing problem in our country, people selling their kidneys and blood for money so that they can buy food. Is that the only solution they can find? What if they have already consumed the money they got from the sale? what else will they sell? I read from the news today about a Saudi man marrying a Filipina so that she can be his kidney donor. He tried to find loopholes in the law so that he can get someone to donate a kidney to him. Good thing the authorities and hospital people sensed something wrong so the transplant did not take place. Its so sad that someone would agree to get married and donate her kidney just for money. What are your views about this? Do you think there is any way this can be stopped?
4 responses
• Philippines
22 Jul 09
i have read this new when i have signed in to my yahoo messenger. it really sound so bad because they can even use their own wives just to get an organ. this is just so pathetic, the wife is willing or may be forced to give her kidneys out just to get money from that Arabian. I think that it just sounds stupid and sad.
• Philippines
22 Jul 09
I think that is the main reason why the Arab man married the Filipina, so that she can donate to him her kidney. Kidney donors are being screened already because of the many cases recorded of Filipinos donating to Foreigners. Its obviously organ trafficking.
@rainmark (4302)
23 Jul 09
Oh I think they married a filipina first so it's not obvoius for them that they only wanted their kidney donation in exchange of money. Too risky.
• Philippines
24 Jul 09
yes, it's too risky, but what if she's been doing that for the sake of her family?
@nicanorr (1789)
• Philippines
22 Jul 09
Thanks silverglints for bringing this problem to the limelight This is a true happening and this cast a bad image to the Philippine economy. Imagine to see Filipinos in the prime of their youth selling one of their kidneys. pints of blood just so they could eat three square meals a day. A Filipina consenting in marriage to an Arab man in exchange of her dear kidney This is horrible! despicable? This problem stares every Filipino straight in the eye. Well. time heals. Let's not cry over spilt milk. Let's do something concrete to help solve the problem. Let those unemployed families go home to the provinces where lots of vacant lands are waiting for hands to till. Top and influential government officials must put up livelihood projects for the return-home evacuees. While immigration officials can do so much by giving lectures to work applicants to advice them of illegal deals just like the preceding incident. My personal advice. Countrymen, please watch your steps. Whatever you do -good and bad- reflects your homeland.
• Philippines
22 Jul 09
yes, our current situation is sad but it is not hopeless. I still believe that the Philippines will some day rise to be a great nation once again. We just have to help each other in our own little ways like providing employment for the poor. Livelihood projects would indeed be great help.
@agv0419 (3022)
• Philippines
22 Jul 09
It is a sad reality that still happening now a days. Poverty is the one reason why other Filipinos selling their organs in the blackmarket without realizing that their health is going to suffered. The payment for their organ is not enough when they going to get sick. It is there only hope to have money because of lack of source of income. The government can't help them in providing livelihood. Foreigners taking advantage of some poor Filipinos.
@rainmark (4302)
23 Jul 09
Well if it's the only way to live why not, it's a gamble to survive. If the government give a decent jobs to those poor people to afford to buy thier needs, it shoudn't be like this. We can't blame those people who are doing it, coz for them it's an easy way to earn money, even they will take the risks. Happy myloting.
• Philippines
25 Jul 09
We are not blaming these people who are selling their organs or blood. I agree that they were only forced into this situation. But it is not right for the foreigners to take advantage of these people who are in need of money and not right for the government to not do anything to solve this problem
@nicanorr (1789)
• Philippines
22 Jul 09
Thanks to silverglint for bringing this Filipino problem to the limelight. I said Filipino problem because I have yet to read or hear of reports citing other nationalities to have sold their kidneys or blood just to buy food. This is a true report on the kind of economy we have here now in our country. Heads of families have sold the mate of their kidneys just so they could eat three square meals a day. Laborer sold pints of blood to buy milk for baby. Kapit sa patalim (Hung by the sword) kind of living especially for the poor and downtrodden. The problem stares us all Filipinos right in the face. A very despicable act. Anyway time heals. So let's join hands to address the problem. How? Let all those who have no work in Manila and immediate environs go home to the provinces where there are vacant lots waiting to be tilled. Let top concerned officials in the administration look up to this matter with dispatch so that proper measures could be worked out. Lectures be made by immigration officials that marriage to foreigners for the purpose of kidney transplant and the like are vehemently not allowed in our soil.
• Philippines
22 Jul 09
You have a point, if poverty is addressed and there are less people who are desperate enough to sell blood or organs for money then the foreigners won't have anyone to buy them from. Life in the province is indeed simpler, a man who knows how to work hard in the fields will never grow hungry. Thanks for sharing your views